John Grange
John Grange was an English writer born in 1556 or 1557, whose early life remains largely undocumented. He is noted for entering Oxford University's Queen's College at the young age of eighteen, where he focused on the common law of England. Grange briefly attended a Roman Catholic seminary in Douai in 1578 but left after just a month, and his life thereafter is shrouded in mystery, likely due to the challenges faced by Catholics during the Elizabethan era. His only known work, "The Golden Aphroditis," features a prose narrative about a complex love triangle and is interpreted as a Platonic allegory, though it may also serve as a roman à clef, with hidden references to real individuals. The latter portion of the work includes a collection of lyric poems and prose letters centered on love, which reflect a sincere and learned approach, contrasting with the often cynical tone of contemporary literature. Grange's potential impact on English literature remains speculative, as he seemingly disappeared from public view after the publication of his work.
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Subject Terms
John Grange
Writer
- Born: fl. 1577
Biography
John Grange was born in 1556 or 1557 in London; according to his own description his parents were of plebeian stock, but nothing more is known of them. Grange must have been something of a prodigy—or extremely fortunate—because he entered Oxford University’s Queen’s College at the age of eighteen. He described himself as a “student of the common law of England” on the title page of The Golden Aphroditis, his only surviving work.
In 1578 he enrolled at the Roman Catholic seminary at Douai but left after a month; what happened to him thereafter is a matter of conjecture, since no further record of him has been unearthed. If, as seems likely, he was a recusant—a dissident who refused to attend services of the established church—the lack of news is unsurprising. The Elizabethan era was not a good time to be a Catholic in England, even if one had good connections. Grange evidently had none, and he must have been perceived as an upstart.
The first part of The Golden Aphroditis is a prose account of a triangular relationship between a woman, A. O., described as a “natural daughter of [the Greek goddess] Diana,” and her two suitors, N. O. and I. I. The story is cast as a Platonic allegory, but it is probably a roman à clef (a story in which all events are disguised); unfortunately, there is no way of knowing to whom the piece might refer. The second part of the text, which was separately reprinted as The Golden Aphroditis and Grange’s Garden is an assorted grouping of lyric poems and prose epistles on the theme of love. They are more earnest than many Elizabethan rhapsodies on that subject and are quite devoid—as might be expected—of conventional aristocratic sarcasm. They are, however, politely leavened with wit and classical learning. There is no doubt that Grange could have made a much more substantial contribution to English literature had he not vanished from the scene.