CRIEFF CRILLON. 



523 



towards the extremity of the wing, particularly, there 

 is a nearly circular space, surrounded by one nervure, 

 and divided into two meshes by another. The fric- 

 tion of the nervures of the convex surface of the base 

 of the left or undermost elytrum against those of the 

 concave surface of the base of the right one, causes 

 vibrations of the membranous areas of an intensity 

 proportioned to the rapidity of the friction. In fact, 

 the insect may be regarded as performing on a sort 

 of violin, the base of one elytrum serving for a bow, 

 and the cords of the other as the strings of the in- 

 strument. The reader, who may wish to enter upon 

 a very minute study of this and similar insects, contriv- 

 ances for producing sounds, may advantageously con- 

 sult De Geer (vol. iii., p. 512), and Kirby and Spence 

 (24th letter, vol. ii, p. 375 et seq.) The chirping of the 

 domestic cricket (acheta domestica) is by many re- 

 garded as pleasant or musical, and their presence in 

 holes is regarded as a good omen by some people. 

 Where they are numerous, certainly, to our ears, 

 their noise is anything but agreeable; and it re- 

 quires considerable haoituation to it to be able to 

 sleep undisturbed by it. They are very harmless, 

 taking up their abode near chimneys, fire-places, and 

 osher warm situations, whence they come out, when 

 the inmates of the house have retired to rest, and 

 commence their monotonous song. If a light be 

 brought, they speedily retreat, leaping lightly to 

 their holes, the length and peculiar structure of their 

 long thighs especially fitting them for this mode of 

 progression. One action which we have observed 

 them perform with the antenna shows the delicacy 

 and perfection of the muscles. They move the long 

 silken appendages, as if cleaning or polishing them, 

 somewhat as we see birds do with their feathers. 

 The field crickets (A. campestris) are as loud and 

 noisy in the day as those above mentioned are at 

 night, and largely contribute to the music of the 

 fields, so delightful to the ear of the student of na- 

 ture. Both species have attracted the attention of 

 poets, who have celebrated their simple but lively 

 notes in verse of various degrees of excellence. 

 Both species are equally innoxious, subsisting on 

 small particles of organized matter, which might 

 otherwise become troublesome from accumulation 

 while, from their numbers, birds and other animals of 

 higher rank in the scale of being obtain a part of 

 their supply of food. 



CRIEFF, a parish in Strathearn, Perthshire, in- 

 cluding the market town of the same name, the lat- 

 ter pleasantly seated on an acclivity, rising from the 

 north bank of the river Earn, where it is crossed by 

 a substantial stone bridge, on the great military road 

 to the Highlands ; distant from Perth eighteen miles 

 west, and twenty-two north from Stirling. The town 

 is much resorted to for the salubrity of its air, and 

 beauty of its situation. It has, for the accommoda- 

 tion of visitors, an excellent inn, and adjoining it, 

 a commodious assembly-room, elegantly fitted up ; a 

 tolbooth, surmounted by a neat spire, was erected 

 in 1665. In the public square stands an ancient 

 stone covered with hieroglyphics, which tradition 

 says belonged to the Picts. There are several ex- 

 tensive distilleries in and about Crieff, and it is noted 

 for the excellence of its whisky Population of town 

 and parish, in 1831, 4,786. 



CRILLON, Lotus DE BALBE, one of the greatest 

 warriors of the sixteenth century, and the friend of 

 Henry IV., was born in 1541, at Murs, in Provence, 

 of a respectable family of Piedmont. Being a 

 younger son, the name of Crillon was given him 

 from an estate belonging to the family a name 

 which he so ennobled oy his exploits and virtues, 

 that the heads of the Balbe family adopted it for 

 tlieir own. The army called Crillon the man with' 



out fear (I'/iomme sans peur). Charles IX., Henry 

 III., and queen Margaret-called him simply le brave ; 

 but Henry IV. gave him the surname of le brave dcs 

 braves. His independence and nobleness of spirit 

 were equal to his bravery, and his humanity and vir- 

 tue were not less famous than his heroic achieve- 

 ments. He was distinguished in five successive 

 reigns those of Henry II., Francis II., Charles IX., 

 Henry III., and, above all, in that of Henry IV. In 

 his first campaign (1557), he contributed much to 

 the speedy conquest of Calais, by a bold deed ot 

 arms. He was the first to storm the breach. Here 

 he encountered the commander of the fort, grappled 

 with him, and threw him into the moat. The Bri- 

 tish had spent eleven months in the reduction of 

 the place. The French retook it in eight days. 

 Crillon subsequently distinguished himself in the bat- 

 tles of Dreux (1561), Jarnac (1563), and Moncon- 

 tour (in 1569), against the Huguenots. As a 

 knight of Malta, the young hero gained renown in 

 the crusades against the Turks. Selim II. had taken 

 Cyprus from the Venetians. The terror of the Mos- 

 lem arms filled- all Europe ; a coalition was formed, 

 and the famous naval battle of Lepanto fought in 

 1571. Crillon, in this action, displayed prodigies of 

 valour, and, though wounded, was appointed to car- 

 ry the tidings of the great victory to the pope and 

 the king of France. Pope Pius V. and the king of 

 France (Charles IX.) loaded him with honours and 

 favours. The massacre of St Bartholomew (1572), 

 the preparations of which had been carefully con- 

 cealed from Crillon, was loudly reprobated by him. 

 We find him, the following year, at the celebrated 

 siege of Rochelle, and, subsequently, in various mi- 

 litary operations, where there was need of courage 

 and enterprise. Henry III. ventured to propose to 

 him the murder of the duke of Guise, which had 

 been resolved upon by the estates of Blois. " I can- 

 not stain my honour with a deed of shame " was his 

 answer. He fought heroically for Henry IV. against 

 the league. After the battle of Arques, in Nor- 

 mandy, Henry wrote to him. "Pends-toi, brave Cril- 

 lon, nous avons combattu a Arques et tu n'y etais pax. 

 Adieu, brave Crillon, j'e vous aime a tort et a trovers. " 

 He succeeded in throwing himself into Quilleboeuf, 

 which was defended by a small force against marshal 

 Villars. Villars summoned the city to surrender, 

 representing to Crillon that it was impossible for 

 him in an almost open place, with a comparatively 

 feeble garrison, to hold out against his army : Cril- 

 lon's answer was, " Crillon est dedans, et Pillars est 

 dehors." Villars ordered an assault, but was repuls- 

 ed, and the siege was raised. The young duke of 

 Guise, who was with Crillon at Marseilles, when a 

 Spanish fleet was cruising before the place, indulged 

 in a frolic, which afforded new proof of the heroism 

 of Crillon. Guise, rushed, with some of his young 

 friends, about midnight, into the warrior's sleeping 

 apartment. They hastily awoke him, and exclaim, 

 ed that all was lost ; that the Spaniards had mad 

 themselves masters of the harbour, and of all the im 

 portant points in the city : rescue was impossible. 

 The young duke now proposes toCrillon to make their 

 escape together. Crillon rejects the proposal with 

 indignation. " It is better," he cries, " to die with 

 arms in our hand than to survive the loss of this 

 place." He arms himself, and rushes down stairs, 

 when the laugh of the young duke discovers the jest 

 that had been played upon him. Crillon turned 

 with a serious air, seized the duke by the ann, and 

 said, " Young man, never amuse yourself with trying 

 the courage of a brave man. By Heaven, had you 

 found me weak, I would have plunged this dagger 

 into your breast !" Finally, when the wars which 

 had shaken Europe were terminated by the peace 



