PERRAULT, Charles, the brother of Claude, was born at Paris on the 12th of January 1628, and at the age of eight was placed in the college of Beauvais, where he distinguished himself in scholastic disputation, and in making verses with extreme facility, "indice trompeur d'un talent qui ne mûrit presque jamais." On leaving school, he found that burlesque was in vogue; and a friend having suggested to him the idea of translating the sixth book of the Aeneid in the manner of Scarron, he executed the travesty in a manner which attracted the commendation both of Voltaire and of Marmontel. But when his ideas were matured by reflection, he ceased to attach any value to such effusions; and, having completed his studies, he was admitted as advocate, in which capacity he pleaded two causes with success. Colbert, however, soon deprived the law of his services, and, in the year 1664, appointed him first commissary for the superintendence of royal buildings, an office the duties of which he discharged with equal zeal and ability, nobly justifying the confidence of the minister, and regarding himself as the representative of men of letters and of artists at the court. The Academy of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, and that of Sciences, were founded on memoirs drawn up by Charles Perrault, who had now become comptroller-general of buildings; and he was admitted into the French Academy in 1671, in the room of the bishop of Léon. But the impracticable character of Colbert having at length wearied out his patience, he retired from his public situation, and, devoting himself to literature, produced his poem entitled Siècle de Louis XIV., which appeared in 1687, and involved him in a war with the learned, by reason of his exalting the modern in comparison with the ancient authors. He defended himself, however, in the Parallèle des Anciens et Modernes, which appeared at Paris in 1688, afterwards attracted the notice of Bayle, and excited very considerable attention. One of his principal antagonists was Boileau, who attacked him with great asperity, and, as usual, had all the scoffers on his side; but at length they were, in some measure, reconciled, although, on the part of Boileau, the amende was made in a tone which savoured more of contempt than of conciliation. His poem on Painting was, however, generally admired; but his Tales in verse, entitled Grisélides, Peau d'Ane, and Souhaits Ridicules, are prolix and heavy. Perrault died at Paris on the 16th of May 1703. Besides the works already indicated, he wrote, 1. Recueil des divers Ouvrages en prose et en vers, Paris, 1675, in 4to; 2. Courses de Têtes et de Bagues, faites par le Roi et par les Princes et les Seigneurs de sa Cour, en 1662, Paris, 1669, in folio; 3. Cabinet des Beaux-Arts, ibid. 1690, in folio; 4. A Translation of the Fables of Faërne; 5. Memoirs of his Life, for the use of his children; 6. L'Oublieux and Les Fontanges, manuscript comedies, which, in 1822, passed into the rich and valuable collection of M. de Soleinne. D'Alembert included the éloge of Charles Perrault amongst those of the members of the French Academy (tom. ii. p. 165.) (A.)