| Notes |
- [[Category: English Poets]]
[[Category:English_Authors]]
== Biography ==
{{Notables Sticker}}
'''Written for WikiTree by Catherine Evans, 2013.'''
Wealthy. Handsome. Educated at Oxford. A gentleman. Cherished companion of the King of England. A gifted writer of poetry and drama. A soldier.
Charles the First succeeded his father James, as King of England and Scotland, March 27, 1625. He believed in the Divine Right of kings to rule as they saw fit. His quarrels with Parliament over issues political and religious ended in tragedy for his family and many of his friends. Richard stood by his king, loyal to the House of Stuart to the end of his days.
The Bishops' Wars in 1639 and 1640 centered around the efforts of King Charles to reform the Church of Scotland, dragging it away from Presbyterianism into the Anglican form. And, in the view of many, dragging it closer to a reconciliation with Catholicism. Richard Lovelace served as an ensign under George Goring, the Earl of Norwich, in support of the monarchy - a brave and able soldier. At the conclusion of the conflict, he returned to the life of a courtier and gentleman.
Things were not going well in England. The conflict between the king and Parliament escalated steadily. In April, 1642, Richard was a leader of the pro-royalist faction that presented to Parliament the inflammatory Kentish Petition. By order of the House of Commons, he was imprisoned. And there, he wrote:
:'''"To Althea, from Prison,"'''
:"When Love with unconfined wings
::Hovers within my Gates;
:And my divine Althea brings
::To whisper at the Grates;
:When I lye tangled in her haire
::And fettered to her eye;
:The Gods that wanton in the Aire,
::Know no such Liberty.
:When flowing Cups run swiftly round
::With no allaying Thames,
:Our careless heads with Roses bound,
::Our hearts with Loyall Flames;
:When thirsty griefe in Wine we steepe,
::When Healths and draughts go free,
:Fishes that tipple in the Deepe,
::Know no such Libertie.
:When (like committed linnets) I
::With shriller throat shall sing
:The sweetnes, Mercy, Majesty,
::And glories of my KING;
:When I shall voice aloud, how Good
::He is, how Great should be;
:Enlarged Winds that curle the Flood,
::Know no such Liberty.
:"Stone Walls do not a Prison make,
::Nor Iron bars a Cage;
:Mindes innocent and quiet take
::That for an Hermitage;
:If I have freedome in my Love,
::And in my soule am free;
:Angels alone that soare above,
::Injoy such Liberty."
:''-- Richard Lovelace.''
The conditions of his parole restricted his open participation in the first civil war. Loyal still to his king, he donated his fortune in support and lost everything. In 1648, he was again sent to prison. And there he wrote:
:'''"To Lucasta, Going to the Warres,"'''
:"Tell me not, Sweet, I am unkind,
::That from the nunnery
:Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind
::To war and arms I fly.
:True, a new mistress now I chase,
::The first foe in the field;
:And with a stronger faith embrace
::A sword, a horse, a shield.
:Yet this inconstancy is such
::As thou too shalt adore;
:I could not love thee, Dear, so much,
::Loved I not Honour more."
:''-- Richard Lovelace.''
Cromwell won the war, King Charles lost his head, Richard's sweetheart, the fickle Lucasta, married another man. Richard lived in poverty, sometimes a hunted man, dependent on the charity and kindness of friends until 1658.
He left a treasure of some of the finest writing of the Stuart era, a gift to the ages. Loyal, brave, true to his beliefs to the end of his days, right or wrong, he never gave up.<ref>Entered by [[Evans-5697|Catherine Evans]], 3 August 2013.</ref>
=== See Also ===
Richard Lovelace (son of William Lovelace III) was born Dec 06, 1617 in Woolwich, Kent, England, and died Apr 1658 in London, England.
Includes NotesNotes for Richard Lovelace:He was noted as a poet and cavalier. The death of his brother William in the Siege of Carmarthen was lamented in a poem written by Richard.
He was a soldier in the King's army in Scotland. (Louis XIV)his occupation: Justice of Kent: As one of justices of Kent, was selected to present to the House of Commons a petition from Kent royalist in King Charles favor, for which he was committed to Gatehouse Prison where one of his best known poems was written "To Althea from Prison". "Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage".
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000 - Richard LovelaceEnglish write, one of the Cavalier poets. He was born in Woolwich and educated at the University of Oxford. In 1642 he was imprisoned for presenting to parliament a petition favoring the restoration of the Anglican bishops who had been excluded from the Long parliament. he was an ardent Royalist and served with the French army during the Civil War. On his return to England in 1648 he was again imprisoned but was freed in 1649. he spent his large inherited fortune for the Royalist cause and died in poverty and obscurity. Lovelace's verse is uneven in quality. Some poems are strenuously elaborate; the best are characterized by great elegance and grace. He is best known for his lyrics "To Althea, from prison" and "To Lucasta, Going to the Wars" both written while he was in prison. the first volume of his poems, Lucasta: Epodes, Odes, Sonnets, Songs, Etc., was published in 1649 and the second volume, Lucasta; Posthume Poems, was published in 1660 after his death.
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000 - Cavalier PoetsCavalier poets, group of 17th century English lyric poets, associated with the Royalists, who were the followers of King Charles I at the time of the English Civil War. three of them - Thomas Carew, Sir John Suckling, and Richard Lovelace were attached to the court of Charles, and one, Robert Herrick, was a clergyman. These poets were influenced by Ben Jonson and formed an informal social as well as literary circle. The term Cavalier lyrics is often applied to the poetry of these authors and to that of some of their contemporaries, such as John Cleveland. Generally marked by brevity, correct and polished form, and restrained emotion, these poems deal with loyalty, beauty, and love.1631, May 5 - Lovelace made "Gentleman Wayter Extraordinary" to the King.1634, June 27 - Matriculates as Gentleman Commoner at Gloucester hall, Oxford.
1635 - writes a comedy, "The Scholars"
1636, August 31 - receives M.A. Degree
1637, October 4 - enters Cambridge University
1638 - Returns to the court of Charles I1639 - Senior ensign in General Goring's regiment in the First Scottish Expedition. His frist printedpoems appear at this time.1640 - Commissioned captain in the Second Scottish Expedition; writes a tragedy, "the Soldier".Returning home to Kent, he enters at 21 into the possession of his family property.1641 - He tears up a pro-Parliament, anti-Episcopacy petition at a meeting in Maidstone, Kent.1642, April 30 - he presents the anti-Parlimentary petition of Kent and is imprisoned at Gatehouse. Afterappealing, he is released on bail, June 21. Civil War begins August 22.
1643 - sells some of his property to Richard Hulse1644 - Death of brother William at Carmarthen, Wales under the command of another brother, ColonelFrancis Lovelace.1646 - In Oct. he is wounded at Dunkirk while fighting under the Great Conde against the Spaniards.
1647, Oct. 26 - he is admitted to the Freedom of the Painters' Company1648, Feb. 4 - "Lucasta" is licensed at the Stationer's Register. on June 9, Lovelace is again imprisonedat Peterhouse.1649, April 9 - Lovelace is released; sells the remaining family property and portraits to Richard Hulse.On May 14, "Lucasta" is published.
1658 - Lovelace dies1659 - "Lucasta, Posthume Poems" is published<ref>Catherine Evans, "Richard Lovelace (1618 - 1658)," ''WikiTree,'' http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/{{FULLPAGENAME}} (accessed {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTDAY}}, {{CURRENTYEAR}}).</ref>
== Sources ==
<references/>* Catherine Evans, "Richard Lovelace," WikiTree, 2013, http://www.wikitree.com/Lovelace-153 * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lovelace Wikipedia: Richard Lovelace]
==Acknowledgments==
* Entered by [[Evans-5697|Catherine Evans]], 3 August 2013.
See Also:<br/>
The Parlett-Hern Family Home Page:Information about Richard Lovelace
See also the [http://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:NetworkFeed&who={{FULLPAGENAME}}&l=100&p=1&watchlist=0&hideown=0 Changes page] for the details of edits by others.
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My Family History
1617 - 1658 (40 years)