Edmund Gayton facts for kids

Edmund Gayton (born 1608, died 1666) was an English scholar, doctor, and writer. Today, he is often seen as a "hack writer," meaning someone who wrote quickly for money.

Life of Edmund Gayton

Edmund Gayton was born in London on November 30, 1608. His father was George Gayton. Edmund went to Merchant Taylors' School in 1623. Later, in 1625, he went to St John's College, Oxford. He earned his first degree in 1629 and a master's degree in 1633. He then became a fellow at his college.

Gayton enjoyed spending time with famous writers in London. He even called himself a "son of Ben," meaning he was a follower of the famous playwright Ben Jonson. In 1636, he got a job at Oxford University. He became a "beadle" in arts and medicine. This was a university official who helped with ceremonies and other duties. That same year, he acted in a play called Love's Hospital. This play was performed for the king and queen when they visited St. John's College.

Gayton also studied medicine. In 1648, he was allowed to get a bachelor's degree in medicine. However, the university officials removed him from his beadle job that same year.

After losing his job, Gayton moved to London. There, he became a professional writer. He wrote poems for the Lord Mayor's parade in 1655. This was the first parade allowed since Oliver Cromwell was in charge. Sadly, Gayton was in a prison for people who owed money when the parade happened. He was taken to Wood Street Counter prison in 1655. Later, in 1659, he was moved to King's Bench Prison.

In 1659, Gayton was in Suffolk. When the king returned to power in 1660 (this was called the English Restoration), Gayton got his beadle job back at Oxford. He wrote many short poems and songs, often printed on single sheets of paper called "broadsides."

Edmund Gayton died in Oxford on December 12, 1666. He was buried in St Mary's Church. Just a week before he died, he had published a book called Glorious and Living Cinque Ports. After his death, the university chose a new beadle. The vice-chancellor, John Fell, said that Gayton was not good with money. He said Gayton had almost no money left when he died.

Works of Edmund Gayton

Other writers at the time did not think highly of Gayton's writing. His most important work was Pleasant Notes upon Don Quixot (published in London, 1654). This book was a long, chatty commentary on the famous story of Don Quixote. It included stories, jokes, and notes about the theater. It was written in both prose (like regular writing) and verse (like poetry). Other writers, like John Speed, wrote poems for the beginning of the book.

In 1768, a shorter and updated version of the book came out. Its editor, John Potter, said that Gayton was a "man of sense, a scholar, and a wit." This means Potter thought Gayton was smart and clever.

Here are some of Gayton's other works:

• Card game Description: Chartæ Scriptæ, or a new Game at Cards call'd Play by the Booke (1645). This was a fun poem describing a deck of cards.
• Lord Mayor's Day Poem: Charity Triumphant, or the Virgin Hero (1655). This poem was written for Lord Mayor John Dethick's parade.
• Health and Food: The Art of Longevity, or A Diæteticall Institution (1659). This book was a poem about which foods were healthy and which were not.
• Questions and Answers: Wit Revived, or a new excellent way of Divertisement digested into most ingenious Questions and Answers (1660). He wrote this under a funny fake name, "Asdryasdust Tossoffacan."
• Naval Poems: The Glorious and Living Cinque Ports of our fortunate Island (1666). These were poems written to praise naval leaders. They were about a big sea battle that happened in June 1666.
• Funny Sermon: He also wrote a funny sermon called Walk, Knaves, Walk. It was a joke speech about how to wax boots.

Gayton also helped publish other books. For example, he edited Harry Martens Familiar Letters to his Lady of Delight in 1663. He also wrote two short Oxford poems. One was about a banquet at St. John's College in 1636. The other was a song about the "Gyants" (statues) in the Physic Garden in Oxford.