Grevin, Jacques
GREVIN, JACQUES (c. 1539-1570), French dramatist, was born at Clermont about 1539. He studied medicine at the university of Paris. He became a disciple of Ronsard, and was one of the band of dramatists who sought to introduce the classical drama in France. As Sainte-Beuve points out, the comedies of Grevin show considerable affinity with the farces and soties that preceded them. His first play, La Mauberline, was lost, and formed the basis of a new comedy, La Trlsoriere, first performed at the college of Beauvais in 1558, though it had been originally composed at the desire of Henry II. to celebrate the marriage of Claude, duchess of Lorraine. In 1560 followed the tragedy of Jides Cesar, imitated from the Latin of Muret, and a comedy, Les bahis, the most important but also the most indecent of his works. Grevin was also the author of some medical works and of miscellaneous poems, which were praised by Ronsard until the friends were separated by religious differences. GreVin became in 1561 physician and counsellor to Margaret of Savoy, and died at her court in Turin in 1570.
The Thtdtre of Jacques GreVin was printed in 1562, and in the Ancien Theatre franc.ais, vol. iv. (1855-1856). See L. Pinvert, Jacques Grevin (1899).
Note - this article incorporates content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, (1910-1911)
