John, a celebrated dramatic writer, born in Nova Scotia, where his father was a minister. Being impatient of the gloomy restraint of that country, he came to England, where he was reduced to enter into the service of an old lady; but of this he soon became as weary as he had been of America. He then had recourse to his pen, which quickly procured him favour at court; but this kind of subsistence proving precarious, he ventured to solicit Charles II. for some establishment. Charles promised to provide for him, but insisted first on having another comedy, and suggested to him the plan of a Spanish play, from which Crowne produced the comedy of Sir Cowley Nice; but the sudden death of the king on the last day of the rehearsal plunged him at once from his pleasing expectations into disappointment and distress, and left him no resource but his wits. He died some time about the year 1703; and left behind him seventeen tragedies and comedies, some of which were acted with considerable success. His chief excellence lay in comedy, yet his tragedies are far from being contemptible.