Peter, a celebrated French poet, was born at Rouen in the year 1606. He was brought up to the bar, which he attended for some little time; but formed with a genius too elevated for such a profession, and having no turn for business, he soon deserted it. An affair of gallantry occasioned his writing his first piece, entitled Melite; which had prodigious success. Encouraged by the applause of the public, he wrote the Cid, and the other tragedies that have immortalized his name. In his dramatic works he discovers a majesty, a strength and elevation of genius, scarce to be found in any other of the French poets; and, like our immortal Shakespeare, seems better acquainted with nature than with the rules of critics. Corneille was received into the French academy in 1647, and died dean of that academy in 1684, aged 78. Besides his dramatic pieces, he wrote a translation, in French verse, of the "Imitation of Jesus Christ," &c. The best edition of his works is that of 1682, in 4 vols 12mo.

Corneille, Thomas, brother of the former, was a member of the French academy and of that of inscriptions. He discovered in his youth a great inclination to poetry; and at length published several dramatic pieces in 5 vols 12mo, some of which were applauded by the public, and acted with success. He also wrote, 1. A translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, and some of Ovid's Epistles; 2. Remarks on Vauglas; 3. A Dictionary of Arts, 2 vols folio; and, 4. An Universal Geographical and Historical Dictionary, in 3 vols folio.

Corneille, Michael, a celebrated painter, was born at Paris in the year 1642; and was instructed by his father, who was himself a painter of great merit. Having gained a prize at the academy, young Corneille obtained a pension from Louis XIV.; and was sent to Rome, where that prince had founded a school for young artists of genius. Having studied there some time, he gave up his pension, and applied to the antique with great care. He is said to have equalled Carache in drawing, but in colouring he was deficient. Upon his return from Rome, he was chosen professor in the academy of Paris; and was employed by the above prince in all the great works he was carrying on at Versailles and Trianon, where are still to be seen some noble efforts of his genius.

CORNELIUS. See CORNUS, BOTANY Index.

Cornelia, daughter of Scipio Africanus, was the mother of Tiberius and Caius Gracchus. She was courted by a king, but she preferred being the wife of a Roman citizen to that of a monarch. Her virtues have been deservedly commended, as well as the wholesome principles she inculcated in her two sons.

When a Campanian lady made once a show of her Cornelia jewels at Cornelia's house, and entreated her to favour her with a sight of her own, Cornelia produced her two sons, saying, "These are the only jewels of which I can boast."

Cornelia Lex, de civitate, was enacted, in the year of Rome 670, by L. Corn. Sylla. It confirmed the Sulpician law, and required that the citizens of the eight newly elected tribes should be divided among the 35 ancient tribes.—Another, de judiciis, in 673, by the same. It ordained, that the praetor should always observe the same invariable method in judicial proceedings, and that the precepts should not depend upon his will.—Another de funeribus, by the same. It limited the expenses which generally attended funerals.—Another de religione, by the same, in 677. It restored to the college of priests the privilege of choosing the priests, which by the Domitian law had been lodged in the hands of the people.—Another, de municipiis, by the same; which revoked all the privileges which had been some time before granted to the several towns that had afflicted Marius and Cinna in the civil wars.—Another de magistratibus, by the same; which gave the power of bearing honours, and being promoted before the legal age, to those who had followed the interests of Sylla; while the sons and partizans of his enemies, who had been proscribed, were deprived of the privilege of standing for any office in the state.—Another de magistratibus, by the same, in 673. It ordained, that no person should exercise the same office within ten years distance, or be invested with two different magistracies in one year.—Another, de magistratibus, by the same, in 673. It divested the tribunes of the privilege of making laws, interfering, holding assemblies, and receiving appeals. All such as had been tribunes were incapable of holding any other office in the state by that law.—Another, de magistratu, by the same, in 670. It made it treason to lend an army out of a province or engage in a war without orders, to influence the soldiers to spare or ransom a captive general of the enemy, to pardon the leaders of robbers or pirates, or for the absence of a Roman citizen to a foreign court without previous leave. The punishment was aquae et ignis interdictio.—Another by the same. It gave the power to a man accused of murder, either by poison, weapons, or false accusations, and the setting fire to buildings, to choose whether the jury that tried him should give their verdict clam or palam, voca voca, or by ballot. Another by the same, which made it aquae et ignis interdictio to such as were guilty of forgery, concealing and altering of wills, corruption, false accusations, and the debasing or counterfeiting of the public coin. All such as were accessory to this offence were deemed as guilty as the offender.—Another, de pecuniae repetundis; by which a man convicted of peculation or extortion in the provinces was condemned to suffer the aquae et ignis interdictio.—Another, by the same; which gave the power to such as were sent into the provinces with any government, of retaining their command and appointment without a renewal of it by the senate, as was before observed.—Another by the same; which ordained, that the lands of proscribed persons should be common, especially those about Volaterræ and Felulæ in Etruria, which Sylla divided among his soldiers.—Another by C. Cornelius tribune of the people, in 686. It ordained, that no person should be exempted from any law according to the general custom, unless 200 senators were present in the senate; and no person thus exempted could hinder the bill of his exemption from being carried to the people for their concurrence.—Another, by Nafla, in 382, to make war against Perseus, son of Philip king of Macedon, if he did not give proper satisfaction to the Roman people.