See Maim.

MAYNE (Jasper), an eminent English poet and divine in the 17th century, who was bred at Oxford, and entered into holy orders. While his majesty resided at Oxford, he was one of the divines appointed to preach before him. He published in 1647 a piece intitled, OXAOMAXIA, or, The people's war examined according to the principles of reason and scripture, by Jasper Mayne. In 1648 he was deprived of his studentship at Christ-church, and two livings he had; but was restored with the king, who made him his chaplain and archdeacon of Chichester; all which he held till he died. Dr Mayne was held in very high esteem both for his natural parts and his acquired accomplishments. He was an orthodox preacher, and a man of severe virtue and exemplary behaviour; yet of a ready and facetious wit, and a very singular turn of humour. From some stories that are related of him, he seems to have borne some degree of resemblance in his manner to the celebrated Dr Swift; but if he did not possess those very brilliant parts that distinguished the Dean, he probably was less subject to that capricious and those unaccountable whimsies which at times so greatly eclipsed the abilities of the latter. Yet there is one anecdote related of him, which, although it reflects no great honour on his memory, as it seems to carry some degree of cruelty with it, yet is it a strong mark of his resemblance to the Dean, and a proof that his propensity for drollery and joke did not quit him even in his latest moments. The story is this: The doctor had an old servant, who had lived with him some years, to whom he had bequeathed an old trunk; in which he told him he would find something that would make him drink after his death. The servant, full of expectation that his master, under this familiar expression, had left him somewhat that would be a reward for the affluence of his past services, as soon as decency would permit flew to the trunk; when behold, to his great disappointment, the boasted legacy proved to be a red herring. The doctor, however, bequeathed many legacies by will to pious uses; particularly 50 pounds towards the rebuilding of St Paul's cathedral, and 200 pounds to be distributed to the poor of the parishes of Caddington and Pyrton, near Wattington, of both which places he had been vicar. In his younger years he had an attachment to poetry; and wrote two plays, the latter of which may be seen in the tenth volume of Doddley's collection, viz. 1. Amorous war, a tragicomedy. 2. The city-match, a comedy. He published a poem upon the naval victory by the duke of York over the Dutch, printed in 1665. He also translated into English from the Greek part of Lucian's Dialogues.