PERCY, THOMAS (1729-1811).—­Antiquary and poet, s. of a grocer at Bridgnorth, where he was b., ed. at Oxf., entered the Church, and became in 1778 Dean of Carlisle, and in 1782 Bishop of Dromore.  He pub. various antiquarian works, chiefly with reference to the North of England; but is best remembered for his great service to literature in collecting and ed. many ancient ballads, pub. in 1765 as Reliques of Ancient Poetry, which did much to bring back interest in the ancient native literature, and to usher in the revival of romanticism.

PHILIPS, AMBROSE (1675?-1749).—­Poet, b. in Shropshire and ed. at Camb., wrote pastorals and dramas, was one of the Addison circle, and started a paper, the Freethinker, in imitation of the Spectator.  He also made translations from Pindar and Anacreon, and a series of short complimentary verses, which gained for him the nickname of “Namby Pamby.”  His Pastorals, though poor enough, excited the jealousy of Pope, who pursued the unfortunate author with life-long enmity.  P. held various Government appointments in Ireland.

PHILIPS, JOHN (1676-1709).—­Poet, s. of an archdeacon of Salop, and ed. at Oxf.  His Splendid Shilling, a burlesque in Miltonic blank verse, still lives, and Cyder, his chief work, an imitation of Virgil’s Georgics, has some fine descriptive passages.  P. was also employed by Harley to write verses on Blenheim as a counterblast to Addison’s Campaign.  He d. at 33 of consumption.

PHILLIPS, SAMUEL (1814-1854).—­Novelist, of Jewish descent, studied for the Church at Goettingen and Camb., but his f. dying, he was obliged to give up his intention and take to business, in which, however, he was unsuccessful, and fell into great straits.  He then tried writing, and produced some novels, of which the best known was Caleb Stukely, which appeared in Blackwood in 1842.  He was latterly a leader-writer for the Times.

PICKEN, ANDREW (1788-1833).—­Miscellaneous writer, b. in Paisley, was in business in the West Indies, and in Glasgow and Liverpool, but not being successful, went to London to try his fortunes in literature.  His earlier writings, Tales and Sketches of the West of Scotland and The Sectarian (1829), gave offence in dissenting circles:  his next, The Dominie’s Legacy (1830), had considerable success, and a book on Travels and Researches of Eminent Missionaries (1830) did something to rehabilitate him with those whom he had offended.  His last work, The Black Watch (1833), had just appeared when he d. of an apoplectic seizure.  His best work is somewhat like that of Galt (q.v.).

PIERPONT, JOHN (1785-1860).—­Poet, b. at Litchfield, Conn., was first a lawyer, then a merchant, and lastly a Unitarian minister.  His chief poem is The Airs of Palestine.