sary to the aggrandizement of the scholar, that they should crush his teacher, and so hissed an opera of Piccini from the stage, forgetful of the delight they had received from him, and unmindful of the benefactions he had conferred upon his rival. Piccini retired to Naples, where, after a serious illness brought on by his vexation at Rome, he opened a fresh career of success, by composing anew the text of his opera of "Alessandro." It was now that the memorable excitement on the subject of dramatic music arose in Paris, and Piccini was invited thither to represent the merits of the Italian school in opposition to Gluck, whose operas were so admired by one court party there, that the rival faction required also a favourite who might contest the claims of this master. The death of Louis XV., who supported Madame Du Barry at the head of the anti-Gluckists, delayed for a time the negotiation with Piccini; but, tempted by liberal promises, he at last went to Paris in December, 1776. His total ignorance of the French language was a great hindrance to him on his arrival; but Marmontel, who modernized Quinault's libretto of "Roland" for him to set to music, explained to him the sense and the accent of every word. The opera was not produced until January, 1778, and on its first night, so violent were the cabals against Piccini, that when going to witness the performance, he parted from his family with feelings like those of a malefactor who is led to trial. "Roland" was sufficiently well received for the composer to return home as one acquitted, but its success was incommensurate with the expectations of his party, and their virulence, like that of their opponents, was heightened in consequence. An account of the feud between the supporters of the two schools, will be found in the article Gluck in the present work, an inaccuracy in which may here be corrected—namely, though Piccini stipulated that his version of "Iphigénie en Tauride" should have precedence of Gluck's opera on the same subject, it was nevertheless not produced until January, 1781, whereas the rival work appeared in 1779. To console Piccini for the disappointment he endured in Paris, the queen, who was Gluck's chief patron from the first, did him the honour to take singing lessons of him, for which, however, she paid nothing; and to popularize his style with the French public, the management of the theatre, gave him the direction of an Italian company, which performed alternately with the French singers, and by which some of his most esteemed operas were represented. When Gluck finally left Paris in 1780, a new rival was raised against Piccini; this was his own pupil and his friend, Sacchini, who was guiltless of antagonism towards him, but who for faction's sake was adopted by the Gluckists, when they had no other hero to oppose to his rival. Piccini's "Atys" was produced with indifferent success in 1780, and he made indeed no real stand in France until 1783, when he wrote "Didon" for performance at Fontainbleau, on the same occasion as Sacchini's Chiméne, from which it entirely bore the palm. This work was immediately brought out at Paris, where it was received with immense applause. "Atys" was then reproduced with equal success, and "Le Dormeur éveillé" added to the triumphs of this fortunate year. In 1784 he was appointed professor of singing in the école royale de musique; and subsequently he brought out several operas, but their reception was equivocal. A large pecuniary loss, occasioned by the revolutionary disturbances, induced him in July, 1791, to take leave of France, where, though he suffered many mortifications, he did more to give permanence to his name, than he accomplished in all the rest of his active life. Returning to Naples, he was honourably received by the king, and began once more to take his old position in the favour of his countrymen; but the marriage of his daughter to a Frenchman caused him to be suspected of republican principles, which he was at no pains to disavow, and this cost him the displeasure of the court. In 1793 he went to Venice, to produce "Il Servo padrone," the last opera he composed; and when he went back to Naples, he was placed under arrest for his political sentiments, and confined to his own house for four years. During this period of durance he set to music an Italian version of the Psalms, and wrote some other pieces of sacred music. On the intercession of the French commissioners, he was set at large in 1798, with the understanding that he was to go to Venice to write another opera; delayed at Rome, however, to attend a performance of his works given in his honour, he was there persuaded to revisit Paris, and on reaching this city at the end of the year, he was liberally welcomed by the first consul. He had now to support himself by teaching, and by giving concerts at his own residence. He was promised the office of inspector of the conservatoire, indeed, but he was not installed in this until the month before his death. The misfortunes of his latter years had much broken his spirit, and an attack of paralysis brought his life to a close. Ginguené states Piccini to have produced one hundred and thirty-three operas before he went to Paris, besides fifteen while he was there, and five after he left. But this account is extremely doubtful; Fétis, however, gives the names of eighty dramatic works, including oratorios.—Piccini's second son, Ludovico, was a musician, and his own pupil; he was born at Naples, 1766, and wrote several French and Italian operas, none of which made any effect; was kapellmeister at Stockholm from 1796 till 1801, when he went to Paris; and he died at Passy in 1827.—Louis Alexandre, the son of Piccini's elder son, born at Paris in 1779, composed many dramatic pieces for the Parisian minor theatres—G. A. M.
PICCOLOMINI, Alessandro, titular Archbishop of Patras, and coadjutor to the archbishop of Siena (1574); born in Siena on the 10th June, 1508, of an ancient and illustrious family of Roman origin; died there on the 12th March, 1578. His chief distinction is that of having been the first to treat philosophical subjects in the Italian language. His commentaries upon Aristotle show him to have been an open-minded student. He preceded Bayer in designating the stars by letters; and he advocated in 1578 the reform of the calendar afterwards adopted. He was besides a successful writer of comedies and sonnets, and upon social, mathematical, and theological subjects, and very beneficent, especially to men of letters. An early anonymous dialogue (1539) named "La Raffaela, or Manners for Ladies," was, however, not creditable to his moral delicacy.—W. M. R.
PICCOLOMINI, Ottavio, of the noble Sienese family of that name, general of the imperial troops, duke of Amalfi, prince of the empire, knight of the golden fleece, and grandee of Spain; born in 1599, and died in Vienna, 10th August, 1656. Having at an early age adopted the profession of arms, he served under the Spanish flag in Italy. The grand-duke of Tuscany afterwards despatched him with a cavalry regiment to the emperor; and he first distinguished himself at the battle of Lutzen (1632). At Nordlingen he held joint command of the imperial army; and followed up the engagement by over-running Suabia and Franconia, capturing towns and provisioning his troops. His military success, though not unchequered by reverses, made the king of Spain desire his support; and with the emperor's consent Piccolomini transferred his allegiance to the most catholic monarch, and was constituted general-in-chief of the Spanish forces in the Low Countries. In 1648, however, the emperor reclaimed his services, and bestowed upon him the baton of field-marshal. When at length peace was concluded, Piccolomini's military career closed; but the civil talents he had evinced led to his appointment as chief commissary of Austria at the congress of Nuremberg, convened to execute the treaty of Westphalia. Ottavio Piccolomini died childless.—C. G. R.
PICHEGRU, Charles, a celebrated French general, was born in 1761 at Arbois, and studied at the college there, and at the military school at Brienne. He entered the army at an early age as a common artillery soldier, and rose to the rank of serjeant and adjutant. He subsequently became a republican, and was appointed commandant of a battalion of volunteers of the guard. In 1794 he was appointed general-in-chief of the army of the North, and reorganized it. After several engagements, in which he evinced great skill and was thoroughly successful, he entered Amsterdam with his troops, January 19, 1795, and two days after took the Dutch fleet, which was there detained by the ice. The English were then obliged to abandon their allies, and the French troops took undisputed possession of the country. After this campaign Pichegru resigned his command of the army of t he North for that of the Rhine; but in the interval fulfilled an important duty at Paris as general of the army in April, 1795, during the insurrection of the Faubourgs, and aided materially in quelling the disturbances at that time. As chief of the army of the Sambre and the Meuse in 1795, it is said that Pichegru entered into a treasonable correspondence with the prince of Condé, with the purpose of restoring the Bourbons to the throne. He was recalled by the directory, and superseded in his command—Moreau being appointed to succeed him. There was, however, no specific proof of his guilt, and he was not punished, but allowed to retire to Arbois, where he lived privately until his election for the department of the Jura in 1797. In that year he became president of the council of Five Hundred, and was again suspected
