CKICHTON, JAMBS. 



CROKER, RT. HON. JOHN WILSON. 



of preparation, or how lightly he held his adversaries, he ipent the six 

 weeks that elapacd between the challenge and th* contoet in a con- 

 tinual round of tilting, hunting, and dancing. On the appointed day 

 however lie is taid to hare encountered all " th* gravest philosophers 

 and <livinm," to hare acquitted himwslf to the astonithiuent of all who 

 heard him, and to have received the public praise* of the president 

 and four of the moit eminent profesoor*. The very noit day he 

 appeared at a tilting match in the Louvre, and carried off the ring 

 from all hi* accomplished and experienced competitors. Enthusiasm 

 wai now at iU height, particularly among the lactic* of the court; and 

 from the Tenatility of his talents, hit youth, the gracefnluesa of hit 

 manner*, and the beauty of his person, he was named ' L'Admirable.' 

 After serving two yean in the army of Henri III., who was engaged 

 in a civil war with hi* Huguenot or Protitant subjects, Crichton 

 repaired to Italy, and repeated at Rome, in the presence of the pope 

 and cardinal*, the literary challenge and triumph that had gained him 

 o much honour in Paris. From Rome he went to Venice, at which 

 gay city he arrived in a deprwaed itate of spirits. None of his Scottish 

 biographers are very willing to acknowledge the fact, but it appears 

 quite certain that, spite of his noble birth au<i connections, he was 

 miserably poor, and became for some time dependent on the bounty 

 and patronage of a Venetian printer the celebrated Aldus Mauutius. 

 After a residence of four mouths at Venice, where his learning, 

 yf*"E manners, and various accomplishments excited universal 

 wonder, as is made evident by several Italian writers who were living 

 at the time, and whose live* of him were published, Crichton went to 

 Mia neighbouring city of Padua, in the learned university of which he 

 reaped fresh honours by Latin poetry, scholastic disputation, an 

 exposition of the errors of Aristotle and his commentators, and (as a 

 playful wind-up of the day's labour) a declamation upon the happiness 

 of ignorance. Another day was fixed for a public disputation in the 

 palace of the Bishop of Padua, but this being prevented from taking 

 place, gave some incredulous or envious men the opportunity of 

 asserting that Crichton was a literary impostor, whose acquirements 

 were totally superficial. His reply was a public challenge the contest, 

 which included the Aristotelian and Platonic philosophies, and the 

 mathematics of the time, was prolonged during three days, before an 

 innumerable concourse of people. His friend Aldus Hanutius, who 

 was present at what he calls " this miraculous encounter," says he 

 proved completely victorious, and that he was honoured by such a 

 rapture of applause as was never before heard. 



Crichton's journeying from university to university to stick up 

 challenges on church doors and college pillars, though it is said to 

 have been in accordance with customs not then obsolete, certainly 

 attract- d some ridicule among the Italians ; for Boccalini, after 

 quoting one of liis placards, in which he announces his arrival and 

 bis nndincM to dispute extemporaneously on all subjects, says that a 

 wit wrote under it, " and whosoever wishes to see him, let him go 

 to the Falcon Inn, where be will be shown," which is the formula 

 used by showmen for the exhibition of a wild beast, or any other 

 monster. (' Ragguagli di Parnawo.') 



We next hear of Crichton at Mantua, and as the hero of a combat 

 more tragical than those carried on by the tongue or pen. A certain 

 Italian gentleman, "of a mighty, able, nimble, and vigorous body, 

 but by nature fierce, cruel, warlike, and audacious, and superlatively 

 expert and dexterous in the use of his weapon," was in the habit of 

 going from one city to another to challenge men to fight with cold 

 tod, just as Crichton did to challenge them to scholastic combats. 

 Tl>i itinerant gladiator, who had marked his way through Italy with 

 blood, had just arrived in Mantua, and killed three young men, the 

 boat swordsmen of that city. By universal consen ttb'e Italians were 

 th* ablest masters of fence in Europe a reputation to which they 

 seem still entitled. To encounter a victor among such masters was a 

 stretch of courage, but Criohton, who bad studied the sword from his 

 youth, and who had probably improved himself in the use of the 

 rapier in Italy, did not hesitate to challenge the redoubtable bravo. 

 They fought : the young Scotchman was victorious and the Italian 

 left dead on the spot. 



Boon after this the sovereign Duke of Mantua engaged Crichton as 

 companion or preceptor to his son Vinoenio Qonxaga, a young man 

 who, according to Muratori, had shown a strong inclination for litera- 

 ture, but who was otherwise of a passionate temper and dissolute 

 manners. ('Annali il'IUlia.') At the court of Mantua, Crichton 

 atlded to his reputation by writing Italian comedies, and playing tlie 

 principal part* in tiwm himself. His popularity was immense, but of 

 brief duration. He was cut off in bis twenty-third year, without 

 leaving any proofs of his genius except a few Latin verses, printed by 

 Aldus Manutius, and the testimonials of undoubted and extreme 

 admiration of several distinguished Italian authors, who were his con- 

 temporaries and associates. As he was returning one night from the 

 bouse of his mi-trow, and playing and singing ss he walked (for he 

 was aa accomplished musician), he wa< attacked by several armed 

 mm In roa-ks,. On* of these he disarmed and seUed ; the rest took 

 to flight Upon unmasking bis captive he discovered the features of 

 th* 1'iince of Mantua. He inntantly dropped upon one knee, and pre- 

 tented his rl to bis master, who, inflamed by revenge, and, it in 

 supposed, by jealousy, took the weapon and ran him through the 

 body. BOOM contemporary account* attribute his death to an acci- 



dental midnight brawl, others to a premeditated plan of assassination, 

 but all seem to agree that be fell by the hand of the prince ; and a 

 1 lirf, or a popular superstition, prevailed in Italy, that the calamities 

 which befel the house of Qonxaga shortly after were judgments of the 

 Almighty for that foul murder. 



Such appear to be the well-authenticated points of a wonderful 

 story, that has often been doubted, not only in parts, but almost 

 altogether. It has however been cleared up of late years by the 

 industry and research of Mr. Patrick Fraser Tytler, who produces a 

 mass of contemporary or nearly contemporary evidence. 



(Life of Jama Crickton of Cluny, commonly calUd the Admirable 

 Crifhton ; with an Appendix of Original Paperi, 1 voL 8vo, Kdinb., 

 1819.) 



CRCE3US, the last of the Mermnadec, son of Alyattea, succeeded 

 his father Alyattes as king of Lydia at the age of thirty-five, B.C. 660. 

 (Herod., i. 7 and 26.) But before this time he seems to have been 

 associated with his father in the government. (Cliaton, ' Fast ILL.' 

 p. 297 ; and Larcher, ' On Herod., L 27.) He was contemporary with 

 PUisiratus, tyrant of Athens (Herod., i. 59), and with Anaxandrides, 

 king of Sparta (i. 67). He attacked and reduced to subjection all the 

 lonians and .ttolians in Asia (L 26), and all the nations west of the 

 Halys (i. 28). The increase of tho Persian power led him, after con- 

 sulting various oracles in Kurope, Asia, and Africa, to form an alliance 

 with A mania, king of Egypt (L 77), and with the Lacedemonians 

 (i. 69), as the most powerful people of Hellas, about B.C. 654. (Clinton, 

 ' Fast. Hel.,' p. 207.) Ho subsequently attacked and conquered the 

 Cappadocian Syrians beyond the Halys, and engaged in battle with 

 Cyrus, in which however neither was victorious. He returned to 

 Sardis, intending to wait till tho following year to renew the war; but 

 CyAs, anticipating his designs, attacked him in his own capital, 

 defeated him, and took Sardis, B.O. 646. Croesus was mode prisoner 

 and was placed on a pile to be burnt, but Cyrus relented, and the firo 

 was extinguished. He reigned fourteen years. After his captivity he 

 became Cyrus's favourite companion aud adviser in his future wars. 

 When Cyrus died ho recommended Croesus to his son and successor, 

 Cambyses, aa one in whom he might confide as a friend. Croosus 

 however did not long continue in the favour of Cambyses ; ha took 

 upon himself on one occasion to admonish the king, believing him to 

 bo insane, and he had great difficulty in escaping with his life. Little 

 is known of him after this period. While king he was visited by 

 Solon, and Herodotus (i. 30-33) records a long conversation between 

 them on wealth and happiness. The riches of Croesus were so great 

 that his name had almost passed into a proverb. It is said that he 

 had a son who was born deaf and dumb, but who gained the faculty 

 of speech by ths effort which he made to cry out when he saw a 

 Persian going to kill his father at the capture of Sardis. (Herodotus ; 

 Plutarch, Life of Solon.) 



CROFT, WILLIAM (Mus. Doc.), who as a composer of cathedral 

 music has no superior, was born in Warwickshire in 1677, and educated 

 in the Chapel-Royal under Dr. Blow. His earliest preferment was to 

 the place of organist of St. Anne's, Soho, when an organ was for 

 the first time erected in that church. In 1700 he was admitted a 

 gentleman-extraordinary of the Chapel-Royal ; and in 1704 was 

 appointed joint-organist of the same with Jeremiah Chirk, on whose 

 decease, in 1707, h obtained the whole place. In 1708 he succeeded 

 Dr. Blow as Master of the Children and Composer to the Chapel-Royal, 

 and also as organist of Westminster Abbey. In 1711 he published, 

 luit without his name, a volume containing the words of the anthems 

 used by the three London choirs, with a preface, giving a brii-f history 

 of Eugliih church-music. In 1715 Croft wns created Doctor in Music 

 by the University of Oxford ; bis exercise consisted of a Latin and 

 an English Ode, both of which were afterwards curiously engraved in 

 score, and published under the title of 'Musicus Apparatus Aeade- 

 mious.' In 1724 he published his noble work, ' Musi en Sacra,' in 

 two volumes, folio. He states in the preface that his work is the first 

 essay in music-printing of the kind, it being in score, engraved, and 

 stamped on plates, and that for want of some such contrivance, tho 

 music formerly printed in England was very incorrectly published ; 

 as an instance of which he mentions Put cell's 'Te Deum* and 

 'Jubilate.' Dr. Croft died in 1727, of an illness produced by his 

 attendance nt the coronation of George II., and was int. rn-il in West- 

 minster Abbey, where a monument, erected to his memory by his 

 friend Humphrey Wj rley Birch, Esq., records his high merits as a 

 composer, and his amiable and excellent moral qualities aa a member 

 of tociety. As a composer of ecclesiastical mn.-ic Dr. Croft has no 

 superior. Beside* his ecclesiastical music, Dr. Croft was the author 

 of six sonatas for two flutes, six for a flute and a bsse, and numerous 

 songs, which appeared in the various musical publications of bis day. 

 (Hawkins and Burney, Hittvria of Mutic.) 



CROKER, THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN WILSON, 

 represents a branch of an ancient family which was settled for many 

 generations at Lineham, in South Devon. A member of this family 

 migrated to Ireland about the year 1600, aud his sons distinguished 

 themselves at the capture of Watcribnl in 1650. Various descendants 

 of this branch received grant* of land in the south of Irelanil, which 

 they increased from tim to timo by marriages witli influential 

 fainilii'R. Mr. Croker, the father of the subject of our present inrinir, 

 was for many years surveyor-general of Ireland, and in that position 



