The Perfect Gentleman Issue 8 - Halloween | Page 23

He challenged the professors of the great city to
a contest; he would answer any question on
science or the liberal arts in any of the
languages he spoke. During the time before the
contest was to take place, Crichton did not one
ounce of preparation but set about enjoying the
sights and sounds of the great city. When the
day came some 50 Professors, other academics
and learned men came to test him, along with a
crowd of it is said of 3,000 spectators. From
9am till 6pm these men tested and questioned
Crichton in all manners of ways and languages
and not once did he falter. With this feat of
knowledge he earned his moniker ‘The
Admirable Crichton’, as well as a large purse of
gold. The very next day, after this Herculean
mental effort he went off and spent the day
jousting and even winning there too.
After this event, he joined the French Army for
a couple of years, where he served with
distinction. He travelled then to Italy, where he
went round the cities of Rome, Genoa, Venice
and Padua, where he was tested by academics,
fought duels and generally continued to make
quit the name for himself. He even bested a
professional gladiator in a violent fencing
match.

One night after leaving the young lady’s abode,
Crichton was set upon by 6 masked thugs. As
you can expect of such a gifted swordsman, he
bested all but one. The last man, in an act of
desperate self preservation removed his mask
and revealed himself to be, Vincenzo. Being the
gentleman that he was, James Crichton dropped
to his knees in horror and presented his sword
to the young man, hilt first. Vincenzo with
cruelness and ego, took the blade and thrust in
through the heart of the noble and Admirable
Crichton, killing him instantly. James Crichton
was just 22 years old.
It is said that ‘the light that burns brightly burns
half as long’ and the young Scot had indeed
burned exceptionally brightly. He was an
extraordinary gentleman then, as I am sure he
would be today. Was he the epitome of the
British Gentleman? That is for you to decide.
For me he is an example of genius and nobility
and one to cherish as a true Unsung Gentleman
Hero....

He then entered the service of the Duke of
Mantua, upon arriving bested three known
duelist and just to top it off in front of the Duke
himself bested another of the Duke’s leading
duelists. The Duke being impressed with
Crichton both as a swordsman and intellectual
decided to make Crichton his son’s tutor.
Vincenzo Gonzaga, the Duke’s son, was a
headstrong, jealous and aggressive youth and
did not take kindly to his father’s affections for
the Admirable young Scot. He really did not
take kindly to the fact that Crichton had began
to have a liaison with Vincenzo’s ex-mistresses.

HISTORICAL GENTLEMAN

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