The Van Buren press., 1893-07-08
ADMIRABLE caloHroh.
upsaorv ef the Fnmoas Scholar ana oes'
L - ,.r.,llx AncamnliaAed COurtlef.

v.r.ally Accomplished Courtier.
sT believe that the only authority for
the life of tho Admirable Crichton Is =
certain tract by the ingenious Sir
Thomas Urquhart. who translated
Rabelais. The tract is called .fhe pis-
covery of Most Exquisite Jewel IN
the Mud No one man can understand
what a miracle of a man WAS THIS
Crichton, unless he reads the tract
which is written in fine scholarly
Rabelaisian spirit of extravaganza. Let
me tell the story. though the beauty oi
the narrative cannot be translated inso
modern Journalese Crichton was cne
of the many Scots of good family who
took service in foreign courts, theh
poverty sharpening their wits to an IN
credible extent
..Crichtou was in the service OF the
duke Of Mantua, whose son was MS
pupil. He was a great linguist, KNOW
ing twelve languages either to SPEAK
or write. He was rea dy to dispute IN
Latin on any theme conce rning mathe-
matics. medicine, rhetoric, logic, ART,
theology, or Jurisprudence, with any
scholar who should venture. lie was
master Of every kind of sport and past
time, and in the tilt yard he had nc
rival Lastly, he was an excellent
actor. One evening, for instance, he
played before the court of Mantua, per
sonating, in kind of variety show, .
dozen characters in succession.
ze
his famous duel with certain Italian
gladiator, or soldier of fortune. who
lived by challenging all comers at vari-
Gus courts to fight for large sums OF
money. Some he XII lied. winning the
stakes; some he won nded and gave
them their lives in exc hange for the
money. On his arrival at Mantua he
posted on the gates challenge to all
corners to engage him with the single
rapier for Ave hundred Spa nish pis-
toles, to be laid down by either side.
Three gentlemen of the court accepted
the challenge. The first was thrust
through the throat and fell dead. The
second was thru st through the heart
and fell dead. The last was thrust be-
low the heart an was carried off the
field dying. Then Criehton stepped
forward.
''Observe the manner of the profess
sional here. He might have been first.
But then he would only have had the
glory of ridding the world of a nuis,
ance. He allowed three to be killed
first. These dispatched he stepped for.
ward and placed one thousand five
hundred pistoles as the stake. The
event you know beforehand, but Ur-
quhart makes the scene to live. Crich-
ton wounded his enemy in three places
viz, the thr ee places where he had
wounded the three m en- killed. The
duelist, who had the true artistic feel
ing, expressed his extreme satisfaction
at being killed by SO mastery hand
Crichton gave the one thousand five
hundred pistoles to tn widows of the
three men, and SO everybody was
pleased, and the renown of the sex
imious,-Urquhart calls him 'eximious
-Crichton was waited to the stars.
''The manner of his death was tragic
1t was Shrove Tuesday. He was at the
house of princess of the court. A
troop Of revelers in d isguse and masks
came to the house and demanded the
right of the day to enter. The page
who stood at the door demonstrated
They endeavor ed to push past him; he
called out and Crichton appeared
sword in hand. The others drew, and
the unequal combat began. There were
ten assailants.
In moment six were on their backs.
Crichton pressed forward upon the
other four; he was just about to thrust
at one more forward than the rest
when another called out:
Hold Wound not the prince"
ut was the prince, his own pupil
who was leading these drunken revel-
ers. Crichton stopped, and. kneeling
on his left knee, presented the hilt OF
his sword to the prince. Whether in
the madness OF rag or of drink, one
knows not, the prince seized the sword
and plunged it into Crichton's heart.
Thus fell the A dmirable Crichton.
When the prince recovered he wished
to kill himself. This wonld not be al
lowed, but his life was embittered, and
his years were few. Walter Besant,
in London Queen.