1 Perotti, Nicolas, an Italian prelate and philologist, was born at Sassoferrato, in Umbria, in 1430, He be- came professor in the LTniversity of Bologna, where he was educated. His translation of the first five books of Polybius, the only ones then known, recommended him to the ])rotection of pope Nicolas V, Shortly after he went to Rome, and was appointed apostolic vicar. In 1458 he obtained the archbishopric of Siponto or Manfrcdonia ; but he continued to reside at Rome. The duties of governor of Umbria, to which he was appointed in 1465, and those of governor of Perugia in 1474, did not cause him to neglect literarj' labors. He died Dec. 13, 1480. Perotti was one of the contrib- utors to the Renaissance. His principal works, very useful in the 15th century and now quite curious, are a Latin Grammar, Pudimintti Grammn/ices (Home, 1473, fol.), and a commentary upi^n Martial, which forms a kind of argumentative Lexicon of the Latin language, Cornucopia, sive Commentaria lingual Latina (Venice, 1489, 1499, 15^3, 1526, f(d.). We have also a treat- ise from Perotti, De Gfneribus Meti-orvm (ibid. 1497, 4to), and an edition of the Histuria Natwalis of Pliny. Tlie works of Perotti are counted among the most ancient monuments of printing. Some fables from Pha'dr.i were published after one of his manu- scripts, and critics have even regarded him as the au- thor of the whole collection which liears tlie name of this poet; but it is a liypothesis without probability, and favored by none of tlie mediocre Latin verses which remain of Perotti. See Vinil Jove, Elagia ; Ni- ceron, .Memoires, vol. ix ; Bayle, Dictionnaire ; Tirabos- chi, Storia de la Letteratura Italiuna, vi, 11, 408 ; Apos-
PEROXINO
955
PERPENT-STONE
tolo Zeno, Dissertaz. V'ossiane, vol. i. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Ghiirale, xx-xix, 023.
Peroxino, Giovanni, a Piedmontese painter who flourished about 1517. According to Delia Valle, he was a good artist ; and Lanzi says " he was well known for the pictures he left in the church of the Conventuals at Alba." See Spooner. Bhg. His/, of the Fine A rts, ii, G76.
Perpendicular Style, the name given to the style of Gothic architecture in England which suc- ceeded the Decorated style. It prevailed from about the end of the 11th centuiy to the middle of the Kith century, and was thus contemporary with the Flam- boyant style in France. These styles have much in common, but they derive their names from the feat- ures peculiar to each. Thus the Flamboj'ant is dis- tinguished by the flowing lines of its tracerv ; while the Perpendicular is remarkable for its stiff and recti- linear lines. The lines of the window-tracery are chief- 1\' vertical, and the muUions are frequently crossed bj' horizontal bars. The mouldings are usually thin and hard. The same feeling pervades the other filatures of the style ; the buttresses, piers, towers, etc., are all drawn up and attenuated, and present in their shallow recesses and meagre lines a great contrast to the deep shadows and bold mouldings of the earlier styles. The art of masonry was well understood during the Perpen- dicular period, and the vaulting was admirably built. Fan-tracery vaulting is peculiar to this style, and is almost invariably covered with panelling, which was also much used, the walls being frequently almost en- tirel}' covered with it. The depressed or four-centre arch is another of its peculiar features. This arch, over doorwaj's, has the mouldings generally arranged in a square form over the arch, with spandrels contain- ing shields, quatrefoils, etc. The arches are often two- centred, but as frequenth' four-centred ; at the com- mencement of the stj-Ie, of good elevation, but subse- quently much flattened ; in small opsnings ogee arciies are very often used, and a few rare examples of el- liptical arches are to be found. The Roof's of this style are often made ornamental, and have the whole of the framing exposed to view. Manj' of them are of verv
Specimen of the Perpendicular Style (from Yelvertofr, A.D. 1500).
high pitch, and have a magnificent effect, the spaces between the timbers being filled with tracer^', and the beams arched, moulded, and ornamented in various ways; and sometimes pendants, figures of angels, and other carvings are introduced. Tliese roofs are among the peculiar and beautiful features of the architecture of England. The largest roof of this kind is that of Westminster Hall, erected in the rei.;n of Richard II. The Perpendicular style may be said to have been introduced about the middle of the 11th century in some parts of England, as at Gloucester and Windsor; but the Decorated and Perpendicular styles overlapped each other for a long period, some districts retaining the older stjde much longer than others. The follow- ing are some of the chief dated examples :
York Cathedral— Choir, 1372-140,^.
Warwick, St. Mary's— Choir, 13T0-1D91.
Lynn, Norfolk— Chapel of St. Nicolas, 1371-1379.
Selby Abbey, Yorkshire, 1375.
Winchester Cnthedral— West front, 1360-13G6.
Canterbury Cathedral — Nave and western transepts,
1378-1411. Oxf.ird-New College, 1380-13SG. llowden, Yorkshire — Chapter-house and tower, 1389-
1407. Saltwood Castle, Kent— Gate-house. 13S1-139G. Gloucester Cathedral— Cloisters, 1381-1412. Winchester College, 1387-1393. Winchester Cathedral— Nave, 1394-1410. Westminster Hall— Roof, 1397-1399. Maidstone— College and Church, 13C5.
In the loth century the Perpendicular is the general style of England for churches, houses, castles, barns, cottages, and buildings of every kind. The universi- ties of Oxford and Cambridge owe many of their col- leges to this period, and there we find vestiges of the style still lingering when in other places it had been lost. — Parker, G/ossan/ of Architecture, s. v. ; Walcott, Sitcred Archceology, s. v. ; Chambers, Cyclop, s. v.