The word is used as the name of the cluster of stars in the neck of the constellation Taurus, of which seven are the principal. Six or seven may be usually seen if the eye is directed towards it; but if the eye be turned carelessly aside while the attention is fixed on the group, many more may be seen. Telescopes show a number of large stars there crowded together into a small space. The name Pleiades is probably derived from the Greek word Pleios, i. e.full, so that it merely denotes a condensed assemblage of stars. The Romans called the Pleiades vergUice, because they arose in the spring, in the first part of May, and set early in No- vember. See Hyde on Ulugh Beigh's Tabb. p. 32 ; Niebuhr, Arab. p. 114; Ideler, Ursprung und />'<</' uti/n;/ der Sternnamen, p. 146. See Astronomy; Constel- lation.
Plenarty (opposed to a vacancy) denotes in eccle- siastical language that an office or parish is filled.
Plenary Indulgence. See Indulgence.
Plenary Inspiration. See Deists; Inspira- tion.
Pleroma (7rA)/pwju<7, fulness) is the Gnostic term for that fulness of pure and radiant light and perfection in which the Divine Being was supposed to dwell, and whom they named Bythus. See Gnosticism.
Plessing, Fiuedrich Victor - Lebrecht, a Ger- - man philosopher, was born at Belleben, near Magde- burg, Dec. 20, 1752. He was the son of John Frederick Plessing, who was counsellor of the consistory at Wer- ningerode, and wrote an Essai sur I'Origine du Paga- nisme (Leips. 1757-1758,2 vols. 8vo), and a llistoire des Tombeaux (Werningerode, 1786, 8vo) ; he died in 1793. Young Plessing attended the theological courses at different universities, and finally devoted himself to phi- losophy at Kbnigsberg, under Kant's direction. From 1788 he was a professor of that science at Duis- burg. He died Feb. 8, 1806. He left, Von dt r Noth- //•(iidiijbit des Uebels und der Sehmerzen bei j'iihli mliit Geschdpfen (Dessau, 1783, 8vo) : — Osiris und Socrates (Berl. 1783, 8vo) : — Historische Vntersuchungen Tiber die Theologie und Philosophie der aliesten Vulfeer bis auf Aristoteles Zeiten (Elbingen, 1785, 8vo) : — Memnonium, oder Versuch zur Enthullung der Geheimnisse des Alter- thums (Leips. 1787, 2 vols. 8vo) : — Versuche zur Auf- kldrung der Philosophie des dltesten Alterthums (ibid. 1788-1790, 5 vols. 8vo). — Hoefer, Naur. Biog. Generate, xl, 465.
Plessis, JosErn Octave, a somewhat noted Roman Catholic prelate, was born at Montreal, Canada, March 3, 1772, of very humble parentage. He decided to give himself to the service of the Church, and after com- pleting his theological studies was ordained priest, March 11, 1786 ; was employed as professor of humanity at the College of St. Raphael, also as secretary to the bishop of Quebec, and curate of the capital; Sept. 6, 1797, he was made coadjutor to bishop Denault; April 26, 1800, he was appointed bishop of Canatte, in Palestine, with the succession to the seat at Quebec, of which he be- came incumbent Jan. 17, 1806. He founded the college at Nicolet, as well as primary schools at Quebec. He was called by the crown to the legislative council in 1818, and proved himself a loyal and patriotic senator. In 1796 he pronounced an oration at Quebec on the oc- casion'of the naval battle of Alionkir. He died at Que- bec Dec. 4, 1825. See Ferland, Biog. Notice of J. O. Plessis (Queb. 1864, 8vo).
Plessis-Mornay. See Duplessis.
Pletho or Gemistus, Geokgius, a distinguished philosopher, theologian, publicist, historian, geographer, and scholar of the 15th century, is one of the most prom- inent of the Greeks who contributed to the revival of Greek studies in Western Europe, and the restorer of the Platonic philosophy.
Life.— The dates of the birth and death of Pletho have not been ascertained. He is supposed to have died before the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, and not many years after the Council of Florence. He is vaguely reported to have been nearly a hundred years of age at the period of his demise. If this were true, he must have first seen the light about the middle of the 14th century. His birthplace was probably Constanti- nople, but much of his life was spent in Peloponnesus, and was passed in official employment. He received the name of Pletho, and perhaps of Gemistus, from the extent, multiplicity, and fulness of his erudition, which he displayed in numerous works on a great variety of subjects. "He was admired," says a writer near his time, "by not Greece alone, but by nearly the whole world, for his various and manifold knowledge of things divine and human, so that, by the universal consent of both Greeks and Latins, he approached most closely to Plato, the prince of philosophers, and to Aristotle." Vet this great name is one which posterity has willingly let die. He wrote on philosophy, theology, history, geog-
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raphy, oratory, music, etc. He composed oral casional essays, polemical tracts, letters, etc, and made collections, in the fashion of declining centuries, from Diodorus, Appian, and Plutarch; from Xenophon and Dionysius Halicarnassensis, from Aristotle and Theo- phrastus. He was i ngaged in numerous controversies, with George Gennadi us, who became patriarch of Con- stantinople after the < Ottoman conquest ; ^\ i 1 1 » Theodore of Gaza, and with George ofTrebizond. The number of his works might encourage the belief that a century of years had been accorded to their author; but this longevity is discredited by the incidents of bis life. If