PEL 
PEL 
519 
devoted his labours to an illuftration of the New Tefta- 
ment, which he gave to the world in a fifth volume. He 
had, befides, a confiderable (hare in preparing for the 
prefs and editing the Commentaries of Sebaftian Meyer 
upon the Apocryphal Books. Pellican al(o tranflated 
into Latin the Chaldee paraphrafes, including the Tar- 
gum of Onkelos, Jonathan, and Jerufalem, various fmall 
talmudical treatifes, and Elias Levita’s edition of the 
Maflbra. He publifhed, in German, “An Expofition of 
the Pentateuch, Jofiiua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, and the 
Books of Kings.” With the hope of introducing the 
philofophy of Ariftotle and Cicero into Germany, he 
tranflated feveral books from their works into the German 
language ; and he bellowed immenfe labour in editing 
various commentaries, diftionaries, &c. He died in 
1556, about the age of feventy-eight, highly refpefted for 
his learning, and elteemed for his integrity, candour, 
modefty, and fimplicity of manners. His works have 
been coilefled together, and publifhed in (even vols. 
folio. Melchior. Adam. Vit. Germ. Tlieol. Gen. Biog. 
PEL'LICER (Jofef de Oflau, Salas, y Tobar), a. long 
name of confiderable eminence in the literary hiftory of 
Spain. He was born at Saragoffa, April 22, 1602; and in¬ 
herited a difpofition to letters from his father D. Anto¬ 
nio Pellicer de Oflau, who left in manufcript an epitome 
of Garibay’s Great Hiftory, and a poem called Batavia 
Rehelde; doubtlefs of a right Catholic complexion. He 
took an honorary degree at Alcala, and from thence re¬ 
moved to Salamanca ; and at the age of twenty-two took 
up his refidence in Madrid, full of academical honours, 
and with as much learning as ever fo young a man could 
poflibly have acquired. In 1629 he was made chronicler 
or hiftoriographer of Caftille. The dates of Arragon 
named him to the fame office for their kingdom ; but, as 
this was already held by Francifco Ximinez de Urrec, it 
was ultimately decided that the reverfion could not be 
granted. Philip IV. made him amends by creating him 
Arch-Hiftoriographer for the kingdoms of the crown of 
Arragon, an office which had been invented for Lupercio 
Leonardo de Argenfola, and which had remained vacant 
fince the death of his brother Bartolous. The duty of this 
arch-hiftoriographer was to revife and correft the works 
of the chronicler of the particular kingdoms. As a far¬ 
ther honour, the habit of the order of Montefa was given 
him, and afterwards exchanged for that of Santiago. 
Thefe honours did not bring with them correfponding 
profits, and Pellicer all his life was poor. He died at 
feventy-feven, w’orn out, fay his biographers, by inceffant 
literary application. He was author of a great number 
of works, the titles of which, foine time previoufty to his 
death, filled five folio pages. His learning is generally 
acknowledged, and his learned works are Hill confulted 
by the literati of different countries. Gen. Biog. 
PELLE ( TI'ER (James), a French phyfician, and medi¬ 
cal and mathematical writer; born at Mans 1517, died 
1582. 
PEL'LICLE,/■ [ pellicula , Lat.] A thin (kin.—After 
the difcharge of the fluid, the pellicle mull be broke. 
Sharp's Surgery. —It is often ufed for the film which ga¬ 
thers upon liquors impregnated with falts or other Jub¬ 
ilances, and evaporated by heat. 
PELLICULA'TION,/. [from the La t. pellicular, to 
cover with a pellicle.] A deception. Cole. 
PELLIC'ULATORJi A deceiver. Cole. 
PELLIPA'RIUS, / [in old records.] A (kinner, one 
that dreffes leather, 
PEL'LIS, j. [Latin.] The (kin of a bead. 
PELLISON' (Fontanier Paul), an eminent French 
writer, born at Beziers in 1624, was defcended from a fa¬ 
mily in the law. He loft his father at an early age, and 
\vas brought up by his mother, who educated him in the 
Proteftant religion. He ftudied fucceffively at Cadres, 
Montauban, and Touloufe; and acquired an intimate 
knowledge of the bed authors in the ancient and mo¬ 
dern languages. He applied profeflionally to the ftudy 
Vol. XIX. No. 1321. 
of the law, and had already appeared with diftinflion at 
the bar at Cadres, when he was attacked with the fmall- 
pox. This cruel difeafe left a permanent weaknefs in his 
eyes, and fo disfigured him that he became a model of 
uglinefs. Under a forbidding exterior, however, dwelt 
many fair qualities of the mind. He quitted the bar, 
and retired for fome time into the country. He then 
came to Paris, and made himfelf known as a man of 
letters. In 1652 he obtained the place of a king’s fecre- 
tary, and applied with diligence to the affairs of the coun¬ 
cil, with which he became intimately acquainted. In 
the fame year he read before the French Academy a 
hiftory which he had compofed of that inftitution, and 
which was fo much approved, that a refolution was made 
to admit him as a member on the firft vacancy, and in the 
mean time to give him the privilege of being prefent and 
fpeaking at the meetings of the academy. His Hiftory 
was printed in 1653, and many fucceffive editions w r ere 
given of it. Although too minute and panegyrical in 
the account of authors of little merit, negligent in its 
ftyle, and not very correiff in its fa£ts, it is a curious and 
interefting performance. 
M. Pellifon was brought into a confpicuous public fitu- 
ation in 1657, by being appointed firft clerk to the cele¬ 
brated fuperintendant Fouquet. The financial bufinefs 
into which he was now plunged impaired neither the 
difinterellednefs of his character nor the amenity of his 
difpofition. His fervices were recompenfed in 1660 by 
admiffion into the council of (late; but in the following 
year he was involved in the fall of his patron, and, as 
having been one of his principal confidents, was com¬ 
mitted to the Baftille. As it was found impoffible to cor¬ 
rupt his fidelity to his former mafter, attempts were made 
to worm out his fecrets by means of a German, a pre¬ 
tended fellow-prifoner, who concealed craft under a grofs 
and Ample exterior. Pellifon was aware of his artifices, 
and treated him with fo much politenefs, that he con¬ 
verted him into a friend. During his imprifonment he 
compofed three memoirs in favour of Fouquet, which are 
reckoned among the molt eloquent and beft-written 
pieces of the kind in any language, and have conferred 
lading honour on his memory. They were, however, the 
immediate caufe of increafed rigour in his confinement. 
He was prohibited the ufe of ink and paper, and was re¬ 
duced to write with the lead of his cafement upon the 
margins of books, or to ufe a kind of ink which he made 
with burnt crufts tempered with wine. His whole com¬ 
pany was a ftupid Bafque, whofe only talent was playing 
on the bagpipe. With infinite pains he trained afpider 
to come out of its hole at the found of this inftrument, 
and take flies from his hand. Books of controverfy were 
another employment of his folitary hours ; and he re¬ 
ceived in the Baftille thofe impreffions which afterwards 
produced a change of religious profeflion. He preferved 
many friends in this forlorn fituation; and Tannegui ie 
Fevre had the courage to dedicate to him, whiift in prifon, 
his Lucretius, and his tranflation of Plutarch’s Treatife 
on Superftition. At length, after a confinement of four 
years and a half, he obtained his liberty ; and thence¬ 
forth, fays Voltaire, “ he palled his life in lavifliing praifes 
upon the fovereign who had deprived him of his liberty; 
a thing feen only in monarchies !” He was taken into 
favour, obtained a royal penfion and a brevet of entree, 
and was made the king’s hiftoriographer. His public re¬ 
cantation of Proteftantifm, in 1670, was doubtlefs one of 
the conditions of this favour. He foon after took the 
order of fub-deacon, and was prefented to an abbacy and 
a rich priory. It was with fome reafon, therefore, that 
he annually celebrated his reconciliation with the church 
of Rome. He gave a more interefting proof of the good- 
nefs of his difpofition by commemorating the anniverfary 
of his liberation from the Baftille with the annual releafe 
of fome prifoners. 
In 1671, Pelliffon delivered at the French Academy, a 
“ Panegyric on Louis XIV.” which was tranflated into 
6 R various 
