The Admirable Crichton
The Admirable Crichton we are talking about is not the very funny comedy of class and manners written about by J M Barrie , of Peter Pan fame , but a real man . James Crichton was a Scottish Gentleman that was born 500 years ago in 1560 .
If he was alive but a hundred years ago there would be a swathe of books about him and probably a movie or two and my bet is that James McAvoy would play the lead .
James Crichton was born in Scotland , we believe in Perthshire . He was the Son of the Lord Advocate of Scotland and could trace his royal lineage through his Mother ’ s family . From a young age , it was obvious that young James was special . He was educated at St Andrews university , where by his fourteenth year he had completed both his bachelor and his masters degrees . He was a gifted prodigy , with almost certainly an eidetic memory .
His list of achievements and abilities , are astounding even by todays grandiose standards . He was fluent , both spoken and written in some 12 languages ; he was an skilled horseman ; a master fencer ; a great debater and orator ; he was an accomplished singer and musician and as if to insult to injury , he was noted for his good looks . He was some would say the almost the Perfect Gentleman .
He left Scotland and travelled to France to continue his education at the College of Navarre , it is here that many doubted his skills and abilities and did not accept his credentials . Here in Paris that his great challenge took place that earned him the famous nickname .
By Zach Falconer-Barfield
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HISTORICAL GENTLEMAN