Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 13.djvu/97

 Astolphi, in his contemporary Officina Historica, J. J. Scaliger in his Scaligerana, and Imperialis in his Museum Historicum (1640), follow Aldus; but Trajan Boccalini in Ragguagli di Parnasso, Venice, 1612 (English translation 1656) ridicules some of Crichton's attainments. Dempster is meagre, and he complains that Crichton was too arrogant in claiming descent from the Scottish kings. In John Johnston's Heroes Scoti, 1603, Crichton is described for the first time in verses to his memory as 'admirable' ('omnibus in studiis admirabilis'). Other early accounts by his own countrymen are met with in Adam Abernethy's Musa Campestris, 1603; in David Buchanan's De Scriptoribus Scotis, 1625, first printed by the Bannatyne Club in 1837; in David Leitch's Philosophia illacrymans, 1637, where the epithet Admirabilis is again employed; in Sir Thomas Urquhart's Jewel, 1652 (a very lively story, adding many unauthentic details). A general reference to his early death also appears in Thomas Wright's Passions of the Minde (1601 and afterwards). Dr. Mackenzie wrote a life of Crichton in his Lives of Eminent Writers of the Scottish Nation, 1722, which is quite untrustworthy; Dr. Kippis, in the Biographia Britannica, is diffuse but generally sensible. A chapbook attributed to Francis Douglas and based on Mackenzie appeared at Aberdeen about 1768, and is reproduced by Pennant in his Tour in Scotland, and by Dr. Johnson in his popular account of Crichton in the Adventurer, No. 82; Rev. John Black, in his Life of Tasso, 1810, is useful, but more sceptical than necessary; but David Irving, in his appendix to his Life of George Buchanan, is brief and thorough. The completest account of Crichton is given in P. F. Tytler's biography, 1st edit. 1819, and 2nd and revised edit. 1823; but it depends too much upon Urquhart and omits all mention of Crichton's chief works, as well as of Aldus's 'Relatione.' A valuable paper by John Stuart appears in the Proceedings of the Society of Scottish Antiquaries for 1855, ii. 103-18. Harrison Ainsworth published his romance of Crichton in 1837, and in his very interesting introductory essay and appendices reprints with translations in verse the elegy on Borromeo and the eulogy on Visconti. A poor play entitled Crichton, a Tragedy, by George Galloway, was printed at Edinburgh in 1802. Some amusing references to Crichton appear in Father Front's Reliques. See also J. H. Burton's The Scot Abroad, pp. 255-8.]

 CRICHTON, JAMES, (d. 1650), was eldest son of James Crichton of Frendraught, by Elizabeth, eldest daughter of John Gordon, twelfth earl of Sutherland. He was descended from, Lord Crichton [q. v.] His father was of very turbulent disposition, and in October 1630 several friends whom he had urged to stay in his house to protect him from the threatened assault of his enemies were burnt to death there under circumstances that threw suspicion on himself. His chief enemies were the Gordons of Rothemay, who repeatedly plundered Frendraught. The son was created baron of Frendraught in 1641 and Viscount Frendraught in 1642. He took part in Montrose's last expedition, and was present at the battle of Invercharran (1650). In the rout Montrose's horse was disabled, and Frendraught gave him his own, which enabled him to make good his escape for a time. Frendraught died by his own hand on the field of battle.

 CRICHTON, ROBERT (d. 1586?), of Eliock, lord advocate of Scotland. [See under, 1560–1585?]  CRICHTON, ROBERT, sixth (d. 1612), was the son of Edward, fifth lord. In 1605, while on a visit to Lord Norreys in Oxfordshire, he engaged in a fencing match with a fencing-master called Turner, when he accidentally lost one of his eyes, and for some time was in danger of his life. Seven years afterwards he hired two men to assassinate Turner, one of whom, Robert Carlyle, shot him with a pistol 11 May 1612, for which he and his accomplice were executed. Lord Sanquhar absconded, and a reward of 1,000l. having been offered for his apprehension, he was taken and brought to trial in the king's bench, Westminster Hall, 27 June of the same year, when, not being a peer of England, he was tried under the name of Robert Crichton, although a baron of three hundred years' standing. In an eloquent speech he confessed his crime, and being convicted on his own confession was hanged on a gibbet with a silken halter in Great Palace Yard, before the gate of Westminster Hall, on 29 June. Great interest was made to save his life, but James was inexorable, because it is said Crichton had on one occasion failed to resent an insult offered to his majesty in Paris (Letters and State Papers during the reign of King James Sext, Abbotsford Club, 1828, p. 36). Crichton died penitent professing the catholic religion. By his marriage at St. Anne's, Blackfriars, 10 April 1608, to Anne, daughter of Sir George Fermor of Easton, he had no issue. All his property was left to his natural son, Robert Crichton, but the heir male, William, seventh lord Sanquhar, disputed the succession, and on the matter being referred to James VI Robert Crichton was served heir of entail to him in the estate of Sanquhar 15 July 1619 (, Memorials of James VI, p. 51).

[Melrose Papers (Abbotsford Club), pp. 127, 132, 133, 264, 265; Letters and State Papers