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It was certainly full time to collect omne scibile about the Admirable Crichton, when some people had even gone so far as to doubt whether or no there was ever such a person in existence, or, if that fact were admitted, when at least there was a general disposition among the compilers of literary history, to depreciate as much as possible the character of his performances. We cannot but applaud, therefore, the chivalrous spirit with which Mr Tytler has stepped forth on the occasion, and in the success with which he foils his opponents one after another, he seems to us, in truth,

to have imbibed no inconsiderable portion of the prowess of his hero, and to be in no slight degree,

Himself that great sublime he draws. Dr Kippis, Dr Black, and others, are as completely discomfited by him as ever any poor logician or duellist was by the invincible Crichton himself; he has fairly passed his sword through their bodies, and has left them no other comfort than such as soothed the last moments of the Italian bravo whom Crichton slew at Mantua, that they could not have died by the hand of a braver man. It must be owned likewise, in the language of Sir Thomas Urquhart, that "the Scot, in sustaining his charge, has kept himself in a pleasant temper, without passion," so that, for a work of professed controversy, it is marvellous how every weapon is handled selon les regles, and in the most courteous manner imaginable. In short, this is a very ingenious and well-conditioned book, and we feel not a little indebted to Mr Tytler, whose name now bids fair to be encircled with the same laurel, per se partum, quod habuit adhuc hereditarium," for the great pleasure which we have had in perusing it.

66

It is unnecessary for us to go over the often-repeated story of the wonderful person here exhibited to us, his birth in Scotland in the year 1561,his prodigious skill in all the science and philosophy of the times,-and his no less singular proficiency in every elegant and chivalrous accomplish

Life of James Crichton of Cluny, commonly called the Admirable Crichton; with an Appendix of Original Papers. By Patrick Fraser Tytler, Esq. F. R. S. E. Advocate. Edinburgh, 1819.

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ordinary things related of Crichton's knowledge and universal accomplish

ment.

Mr Tytler speaks of this doculy one of the most valuable of the ment as the very earliest and certaincontemporary accounts of Crichton. One of his exploits alluded to above we shall give in the fanciful and amusing description of Sir Thomas Urquhart, whose overcharged picture of Crichton, however, Mr Tytler very naturally supposes, has been one main cause of the scepticism which has since been attached to his hero's real history. Sir Thomas Urquhart is best known as the translator of the two first books of Rabelais, one of the few translations, which, proceeding from a congenial spirit, has all the liveliness of an original. He is the author, however, of several other curious performances, and it is thus that in one of these, the Jewel, he expatiates upon this adventure.

"A certaine Italian gentleman, of a mighty, able, strong, nimble, and vigorous body, by nature fierce, cruel, warlike, and audacious, and in the gladiatory art so superlatively expert and dextrous, that all the most skilful teachers of escrime, and fencing-masters of Italy, (which, in matter of choice professors in that faculty, needed never as yet to yield to any nation in the world,) were by him beaten to their good in which they could not avoid, enforced to behaviour, and, by blows and thrusts given acknowledge him their overcomer: bethinking himself, how, after so great a conquest of reputation, he might by such means be very suddenly enriched, he projected a course of exchanging the blunt to sharp, and the foiles into tucks; and in this resolution providing a purse full of gold, worth neer upon four hundred pounds English money, traveled alongst the most especial and considerable parts of Spaine, France, the Low Countryes, Germany, Pole, Hungary, Greece, Italy, and other places, wherever there was greatest probability of encountering with the eagerest and most atrocious duellists; and imme

diately after his arrival to any city or town that gave apparent likelihood of some one or other champion that would enter the lists and cope with him, he boldly challenged them with sound of trumpet, in the chief market place, to adventure an equal sum of money against that of his, to be disputed at the sword's point, who should have both. There failed not several brave men, almost of all nations, who accepting of his cartels, were not afraid to hazard both their person and coine against him: but (till he medled with this Crichtoun) so maine was the ascendant he had above all his antagonists, and so unlucky the fate of such as offered to scuffle with him, that all his opposing combatants (of what state or dominion soever they were) who had not lost both their life and gold, were glad, for the preservation of their person, (though sometimes with a great expence of blood,) to leave both their reputation and money behind them. At last returning homewards to his own country, loaded with ho nour and wealth, or rather the spoile of the reputation of those forraiginers, whom the Italians call Tramontani, he, by the way, after his accustomed manner of aboarding other places, repaired to the city of Mantua, where the Duke (according to the courtesie usually bestowed on him by other princes) vouchsafed him a protection, and savegard for his person: he (as formerly he was wont to do by beat of drum, sound of trumpet, and several printed papers, disalosing his designe, battered on all the chief gates, posts and pillars of the town) gave all men to understand, that his purpose was to challenge at the single rapier, any whosoever of that city or country, that durst be so bold as to fight with him, provided he would deposite a bag of five hundred Spanish pistols, over against another of the same value, which himself should lay down, upon this condition, that the enjoyment of both should be the conqueror's dus. His challenge was not long unanswered for it happened at the same time, that three of the most notable cutters in the world, (and so highly cried up for valour, that all the bravos of the land were content to give way to their domineering, how insolent soever they should prove, because of their former constantly obtained victories in the field,) were all three together at the court of Mantua; who hearing of such a harvest of five hundred pistols, to be reaped (as they expected) very soon, and with ease, had almost contested amongst themselves for the priority of the first encounterer, but that one of my Lord Duke's courtiers moved them to cast lots who should be first, second, and third, in case of none the former two should prove victorious. Without more adoe, he whose chance it was to answer the cartel with the first defiance, presented himself within

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VOL. V.

the barriers, or place appointed for the
fight, where his adversary attending him,
as soon as the trumpet sounded a charge,
they jointly fell to work: and (because I
am not now to amplify the particulars of a
combat) although the dispute was very hot
for a while, yet, whose fortune it was to be
the first of the three in the field, had the
disaster to be the first of the three that was
foyled for at last with a thrust in the
throat he was killed dead upon the ground.
This nevertheless not a whit dismayed the
other two; for the next day he that was
second in the roll gave his appearance
after the same manner as the first had done,
but with no better success; for he like-
wise was laid flat dead upon the place, by
means of a thrust he received in the heart.
The last of the three finding that he was
as sure of being engaged in the fight, as if
he had been the first in order, pluckt up
his heart, knit his spirits together, and, on
the day after the death of the second, most
courageously entering the lists, demeaned
himself for a while with great activity and
skill; but at last, his luck being the same
with those that preceded him, by a thrust
in the belly, he within four and twenty
hours after gave up the ghost. These (you
may imagine) were lamentable spectacles to
the Duke and citie of Mantua, who casting
down their faces for shame, knew not what
course to take for reparation of their ho-
nour. The conquering duellist, proud of
a victory so highly tending to both his ho-
nour and profit, for the space of a whole
fortnight, or two weeks together, marched
daily along the streets of Mantua (without
any opposition or controulment) like ano-
ther Romulus, or Marcellus, in triumph:
which the never too much to be admired
Crichtoun perceiving, to wipe off the impu-
tation of cowardice lying upon the court of
Mantua, to which he had but even then
arrived, (although formerly he had been a
domestic thereof,) he could neither eat nor
drink till he had first sent a challenge to
the conqueror, appelling him to repair
with his best sword in his hand, by 9 of
the clock in the morning of the next day,
in presence of the whole court, and in the
same place where he had killed the other
three, to fight with him upon this quarrell;
that, in the court of Mantua, there were
as valiant men as he; and, for his better
encouragement to the desired undertaking,
he assured him, that, to the aforesaid five
hundred pistols he would adjoin a thou-
sand more; wishing him to do the like,
that the victor, upon the point of his sword,
might carry away the richer booty. The
challenge, with all its conditions, is no
sooner accepted of, the time and place mu-
tually condescended upon kept accordingly,
and the fifteen hundred pistols hinc inde
deposited, but of the two rapiers of equal
weight, length, and goodness, each taking

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one, in presence of the Duke. Dutchess, with all the noblemen, ladies, magnifico's, and all the choicest of both men, women, and maids of that city, as soon as the sig nal for the duel was given, by the shot of a great piece of ordinance, of three score and four pound ball, the two combatants, with a lion like animosity, made their ap. proach to one another; and, being within distance, the valiant Crichtoun, to make his adversary spend his fury the sooner, betook himself to the defensive part; wherein, for a long time, he shewed such excellent dexterity, in warding the other's blows, slighting his falsifyings, in breaking measure, and often, by the agility of his body, avoiding his thrusts, that he seemed but to play, whilst the other was in earnest. The sweetness of Crichtoun's countenance, in the hotest of the assault, like a glance of lightning on the hearts of the spectators, brought all the Italian ladies on a sudden to be enamoured of him; whilst the sternness of the other's aspect, he looking like an enraged bear, would have struck terror into wolves, and affrighted an English mastiff. Though they were both in their linens, (to wit shirts and drawers, without any other apparel,) and in all outward conveniences equally adjusted; the Italian, with redoubling his stroaks, foamed at the mouth with a cholerick heart, and fetched a pantling breath: the Scot, in sustaining his charge, kept himself in a pleasant temper, without passion, and made void his designes: he alters his wards from tierce to quart; he primes and seconds it, now high, now lowe, and casts his body (like another Prothee) into all the shapes he can, to spie an open on his adversary, and lay hold of an advantage; but all in vain: for the invincible Crichtoun, whom no cunning was able to surprise, contrepostures his respective wards, and, with an incredible nimbleness both of hand and foot, evades his intent, and frustrates the invasion. Now is it that the never before conquered Italian, finding himself a little faint, enters into a consideration that he may be overmatched; whereupon, a sad apprehension of danger seizing upon all his spirits, he would gladly have his life bestowed upon him as a gift, but that, having never been accustomed to yeeld, he knows not how to beg it. Matchless Crichtoun, seeing it now high time to put a gallant catastrophe to that so long dubious combat, animated with a divinely inspired fervencie, to fulfill the expectation of the ladies, and crown the Duke's illustrious hopes, changeth his garb, falls to act another part, and, from defender, turns assailant: never did art so grace nature, nor nature second the precepts of art with so much liveliness, and such observancie of time, as when, after he had struck fire out of the steel of his enemies sword, and gain

ed the feeble thereof, with the fort of his own, by angles of the strongest position, he did, by geometrical flourishes of straight and oblique lines, so practically execute the speculative part, that, as if there had been Remora's and secret charms in the variety of his motion, the fierceness of his foe was in a trice tranqualified into the numness of a pageant. Then was it that, to vindicate the reputation of the Duke's family, and expiate the blood of the three vanquished gentlemen, he alonged a stoccade de pied ferme; then recoyling, he advanced another thrust, and lodged it home; after which, retiring again, his right foot did beat the cadence of the blow that pierced the belly of this Italian; whose heart and throat being hit with the two former stroaks, these three franch bouts given in upon the back of other: besides that, if lines were imagined drawn from the hand that livered them, to the places which were marked by them, they would represent a perfect Isosceles triangle, with a perpendicular from the top angle, cutting the basis in the middle; they likewise give us to understand, that by them he was to be made a sacrifice of atonement for the slaughter of the three aforesaid gentlemen, who were wounded in the very same parts of their bodies by other three such venees as these, each whereof being mortal, and his vital spirits exhaling as his blood gushed out, all he spoke was this, That seeing he could not live, his comfort in dying was, that he could not die by the hand of a braver man: after the uttering of which words, he expiring, with the shril clarcens of trumpets, bouncing thunder of artillery, bethwacked beating of drums, universal clapping of hands, and loud acclamations of joy for so glorious a victory, the aire above them was so rarified, by the extre mity of the noise and veheinent sound, dispelling the thickest and most condensed parts thereof, that (as Plutarch speaks of the Grecians, when they raised their shouts of allegress up to the very heavens, at the hearing of the gracious proclamations of Paulus Emilius in favour of their liberty) the very sparrows and other flying fowls were said to fall to the ground for want of aire enough to uphold them in their flight." pp. 270–275.

We give Mr Tytler's narration of the death of his hero.

"When walking one night through the streets of Mantua, returning from a visit which he had paid to his mistress, and playing, as he went along, upon his guitar, he found himself suddenly attacked by a riotous company of persons in masks, whom, with that skill and activity for which he was so remarkable, he soon foiled and put to flight. Before this, however, he had

disarmed and seized the leader of the party, and upon unmasking him, discovered that it was the Prince of Mantua, to whose court he belonged. Crichton, although he had been attacked in the meanest manner, and had only disarmed his master, in defending himself, was yet affected by the deepest concern, upon this discovery. He instantly dropt upon one knee; and taking his sword by the point, with romantic de votion, presented it to the prince, his masVincenzo, naturally of a revengeful and treacherous temper, was at this moment inflamed by wine, irritated by defeat, and perhaps by jealousy. Certain it is, that it will require the presence of one or all of these dark and conflicting passions, to account for the act which followed. He received Crichton's sword, and instantly, with equal meanness and brutality, cmployed it in piercing his defenceless and injured benefactor through the heart.

ter.

Thus died the Admirable Crichton, in the twenty-second year of his age; preserving, in this last fatal encounter, that superiority to all other men which rendered his life so remarkable; and then, only, conquered, when his romantic ideas of honour had made him renounce the powers and the courage which, upon every other occasion, had so pre-eminently distinguish. ed him." pp. 46-48.

or

and cabalism. He will argue on the opinions of the wise men amongst the Chaldees, the Arabians, the Hebrews, the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Latins. In these disputations he will not confine himself to the classical elegance of the Roman language, but will imitate that species of colloquial dialect which is in use amongst the most celebrated Parisian doctors; because it is this which is employed by all the philosophers of the time."" pp. 193, 194.

This person, according to the united testimony of the most learned men of his time, was

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quirements; in the words of Scaliger, the a prodigy in literary and scientific acphoenix of his age, the delight of the mu ses, the favourite pupil of philosophy;' yet the name of Picus is now nearly forgotten, and his works have long ago passed into oblivion. This, however, is in a great degree to be ascribed to his having devoted himself to the vain and extraordinary task of illustrating the most mystic and unin telligible parts of the Platonic philosophy, by the sacred writings of Moses. Picus's challenge to the world of science was published at the age of twenty-four. He died in his thirty-second year.

"It would be easy to adduce a great many other examples, which prove, that, several eminent men who nearly equalled, in this age of enthusiastic study, there were and, in some points, really surpassed, the extraordinary and universal talents of Crichton; and that any argument, therefore, founded on the assertion that the narrative of his biographers is incredible, and impossible to be true, is not entitled to respect." pp. 195–196.

Mr Tytler accordingly mentions Politian, the friend of Lorenzo de Medici, who obtained eminence as a poet at a much earlier age than Crichton,Mazonius, a man of amazing memo

The chief part of this work is occupied with controverting the opinions of those who have either discredited the sources from which the history of Crichton has been derived,have thought the marvels recorded of him so incredible, as to render all in quiry into their authenticity unnecessary. On the first of these points our author introduces many interesting passages from Aldus Manutius and others, who were well acquainted with Crichton, and on the second point he shews very clearly, that Crichton, though perhaps the most uncommon man of the class to which he belong-y,-Lopez de Vega, and several other literary monsters. ed, was yet but one of a class,-and that in that period of literature there were many such prodigies, who, by dint of memory chiefly, performed astonishing intellectual feats, which no one now attempts, as he would only be laughed at, whatever might be his success. We gave formerly the Programma of Crichton, here is that of John Picus, Prince of Mirandula, al

most as wonderful and absurd.

"John Picus, of Mirandula, will dis. pute upon the under-written nine hundred questions in dialectics, morals, physics, mathematics, metaphysics, theology, magic,

There is no end of the attempts to which Aldus has preserved in his ediHis verses pull down Crichton. tions of some of the classics, are caWe think with our author, that they villed at as entirely devoid of merit. have very considerable merit, although in many places disfigured by typogra phical blunders, which corrupt both their metre and meaning; and we are happy to have it in our power to present our readers with an elegant translation of the ode to Laurentius Massa, by a young gentleman who has not yet attained the age at which Crichton

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