PROSPER JOLIOT DE, a French writer of tragedy, and usually ranked after Corneille and Racine, was born at Dijon in 1674. He was originally destined to the profession of the law, and placed at Paris with that view; but the impetuosity of his passions rendering him unfit for business, he was urged by some friends, who discerned very well his natural turn, to attempt dramatic compositions. He complied, but not till after many refusals; and gave at length a tragedy, which met with great success. He then marched on in the career he had begun, but was checked by a fit of love for an apothecary's daughter; which fit of love ended in marriage. His father, doubly enraged at his son for thus surrendering himself to the two demons of Love and Poetry, disinherited him; but falling sick some years after, in 1757, he re-established him in all his rights, and died.

Crebillon was, however, little better for his acquisitions, the greatest part being probably wasted before they came; and thus, though high in fame, and at the prime of life, he still continued poor. He lost his wife in 1711, and fortune long frowned upon him, till at last he obtained a place in the French academy, and the employment of censor of the police. He was afterwards in more prosperous circumstances, which continued to the end of a long life. He died in 1762, at the age of 88, much regretted on account of his numerous virtues. He was of a temperament extremely robust, without which he could not have held out so long; for he ate prodigiously, and continued to the last so to do. He slept little, and lay as hard as if upon the floor; not from any pious principle of mortifying, but because he liked it. He was always surrounded with about 30 dogs and cats; and used to smoke a good deal of tobacco, to keep his room sweet against their exhalations. Whenever he was ill, he used to manage himself according to his own fancy and feelings; for he made a jest of physic and physicians. He was a dealer in bon mots. Being asked one day in full company, which of his works he thought the best? "I don't know (says he) which is my best production; but this (pointing to his son) is certainly my worst."