Perceval, Alfred P., an English divine of some distinction, was born near the opening of this centurj', and was educated at Oxford, where he became fellow of All-Soul's College. After taking holy orders, he was in 1824 made rector of East Horsley, and finally chaplain to the queen. He died in 1853. He pub- lished, Reasons why I an not a Meinbei' of the Elbe So- ciety (Loud. 1830, 8vo) : — The Roman Schism Illus- trated from the Records of the Catholic Church (Lond. 183G, 8vo): — Historical Kotlce< concerning some of the Peculiar Tenets of the Church of Rome (new ed. Lond. 1837, 12mo) : — Sermons, preached chiefly at the Chapel Royal, St. James's (Lond. 1839, 8vo) : — .4?* Apology for the Doctrine of Apostolica' Successioii, with an Appendix on the English Orders (Lond. 1841, 2d ed. sm. Svo): — A Collection of Papers connected with ths Theological Movement r/ 1833 (Lond. 1842, 8vo): —Results of an Ecclesiastical Tour in ff(il.l:ind and Northern Germany (Lond. 1840, 12nio) : — Plain Lectures on thz Epistle to the Ephesians (Lond. 184(;).
Percival, Thomas, an English physician, eminent as a WTiter on philosophic and general social topics, was horn at Warrington, in Lancasiiire, in 1740. After studying at Edinburgh and Leyden, he settled at Man- chester, and there founded a literary and philosophical society, of which he was chosen president. He de- voted a considerable portion of his time during the later period of his life to the study of moral philos- ophy, and he published several popular works on this subject. In his religious tenets he was a strict dis- senter from the Cluirch of England, but was very tem- perate and unobtrusive in his opinions. He died, uni- versalh' respected \i\ the inhal)itants of Manchester, August 30, 1804. Dr. Pcrcival's earlier medical and ])hilos()phical papers were collected and published in one volume (Lond. 1707, 8vo). To this two other vol- umes were afterwards added, one in 1773, and the other in 1778. These essays went through several editions, and acquired for the author considerable rep- utation. Besides the Essays, we may mention some Moral and Lilerary Dissertations (\Varrington, 1784, 8vo) : — A Father's Iiistructio7i.i, consisting of J f oral Taks, Fa'iles, and Refections, d( signet to Promote the Love of Virtue (Lond. 1788, Svo). All his works were
collected and published together after his death by his son, in four vols. 8vo (Lond. 1807). To this edition is prefixed a memoir of his life and writings, and a se- lection from his literary correspondence. — English Cy- clop, s. V.
Percligia, a Turkish visionary, who excited a com- motion in Natolia, and was put to death, declaring him- self an apostle of God, in 1418.
Perclose, a railing or other enclosure separating a tomb or chapel from the rest of a church.
Percoto, fiiAX-^lARiA, an Italian missionary, was born at Udine in 1729. A member of the Congrega- tion of the Panlists, he was appointed bishop of Max- ula. Charged witii the direction of the missions in India, he made numerous proselytes in Pegu and Ava. He translated into Burmese several books of the fathers of the Church, and composed a Latin-Burmese dictionary' and grammar. We owe to him the trans- lation into Italian of several Jainas, very curious, on the historj' of India. The manuscripts are deposited in the librarj'- of the Propaganda of Rome. Percoto died at Ava in 1770. See A. Gritfini, Vie de Percoto (Udine, 1782, 4to) ; Lettres edifiantes et curieuses des missions elrang. vol. xvii. — Hoefer, Nouv. B'lig. Gmerale, xxxix, 5G1.
Percy, Thomas, D.D., a noted English scholar, and a prelate of the Irish Church, was the son of a grocer at Bridgnorth, in Shropshire, where he was born in 1728. He affected to be considered of the no- ble house of Percy, or it has been affected for him ; but his better and surer honor is that he was the mak- er of his own fortunes, and bj' his valuable writings and the honorable discharge of his episcopal duties reared for liimself a high and permanent reputation. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, and early in life obtained the vicarage of Easton Mauduit, on which he resided, and the rectory of Wilbj'. In 1709 he became chaplain to the king; in 1778 dean of Car- lisle; and in 1782 was elevated to the bishopric of Dromore, in Ireland. Long before this he had begun his literarj' career b}' the publication of what purports to be a translation from the Chinese of a novel, togeth- er with other matters connected with the poetry and literature of that people. This is a translation by him from a Portuguese manuscript. It was soon followed by another work, entitled Miscellaneous Pieces relat'ing to the Chinese. He next published translations from the Icelandic of five pieces of Runic poetry. These ap- peared in 1701, 1702, and 1703. In 1704 'he published A New V rsion of Solomon's Song, with a Covimentary and Notes — an elegant version and useful commenta- ry, in which the Song of Songs is considered chiefly as a celebration of the earthlj' loves of Solomon : the book has become exceedingly scarce. In 1705 he pub- lished a Key to the New Testament, which has been re- printed several times. In the same year, 1705, ap- peared the work by which he is, however, best known, and which is indeed one of the most elegant and pleas- ing works in the whole range of English literature, to which he gave the title of Reliques of Ancieid English Poetry. It contains some of the best of the old English ballads, many verj' beautiful lyrical pieces by the po- ets of the Elizabethan period and the age immediately succeeding, a few extracts from the larger writings of the poets of those periods, and a few l\'rical pieces bj' modern writers. Each piece is well illustrated. It has been many times reprinted. From the time of this publication dates the revival of a genuine feeling for true poetry among the Englisli people. To Percy liimself it secured the successive promotions which he enjoyed in the Church. In 1770 he printed the North- umherland Household Book, and a poem, the subject of which is connected with the history of the Percy fam- ily, called The Hermit of Warlworih. In the same year appeared his translation, with notes, of The Northern Antiquities, by M. Mallet. The assistance which he