JEROME, a leader of the French Revolution, was born at Chartres about 1753, and practised for some time at the bar. His first appearance on the stage of politics was in the character of deputy from the commons of his native town to the Estates-General in 1789. He then showed himself to be well fitted to walk circumspectly among the besetting perils of those troublous times. His political creed was liberal and settled, his disposition phlegmatic, his appearance imposing, and his elocution ready. Accordingly, in all the high and critical offices to which he was called during the Revolution, his character was notable for its cool consistency. As president of the National Assembly and of the Criminal Tribunal, he acted in such a straightforward manner that he acquired the surname of "the Virtuous." When he was sent to conduct the royal family home from their arrested flight, this want of respect of persons was carried even to an extreme. He "ate his luncheon, comfortably filled his wine-glass in the royal Berline, flung out his chicken-bones past the nose of royalty itself;" and on the king's saying, "France cannot be a republic," answered, "No, it is not ripe yet!" Nor did his coolness forsake him during 1791 and 1792, when, in the capacity of mayor of Paris, it was his duty to guard the safety of the city. Raised aloft on the shoulders of two grenadiers, he quieted and dispersed the insurrectionary populace on the famous 20th of June. Mingling also with the bloodthirsty mob, he tried, with "the austere language of the law," to check the reckless massacres of September. At length, however, the dangers which Pétion had with stoical countenance outpaced so long, became too pressing for him. The proscription of his party by the Jacobins on the 31st May 1793, drove him and ten of his fellow Girondins to escape for their lives. As the eleven skulked through the country towards Bourdeaux, their enemies beset them at every turn of the road. At last the ever-thickening perils compelled them to separate, and hide their heads wherever they could. On a July morning of 1794, the dead body of Péition, along with that of Buzot, was found in a cornfield near Bordeaux half-eaten by wolves. (See Carlyle's French Revolution; and Biographie Universelle.)

PETIT DE LA CROIX, François, a great oriental scholar, was the son of François Petit, the French king's interpreter for the Oriental languages, and was born in Paris in 1653. His education was conducted with the view of fitting him for succeeding his father. He was first instructed in mathematics, astronomy, geography, design, and the eastern languages. Then the famous minister Colbert despatched him, when only sixteen, to complete his education in the East. He sojourned there for three years and a half at Aleppo, familiarizing himself with the language and literature of the Arabs. The next two years were spent at Isfahan in the study of the Persian dialects, politics, arts, and sciences. He wound up this long and thorough course of training by applying himself for four years at Constantinople to the language and diplomacy of the Turks. Soon after his return to France in 1680, Petit entered upon a new career as secretary-interpreter to the marine. In this capacity his aid was employed in all the negotiations which France at that time transacted with the Eastern courts. He was engaged in forming treaties with Algiers in 1684, with Tunis and Tripoli in 1685, and with Morocco in 1687. The closing, like the opening part of Petit's career, was devoted to linguistic pursuits. He began to officiate as Arabic professor to the Collège Royal in 1692, and as Oriental interpreter to the king in 1695. At the same time his pen was actively employed in connection with his favourite studies. He published Histoire de la Sultane de Perse et des Vizirs, a translation from Sheikh Zadeh, in 12mo, 1707; and Les Mille et Un Jours, a translation from the Persian, in 6 vols. 12mo, Paris, 1710-12.

Another translation, entitled Histoire de Timur Bec, in 4 vols. 12mo, appeared in 1722, nine years after his death. He also left behind him in manuscript several works on history, geography, and the Oriental languages, a list of which is given in Goujet's Memoire sur le College Royal. (See Biographie Universelle.)