Perion, Joachim

Perion, Joachim a learned Frenchman, was born about 1499 at Cormery (Touraine). In 1517 he took the religious habit of the Benedictines in the abbey of Cormery; came to Paris in 1527, and was there received as doctor of theology in 1542. He sometimes gave himself the honorary title of interpreter to the king. He possessed the talents for it, if he did not do the work; for he made the study of ancient languages the occupation of his whole life. He professed a superstitious admiration for Cicero, and he regarded Aristotle as the oracle of the school; he also delivered against Ramus, who did not share in his fondness, three harangues full of invectives. Perion died at Cormery in 1559; or, according to Dom Liron, in 1561. We have of his works, De fabularum, ludorum, theatrorum antiqua consuetudine (Paris, 1540, 4to): — Topicorum theologicorum lib. ii (ibid. 1549, 8vo); he supports the Catholic doctrine by well-chosen extracts from Scripture and from the fathers: — De vitis et rebus yestis apostolorum (ibid. 1551, 16mo), translated into French in 1552: — De vita rebusque gestis J. C., Maricn Virgin's, et Johannis Basptistoe (ibid. 1553, 16mo): — De oigine linguae Gallicae et ejus cum Graecat cognatione dialogorum lib. iv (ibid. 1555, 8vo); this treatise, divided into four parts, falls below criticism, but is not so bad as La Monnoye pretends, and contains some curious particulars: — De sanctorum virorum qui patriarchce ab ecclesia appellantur rebus gestis ac vitis (ibid. 1555, 4to), translated into French: — De magistraibus Romanonrum ac Graecorum (ibid. 1560, 4to), and in the Antiq. Gr. of Gronovius. The numerous Latin versions of Domn Perion are more elegant than faithful, and derive their principal merit from the time in which they appeared. We cite only those from Aristotle (1540-59, 7 vols.); from the Traite des Heresies of John of Damascus (1548, fol.); from the (Euvres of Saint Justin (1554, fol.), and from Saint Denis the Areopagite (1556, fol.), etc. See Scevole de Sainte- Marthe, Elogia, lib. i; Teissier, Eloges; Hilarion de Coste, Vie de Francois Le Picard, p. 335; La Monnoye, Notes sur "la Biblioth. de La Croix du Mainze;" Essais de Litterature, Nov. 1702; Niceron, — Memoires, vol. 36.