and after extensive travels in Germany, Holland, France, Britain,

and Italy, undertaken with the view of extending his learning, he returned to Tübingen in 1716, where he had already in 1714 been nominated to a theological chair. At thirty-four he had risen to be first professor of theology and chancellor of the university. His learning was immense, and his manner of teaching highly attractive. While at home in all the departments of theological science, he was particularly distinguished in those of oriental philology, church history, and ecclesiastical jurisprudence. In an age of extreme Lutheran dogmatism, he took a mild and moderate view of the points of difference between his own and the Reformed branches of the protestant church, and pleaded earnestly for union between the two; and though a sincere protestant, he knew how to treat with candour and courtesy the divines of the church of Rome—"Are divines," said he, "the only people that should be ill-mannered?" As late as 1756 he left Tübingen for Giessen, where he was made general superintendent and chancellor of the university; and a veil of mystery has always been thrown over the reasons of this change. It was whispered that his morale was not equal to his intellectual preeminence. He survived till 1760. His writings were very numerous in several departments of theology, but no more of them need be mentioned here than his "Institutiones Hist. Eccl.," 1727; "Institutiones Theologiæ Dogm. et Moral.," 1721; "Introductio in Hist. Theol.," 1724; and "De Originibus juris Eccl. veraque ejus indole," 1719.—P. L. PFANNER, Tobias, a distinguished German historian, was born at Augsburg, March 15, 1641, the son of an imperial councillor. Having studied at the universities of Altdorf and Jena, he settled at Weimar, devoting himself to historical pursuits with such success that the nickname "the living archive of Saxony" was applied to him. He published "Historia Comitiorum, 1652-54," Weimar, 1694, second edition, Frankfurt, 1698; "Historia pacis Germano-Gallo-Suevicæ Monasterii atque Osnabrugæ tractatæ et anno 1648 perfectæ," &c., Gotha, 1697; and "Systema Theologiæ gentilis purioris," Basle, 1697. In 1701 he obtained the title of ducal councillor at Gotha, and, a year after, the appointment of chief librarian to the duke. Before this, however, he had fallen into profound melancholy, amounting at times to insanity, in the paroxysms of which he thought himself pursued by spirits and demons. He died on the 23d of November, 1716.—F. M. PFEFFEL, Gottlieb Conrad, a distinguished German poet, was born at Colmar, Alsatia, 28th June, 1736. After receiving a careful education he devoted himself to the study of law at Hallé, but the excessive weakness of his eyes obliged him to relinquish this career. In 1757 he totally lost his sight, but notwithstanding this misfortune soon began to display an indefatigable activity both as a writer and a pedagogue. With the permission of Louis XV. he established a protestant military academy at Colmar, which rose to a high degree of eminence, but was broken up by the French revolution. In 1803 he was nominated president of the newly-established protestant consistory of his native town, and died May 1, 1809. He was universally respected and beloved for his integrity, his active benevolence, and his good-natured humour. His fables and poetical tales still take a high rank.—(See Life by Rieder, 1820.)—K. E. PFEFFERCORN, John, was a converted Jew. His name was originally Joseph. The date and place of his birth seem to be unknown. He is found living in Cologne at the beginning of the sixteenth century. After his conversion to Christianity he was seized with a furious zeal against Hebrew books, and the ignorant monks and intolerant theologians of the time sided with Pfeffercorn. Several treatises were issued in his name, in which the Jewish religion was represented in the most odious light, and rabbinical literature was branded as a mere collection of libels on the character of Christ and Christianity. Pfeffercorn urged the emperor to cause all Hebrew books to be gathered together and burnt. Maximilian, a man of weak mind and the best intentions, conferred on the adventurer the powers necessary to carry this design into effect. Owing to some informality in the proceedings, a delay occurred, and the Jews, on the suspension of the order, appealed to the celebrated Reuchlin to give an opinion as to the nature and contents of their literature. Reuchlin did not hesitate to characterize the rabbinical writings as for the most part not theological at all, and of great importance to the cause of christianity, serving as arguments in its favour. Pfeffercorn, aided by the theologians, published a tract, in which Reuchlin was held up to detestation, and accused of heresy. This was easily answered by Reuchlin. The principals now came forward, and Reuchlin wrote to his friends throughout Europe to come to his help. Treatises were issued on both sides. The conflict, however, was not long doubtful, for a terrible satire was issued by the party of Reuchlin (the Epistolæ Virorum Obscurorum) against the monks, exposing their barbarous ignorance, conceit, and sanctimonious immorality. This work, which accomplished for Germany what Don Quixote in another cause did for Spain, and which is generally regarded as the work of Ulric von Hutten, fell among them, to use the words of Sir W. Hamilton, "like a bomb, scattering dismay and ruin in its explosion." The cause of common sense and learning triumphed. Pfeffercorn after this disappears from history. The common tradition that, mortified by his defeat, he returned to Judaism, and was burnt at Halle for blasphemy in 1515, cannot be correct, as he was unquestionably living in 1521.—D. G. PFEIFFER, Augustus, one of the most eminent philologists of the seventeenth century, was born in 1640, at Lauenburg in Lower Saxony. He received his early education at his native town, and completed his studies at Wittemberg. In 1671 he was appointed dean of Medzibor. This was followed by other preferments. Having taken his degree of D.D. in 1681, he became archdeacon of St. Thomas, Leipsic, professor of oriental languages, and professor extraordinary of theology. In 1690 he became superintendent. He died in 1698. He was a man of immense learning, and is reputed to have been acquainted with seventy languages. He wrote largely; a list of his works may be seen in Le Long.—D. G. PFEIFFER, Ida, was born at Vienna on the 15th October, 1797. Her maiden name was Reger. She was tolerably well educated, but showed from earliest childhood little liking for female employments and accomplishments. For the robust and often dangerous amusements of boys she had an irresistible taste. Endowed with a heroic will, she ardently sympathized with the heroic in history. She was once found with an apple on her head at which her brothers were shooting arrows; so fearless had her admiration for William Tell rendered her. In 1809 she was forced to accompany her mother to Napoleon's review of his guards at Schönbrunn. When the emperor was approaching, Ida turned her back on the scene. Her mother struck her, and held the head of her obstinate daughter toward Napoleon. Ida shut her eyes, and thus could say that she had never seen one who had been so fatal to her country. There is something unnatural in this incident. When Ida grew older travels and geography absorbed her attention, and she dreamed of what she might at some future time be. In 1820 she married the advocate Pfeiffer. This marriage proved unhappy, and Ida separated from her husband after he had dissipated her whole fortune. Two sons, Oscar and Alfred, had been born, whose education she superintended till they were able to fight their own battle; and now she longed to gratify her rambling and adventurous temper. On the 22nd March, 1842, she set out to the East, on her first great journey, from which she returned in the December of the same year. In 1843 she published "The Travels of a Viennese Woman to the Holy Land," a book which has gone through numerous editions and been translated, as were all her subsequent works, into English. French, and other languages. She had boldly encountered the sultry heat of the east; she determined after a pause to face the terrors of the north. A fruit of this second journey was, in 1846, a book on the Scandinavian North and Iceland. She had gained immense experience as a traveller, and she resolved to turn it to account. On the 28th June, 1846, she set sail in a Danish brig for Brazil. On the 16th September the vessel reached Rio de Janeiro. The scenery of the tropics profoundly impressed her. She made excursions to the interior, visiting the German colonies and the Indian races. On one occasion she was ferociously attacked by an escaped negro slave who was armed with a knife; timely help saved her from being murdered. In the beginning of 1847 she sailed round Cape Horn to Valparaiso. The spring of the year found her at Otaheite, the summer at Hong Kong and Canton, the autumn at Ceylon. After visiting Madras she resided for a considerable time at Calcutta. She then sailed up the Ganges as far as Benares. Delhi and other famous towns she touched at on her way to Bombay. At the end of April, 1848, she took her departure on board ship for Persia. That country, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Georgia, and Mingrelia, she traversed. Touching at