Crichton, James (1560-1582?), was a Scottish scholar and man of letters. He became known as the admirable Crichton because of his all-round learning. Crichton was a good linguist, mathematician, and philosopher; a brilliant debater; a competent poet; and a fine horseman and swordsman. He was considered the model of a cultured Scottish gentleman.
According to some reports, Crichton was killed in a street brawl on July 3, probably in 1582, in Mantua, Italy. After his death, the memory of his many-sided genius captured people’s imaginations, partly as a result of the Scottish author Sir Thomas Urquhart’s probably exaggerated account of his career, Discovery of a Most Exquisite Jewel (1652). The Scottish author John Johnston first called Crichton “admirable” in his book Heroes Scotici (1603). Crichton was born on Aug. 19, 1560, at Eliock House, in Dumfries and Galloway Region, Scotland.
