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Areopagus of all its jurisdiction except in cases of homicide, and transferred their judicial functions, as well as the power to repeal and enact laws, to newly-created panels or juries of numerous and salaried dikasts, distributed into ten divisions, and summoned to act systematically throughout the year. This measure is justly regarded as the consummation of the democratic constitution of Athens, no important alteration having been afterwards made on it (with two brief interruptions) until the days of Macedonian interference. The supremacy of Athens in the end excited the jealousy of Sparta and other Grecian states, and a combination was formed against her, which ultimately led to the Peloponnesian war. Pericles lived to direct its operations for two years. Knowing that the enemy possessed the superiority by land, his policy was to collect the people, with their movables, within the walls of the city, leaving the invaders to ravage the open country; while availing himself of the naval predominance of Athens, he sent out a fleet to make reprisals upon the coasts of the Peloponnesus. This policy was unpopular among the Athenians; and the enemies of Pericles availing themselves of the excitement caused by the impending hostilities, made violent attacks upon his character and administration as well as upon his friends, the great sculptor Phidias, the philosopher Anaxagoras, and his mistress Aspasia. Phidias died in prison before the day of trial, Anaxagoras went into voluntary exile; but Pericles himself defended Aspasia in a speech marked by strong emotion, and procured her acquittal.—(See Aspasia.) His system of strategy, however, was adopted, and carried on successfully during the first two years of the war. But at this crisis a deadly plague broke out in Athens and raged with dreadful malignity. The citizens, almost distracted by their sufferings and losses, vented their rage upon Pericles. He was accused of pecuniary malversation, and sentenced to pay a considerable fine. But a reaction immediately took place in his favour. He was soon re-elected to the office of stratêgus, and his power and influence became as great as ever. His brilliant and useful career, however, was now near a close. His legitimate sons, his sister, and several other relatives, together with his best friends, were all swept away by the plague. The death of his youngest and favourite son Paralus completely broke down the fortitude of the aged statesman. He continued for some months longer to direct public affairs, but his strength and spirit were gone. A slow fever seized him, and about the middle of the year 429 b.c. this greatest of Athenian statesmen breathed his last. Pericles was as conspicuous for his integrity, mildness, and moderation towards opponents, and toleration in matters of religion, as for his vast civil and military capacity. His enemies, as well as his friends, bear testimony to his unparalleled eloquence, and speak of him as like Olympian Zeus hurling thunder and lightning. His oration upon those who fell in the first campaign of the Peloponnesian war, has been pronounced the most remarkable of all the compositions of antiquity.—J. T.

PERIER, Casimir, one of Louis Philippe's earlier prime ministers, was the son of a wealthy capitalist and industrialist, a founder of the bank of France, and was born at Grenoble in 1797. Early in the present century he established with a brother a banking-house in Paris, the operations of which included large industrial speculations, and at the peace he was one of the wealthiest bankers in France. In 1817 he published some pamphlets against the financial policy of the French ministry, and entering the chamber of deputies as one of the representatives of Paris, distinguished himself as a member of the liberal opposition. On the breaking out of the revolution of the Three Days, Perier, whose wealth and position made him cautious, placed himself at the head of the moderate section of French parliamentary liberals, and was not indisposed to negotiate with Charles X., who named him minister of the interior in a cabinet never formed. He accepted, however, the new order of things, and as president of the chamber of deputies, presented to Louis Philippe the modified charte. He entered the first cabinet of the king of the French without a portfolio, and on the fall of the Lafayette ministry found himself premier. His policy was the so-called "juste-milieu," not reactionary, but firmly repressive of anarchical and ultra-revolutionary movements. He sent a French army to Belgium to support the decision of the conferences of London, and another to occupy Ancona, in the February of 1832, when Austrian troops entered the legations. This was his last notable act. He died of cholera in May, 1832. His "Opinions et discours" were published in 1838 by his family—M. Charles de Remusat prefixing an interesting "notice" of him.—F. E.

PERIGNON, Dominic Catherine de, Marshal of France, was born at Grenoble in 1754. He entered the army of the Eastern Pyrenees, and rose to its chief command as successor to Dugommier. He was present at the battle of Escala, took the strong fortress of Figueras, and as ambassador to Madrid signed the treaty of alliance between France and Spain in 1796. He was taken prisoner at Novi, received the baton in 1804, and in 1808 replaced Jourdan at Naples. He attempted to resist the return of Bonaparte in the south of France, and after the second restoration of the Bourbons, was made marquis and grand cross of St. Louis. Perignon died in 1818.—W. J. P.

PERIZONIUS, Jacobus, a Dutch scholar, born in 1651 at Dam, the son of a pastor and schoolmaster, was originally called Voorbroek, which he translated into the Greek equivalent Perizonius. He was professor at Franeker and Leyden. His works are, "Animadversiones Historiæ," which Bayle calls the "errata of historians and critics;" "Dissertations on Roman History;" "Orations," under the name of Valerius Accinctus, against Professor Francias; "Origines Babylonieæ et Ægyptiacæ," in 2 vols., 12mo, Leyden, 1711, containing, among many curious matters, criticisms of Marsham's Chronicle; "Historical Commentaries on the affairs of the Seventeenth Century;" editions of classics, &c. He died in 1715, leaving his manuscripts to the university of Leyden.—B. H. C.

PERKINS, William, a celebrated English divine, was a native of Marston, Warwickshire, where he was born, 1558. He received his education at Christ's college, Cambridge. It is reported that during the early part of his attendance at the university he was exceedingly dissolute and idle, but he afterwards became remarkable for sobriety and application to his studies. He was chosen a fellow in 1582. Shortly afterwards he became a tutor and then catechist to his college, in which capacity he delivered a course of lectures on the commandments. His first ministrations were confined to the prisoners of Cambridge jail, having prevailed on the keeper to be allowed to address them. Others came to hear him, and his reputation as a preacher was established. He was appointed to St. Andrew's church, the only piece of preferment he ever received. An uncompromising Calvinist, he defended his opinions in various tracts, and entered into a controversy with Arminius, at that time professor of divinity at Leyden. He was summoned several times to give account of his conduct, though the statement that he was deprived by Whitgift is without foundation. He died in 1602, and was buried at the expense of Christ's college, his funeral sermon having been preached by the bishop of Winchester. His works, which were greatly admired by Bishop Hall, have been collected and published in three volumes. As a proof of their excellence, it need only be stated that many of them have been translated into Latin, French, Dutch, and Spanish.—D. G.

PERNETY, Dom Antoine Joseph, a learned French writer, was born in 1716, at Roanne, and entered the Benedictine order. He became a member of the Academy of Berlin, for which he wrote several memoirs. He was the author of many philosophical and scientific works, and of an interesting account of a voyage to the Falkland Islands. Becoming a follower of Swedenborg, he edited his Wonders of Heaven and Hell. He died at Valence in 1801.—W. J. P.

PERON, Francis, a French naturalist, was born at Cerilly in the Bourbonnais in 1775, and died in 1810. He was educated at the college of Cerilly. He entered the army and distinguished himself in the war in Germany. In consequence of having lost the sight of an eye, he was discharged in 1795. He then prosecuted the study of medicine in Paris, and especially devoted himself to natural science. He was afterwards appointed zoologist to the expedition to the South Seas under Captain Bandin. In this he was occupied for upwards of four years, from 1800 to 1804, during which he made large collections. Along with Freycinet he published an account of the voyage in three quarto volumes, under the title of "Voyage de Découvertes aux Terres Australes," 1807-16. He also published "Observations on the Natural History of Man."—J. H. B.

PERON, Jacques Davy du. See Du Perron.

PEROTTI or PEROTTO, Niccolò, Archbishop of Manfredonia (1458), and a distinguished scholar, born at Sasso-ferrato in the Venetian state in 1430, of an illustrious but poor family; died at his villa, near his native place, in 1480. From teaching Latin for a subsistence, he very rapidly rose to much favour with the popes, becoming apostolic secretary towards 1458, and