Jasper Mayne
Jasper Mayne was an English playwright and poet born in November 1604 in Hatherleigh, Devonshire. He belonged to a prominent Roman Catholic family that faced a decline in status following the English Reformation. Mayne attended Westminster School and later Christ Church, Oxford, where he was supported by influential deans. He gained recognition for his commemorative verse, contributing to works honoring notable writers such as Shakespeare and Jonson, although much of his poetry has been overlooked due to allegations of misappropriation.
In 1639, he made his mark as a playwright with the publication of "The Citye Match," performed before the royal family. Mayne's career was tumultuous, particularly during the English Civil War, when his sermons against church dismantling led to significant setbacks, including his eviction from several positions. Despite these challenges, he continued writing and produced the tragi-comedy "The Amorovs Warre," which remained unperformed. By 1660, he recovered his ecclesiastical roles and died in 1672, leaving a legacy that includes contributions to St. Paul's Cathedral and support for his parishes, reflecting his engagement with the sociopolitical climate of his time.
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Jasper Mayne
Playwright
- Born: November 1, 1604
- Birthplace: Hatherleigh, Devonshire, England
- Died: December 6, 1672
Biography
Jasper Mayne was born in Hatherleigh, Devonshire, England, in November, 1604, one of five children born to Jasper and Mary Maine. He was baptized in the local parish on November 23, 1604. The Maine family were prominent Roman Catholic gentry in Hatherleigh but lost their land and prominence during the first half of the seventh century after England’s Reformation period.
After Mayne’s admittance to Westminster School, he advanced to Christ Church in 1623 as an attendant. In 1624, he matriculated as a student. Four years later he was awarded his B.A., and in 1631 he received his M.A. During Mayne’s residency at Christ Church, he was favored by deans Richard Corbett and Brian Duppa. This special distinction led Mayne to his first literary production. Upon Corbett and Duppa’s instigation, Mayne, as well as other notable residents such as Thomas Cartwright, wrote Latin and English commemorative verse of the royal family.
Mayne continued his commemorative style of verse by writing poems in the separate Oxford editions of three major writers: William Shakespeare in 1632, John Donne in 1633, and Ben Jonson in 1638. He continued to compose commendatory verse for many other Oxford editions throughout his lifetime. Most often Mayne’s other nominal poetry has been critically ignored because of claims of misappropriations and forgeries. Despite Mayne’s dubious label as a poet, he is best known as a playwright.
In 1639 Mayne anonymously published his first play, The Citye Match: A Comoedye; it was performed before the king and queen the same year. In 1639, he became the vicar of Cassington, a Christ Church near Oxford. In 1642 he received his bachelor of divinity degree and in 1646 his doctorate of divinity.
During the English Civil War, Mayne experienced many career setbacks, primarily because of his participation in the ensuing propaganda war. He delivered several sermons that spoke against the dismantling of the church. In 1648 he deserted Oxford and Cassington for a Christ Church at Pyrton after he disregarded a summons to a parliamentary visit at Oxford. Consequently, he was dismissed from his scholarship at Christ Church shortly afterwards.
Moreover, in 1648, Mayne wrote his second play, The Amorovs Warre: A Tragi-Comody, an extremely complex work that remained unperformed on the stage. In 1652, he was officially evicted from Cassington. After he was officially deprived of Pyrton in 1656, Mayne moved to Chatsworth, the estate of William Cavendish, third earl of Devonshire, where he often engaged Cavendish’s secretary, Thomas Hobbes.
In 1660, Mayne regained his lost positions at Cassington and Pyrton while obtaining new positions as the archdeacon of Chichester and a chaplain-in-ordinary to the king. Mayne died a wealthy man on December 6, 1672; in his will, he bequeathed a large sum to the rebuilding of St. Paul’s Cathedral and an additional amount to the poor of his parishes but left none to Christ Church.
Although Mayne is not traditionally known for his literary achievements, his plays, commemorative poetry, and sermons display a notable commentary on England’s tumultuous early seventeenth century.