Richard Lovelace (1617–1657) was an English Cavalier poet, a soldier and courtier loyal to Charles I. Imprisoned twice for his royalism, he wrote some of the most famous lyrics of the seventeenth century, including To Althea, from Prison and To Lucasta, Going to the Wars.
The Cavalier
Richard Lovelace was born in 1617, probably at Woolwich, into a wealthy Kentish family; his father, a soldier, was killed in the Netherlands when Richard was a child. He studied at Charterhouse and Gloucester Hall, Oxford, where his looks and charm made him a favourite.
He served in the king's expeditions against the Scots in 1639 and 1640, and returned to his estates in Kent.
Prison
In 1642 he presented to the House of Commons the royalist Kentish Petition, which Parliament had ordered burned. He was imprisoned in the Gatehouse at Westminster, where he is said to have written To Althea, from Prison.
Released on bail, he fought abroad for the French king and was imprisoned again in 1648, when he prepared his collection Lucasta for the press.
Last years
Lucasta was published in 1649, the year Charles I was executed. Lovelace had spent his fortune on the royalist cause and is said to have died in poverty in London in 1657.
A second collection, Lucasta: Posthume Poems, was published by his brother in 1659–1660.
Anecdotes
A legend of poverty
The antiquary Anthony Wood wrote that Lovelace died in a mean lodging in Shoe Lane, in great poverty, though historians think the account may be exaggerated.
Who was Lucasta?
Lucasta, the lady of his poems, has traditionally been identified with Lucy Sacheverell, who is said to have married another man on hearing a false report of Lovelace's death.
Frequently asked questions
What are Lovelace's most famous poems?
To Althea, from Prison and To Lucasta, Going to the Wars.
Why was Lovelace imprisoned?
For his royalism: in 1642 for presenting the Kentish Petition to Parliament, and again in 1648.
What is a Cavalier poet?
A poet of the court of Charles I and his supporters, writing elegant lyrics on love, loyalty and honour.