CROLY, GEORGE (1780-1860).—­Poet, novelist, historian, and divine, b. at Dublin, and ed. at Trinity Coll. there, he took orders and became Rector of St. Stephen’s, Walbrook, and had a high reputation as a preacher.  He wrote poems, dramas, satires, novels, history, and theological works, and attained some measure of success in all.  Perhaps his best known works are his novels, Salathiel (1829), founded on the legend of “the wandering Jew,” and Mareton (1846).  His chief contribution to theological literature is an exposition of the Apocalypse.

CROWE, CATHERINE (STEVENS) (1800-1876).—­Wrote dramas, children’s books, and one or two novels, including Susan Hopley (1841), and Lilly Dawson (1847), but is chiefly remembered for her Night-side of Nature (1848), a collection of stories of the supernatural.  Though somewhat morbid she had considerable talent.

CROWE, EYRE EVANS (1799-1868).—­Historian and novelist, s. of an officer in the army, b. near Southampton, and ed. at Trinity Coll., Dublin.  He wrote several novels, including Vittoria Colonna, To-day in Ireland (1825), The English in France (1828), and Charles Dalmer (1853).  Among his historical works are a History of France in Lardner’s Cabinet Encyclopaedia, afterwards enlarged and separately pub., and a History of Louis XVIII. and Charles X.

CROWE, SIR JOSEPH ARCHER (1825-1896).—­Writer on art, s. of the above, was b. in London.  Most of his childhood was spent in France, and on his return to England in 1843 he became a journalist.  He was then for some years engaged in educational work in India, and was afterwards war correspondent for the Times on various occasions, and filled various important consular posts, for which he was in 1890 made K.C.M.G.  In collaboration with G.B.  Cavalcasselle, an Italian refugee, he was the author of several authoritative works on art, including The Early Flemish Painters (1856), A New History of Painting in Italy (1864-68), A History of Painting in North Italy (1871), Titian, His Life and Times (1877), and Raphael, His Life and Works (1883-85).  The actual writing of all these was the work of C.

CROWE, WILLIAM (1745-1829).—­Poet, b. at Midgham, Berks, the s. of a carpenter, was ed. as a foundationer at Winchester, whence he proceeded to Oxf., where he became Public Orator.  He wrote a smooth, but somewhat conventional poem, Lewesdon Hill (1789), ed.  Collins’s Poems (1828), and lectured on poetry at the Royal Institution.  His poems were coll. in 1827.  C. was a clergyman and Rector of Alton Barnes, Wilts.

CROWNE, JOHN (1640?-1703).—­Dramatist, returned from Nova Scotia, to which his f., a Nonconformist minister, had emigrated, and became gentleman usher to a lady of quality.  His first play, Juliana, appeared in 1671.  He wrote in all about 17 dramatic pieces, of which the best is Sir Courtly Nice (1685), adapted from the Spanish.  It is amusing, and enjoyed a long continued vogue.  In general, however, C. is dull.