Prosper Jolyot de, a French writer of tragedy, usually ranked after Corneille and Racine, was born at Dijon on the 15th February 1674. He was originally destined for the profession of the law, and placed at Paris with the view of prosecuting his legal studies; but the impetuosity of his passions rendering him unfit for business, he was urged by some friends, who discovered his natural turn, to attempt dramatic compositions. He complied, but not until after many refusals; and at length produced a tragedy, which met with great success. He then advanced in the career he had commenced, but was checked by a fit of love for an apothecary's daughter, which ended in marriage. His father, doubly enraged at his son for thus surrendering himself at once to love and poetry, disinherited him; but falling sick some years afterwards, he re-established his son in all his rights, and died.

Crebillon was, however, little benefited by his acquisitions, the greater part having been wasted by anticipation; and thus, though high in fame, and at the prime of life, he still continued poor. He lost his wife in 1711, and fortune frowned upon him, until at length he obtained a place in the French Academy, and the unworthy employment of censor of the police. His circumstances were afterwards more prosperous, and continued so to the end of a long life. He died in 1762, at the age of eighty-eight, much regretted on account of his numerous virtues. He was of an extremely robust temperament, without which he could not have held out so long; for he ate prodigiously, and continued to do so to the last. He slept little, and lay as hard as if upon the floor; not from any pious principle of self-mortification, but because he liked it. He was always surrounded by about thirty dogs and cats; and he used to smoke a great deal of tobacco in order to neutralize the exhalations from these animals. Whenever he was ill he treated himself according to his own fancy and feelings; for he made a jest of physic and physicians. He was also a dealer in bon mots. Being asked one day in company, which of his works he thought the best; "I don't know," replied he, "which is my best production; but this (pointing to his son) is certainly my worst."

The principal pieces of Crebillon are Ictomene, Rodogune, Atreé, Electre, Rhadamiste, Sémiramis, Catalina, and Le Triumvirat. The Pélopidés is considered as a failure. After the brilliant success of his Catalina, Louis XV. caused the Œuvres de Crébillon to be printed at the royal press of the Louvre, in 2 vols. 4to., 1750, the profits of which were given to the author. The other editions are those of 1757, 3 vols. 12mo.; 1759, 2 vols. large 12mo.; 1772, 3 vols. small 12mo.; 1785, 3 vols. 8vo.; 1796, 2 vols. 8vo.; and 1812, Didot the elder, 3 vols. 8vo.