GENERAL BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.

YABBIANI (ANTONY DOMENIC) an | beauty of her person, the richness of her voice

artist,

1652, and studied under Ciro Ferri at Rome. for the unbounded caprice that governed her He excels most in minor subjects, as gambols of in the exercise of the latter. She was a pupil genii, children, &c. His most famous work in of Porpora and Metastasio, under whose infresco is the large cupola of Cestello, which structions she attained to such excellence he did not live to finish, falling from a scaffold that even Pachierotti was with great difficulty in 1726 while employed on it. His colouring, prevailed on to appear in the same opera with though sometimes feeble, is generally good, her, lest her superiority should prove the ruin but he fails most in the execution of his dra- of his own fame From the circumstance of peries-Pilkington. her father having been in the service of a GABIA (JOHN BAPTIST) one of the Roman cardinal in the capacity of cook, she revivers of literature, was born at Verona, and in her earlier years acquired the soubriquet of flourished in the sixteenth century. He was "La Cuochetina;" neither her countenance professor of Greek at Rome, and is said to nor deportment however gave any indication of have distinguished himself by his knowledge a vulgar origin. After exciting the greatest of the learned languages, of mathematics, and enthusiasm by her singing at most of the Europhilosophy, and even of theology. His works pean capitals, she went to Russia, where she are-A translation from Greek into Latin of remained three years, and ranked high in court the Commentaries of Theodoret, bishop of favour. In 1775 she visited England, and Cyrus, on Daniel and Ezekiel, printed at appeared at the King's theatre during that and Rome, 1563; A translation of the history of the following season. While in this country, Seylitzes Curopalates, 1570; and a Latin trans- she exhibited fewer of those freaks which lation of Sophocles. It is affirmed by Maffei abroad tended much to interfere with her pothat he also translated Zosimus and the Hebrew pularity, from a sense, it is said, of fear, lest Psalms, and translated into Greek the Grego- an English audience should “break her bones.” ran Kalendar with Santi's tables, with an intro- Of her whims Brydone gives a curious instance ductory epistle in Greek by himself.-Moreri. which occurred during her stay at the Sicilian Majei Verona Illustrata. court. The viceroy, it seems, had honoured her with an invitation to a party, composed of the elite of the nobility of Palermo, which she accepted, but not arriving at the appointed hour, the dinner was actually put back, and a messenger dispatched, who found her reading in bed. She rose and accompanied him, apologizing to the company on the ground that she had really forgotton the engagement. viceroy was offended, and still more so when, on coming to the opera, no persuasion could induce her to sing a note above her breath. He threatened her with punishment, which only made her more obstinate, and she returned GABRIEL SIONITA a learned Maronite, for answer, that his excellency "might indeed was professor of the Arabic and Syriac lan- make her cry, but he never should force her to guages at Rome, and flourished in the seven- sing." The consequence of this contumacy teenth century. He was invited to Paris to was immediate incarceration. She remained assist in M Le Jay's Polyglott, and carried in confinement twelve days, during which time with him some Syriac and Arabic versions of she gave magnificent entertainments, and paid the Bible, transcribed by himself from MSS. at the debts of the poorer prisoners, till the viceRome, to which he added the vowel points, roy, who was a good-tempered man, gave up which were not in the original. The Latin the contest, and set her at liberty without translations of these versions were also fur-carrying his point. The most successful exnished by Sionita; but in consequence of some pedient to ensure her singing was found to be misunderstandings between himself and his the prevailing on her favourite admirer to place employers, he did not fulfil the department assigned to him in the Polyglott, but was succeeded by Ecchellensis. Sionita was also the translator of other Arabic works, and among the rest, of the "Geographia Nubiensis" of Scheriff al Edrissi. He was appointed professor royal of the Syriac and Arabic languages at Paris, where he died in 1648. Walton has copied his versions into the English Polyglott. -Moreri. Nouv. Dict. Hist.

GABRIEL (JAMES) an eminent French architect, built the palace at Choisy. He also undertook the Pont Royal at Paris, but died before it was finished in 1686, leaving the completion of it to his son James, and Frere Romain.-JAMES, the younger, was born at Paris in 1667, and became overseer-general of buildings, gardens, arts and manufactures, first architect and engineer of bridges and banks through the kingdom, and knight of St Michael. He died at Paris in 1742, leaving a son also first architect to the king, who died in 1782-Nouv. Dict. Hist.

The

himself in a conspicuous part of the theatre, when she would generally address her airs to bim, and exert herself to the utmost. She amassed great wealth, although by no means of a mercenary disposition; the principal source of her riches being the bounty of the emperor of Germany, who was much attached to her, but at length banished her from Vienna, on account of the continual broils, occasioned as much by her intriguing spirit, as by the influence of her GABRIELLI (CATERINA) one of the most personal charms. The time of her decease in celebrated singers of the last century, born at uncertain.-Biog. Dict. of Mus. Rome in 1730, not more remarkable for the GABRINI (see RIENZI.)

BIOG, DICT.Vol. II.

GADBURY (JOHN) a writer of consider- | have been a man of great reading and subtle able notoriety on the fanciful science of astro- genius, but very credulous. The followlogy, in the latter part of the seventeenth ing are the principal:- Unheard-of Curiosi century. He was a native of Oxfordshire, and ties," translated into English by Chilmead; probably of low origin, as he served an appren- "Rabbi Elea de fine mundi, Latine versus, ticeship to a tailor. He afterwards became cum notis;" "Un traité de la Poudre de the pupil or assistant of William Lilly the Sympathies et des Talismans ;" "De musica fortune-teller, the Sidrophel of Butler; and in Hebreorum stupenda libellus," &c. &c.-imitation of his master, he published astrologi- Moreri. cal almanacks and other works relating to similar subjects, one of which is entitled "A Discourse of the Natures and Effects of Comets, as they are philosophically, historically, and astrologically considered,' London, 1665. Being a Roman catholic, he was arrested during the commotions excited by Titus Oates and his accomplices, in the reign of Charles II, on account of some observations in his almanacks. The period of his death is uncertain; but he is said to have perished by shipwreck, in a voyage to Jamaica. Partridge, a brother astrologer, published in 1693, a work entitled "The Black Life of John Gadbury.-Granger's Biog. Hist. of Eng.

GADDESDEN or GATESDEN (JOHN OF) an English physician, in high repute in the beginning of the fourteenth century. He was an ecclesiastic, and was physician to king Edward II. His treatise on medicine, entitled "Rosa Anglica," is curious for the information it affords relative to the state of science and practice at the period when it was written. Gaddesden says that he cured one of the royal children of the small-pox, by wrapping him in scarlet cloth, and hanging scarlet curtains round the bed. As a remedy for epilepsy, he advises the patient to be carried to church to hear mass four times during the ember weeks, and afterwards to suspend round his neck a scroll inscribed with a verse from the gospel of the day. Yet it appears that this superstitious practitioner was acquainted with the method of rendering salt water fresh by distillation; a process supposed to have been a modern discovery.-Hutchinson's Biog. Med. Clutterbuck's -Hist. of Hertfordshire, vol. i.

GAFORY or GAFFURIUS (FRANCHINUS) an eminent Italian composer and writer on the science of music, who flourished in the fifteenth century. He was born at Lodi in the Milanese, about the year 1451, and became professor of music successively at Verona, Genoa, Naples, and Milan, in which latter capital especially he was held in high esteem. He published in 1480 an abridgment of Boethius, under the title of "Theorum Opus Musica Disciplinæ," printed at Naples; a treatise on the management of the voice, called "Practica Musica utriusque Cantus," Milan, 1496; a series of lectures read by him at Cremona, Lodi, and other Italian towns, under the title of "Angelicum et Divinum Opus Musicæ," Milan, 1508; and " De Harmonia Musicorum Instrumentorum," Milan, 1518, in which latter work he gives a synopsis of the doctrines of such of the Greek musical writers as had come to his hands. His works made their way over the whole of Europe, and most of the compositions of the sixteenth century are formed according to the rules therein laid down. His death took place about the year 1521.-Burney's Hist. of Mus.

GAGE (THOMAS) an ecclesiastic, said by some to have been a native of Ireland, while by others the county of Surrey has been assigned as the place of his nativity. Travelling into Spain, he assumed the tonsure in a convent of Dominican monks, whence he was sent in the capacity of a missionary to the Philippines in 1625. He however went to Mexico, and remained in that country till 1637, when he came to England, and settled in this country in the enjoyment of considerable property GAFFARELL (JAMES) a learned rabbi- which he had acquired in his travels. Having nical writer, was born at Mannes in Provence abjured the Romish church, he obtained the about 1601, and was educated at the university living of Deal in Kent, and in 1642 published of Apt. He applied himself to studying the his recantation sermon. He was also the auHebrew language and rabbinical learning, and thor of a controversial tract, entitled “ A Duel being much pleased with the mysterious doc- between a Jesuit and a Dominican," 4to; and trines of the Cabala, at the age of twenty-two" A Survey of the West Indies." This last he wrote a volume in their defence, entitled work, which was first printed in 1651, was in "Abdita divinæ Cabalæ mysteria," &c. He 1676 translated into the French language by was appointed by cardinal Richelieu his libra-order of Colbert. The time of Gage's death rian, and sent into Italy to collect the best is uncertain.-Aikin's G. Biog. Dict. printed books and manuscripts that could be found. In 1633 he was at Venice, being at that time doctor of divinity and canon law, prothonotary of the apostolic see, and commendatory prior of St Giles's. On his return home, he was employed by the cardinal in his project for bringing back all the protestants to the Romish church, and to that end was authorized to preach in Dauphiné against the doctrine of purgatory. He died at Sigonce, of which place he was then abbot, in 1681. . His works are very numerous, and show him to

GAGER (WILLIAM) a dramatist of the sixteenth century, author of two Latin tragedies, entitled " Ulysses redux," and Meleager," and a comedy, called "Rivales." He was educated at Westminster, whence he removed to Christchurch, Oxford, on the foundation, in 1574. Here he applied himself to the study of the civil law, in which he graduated, and afterwards obtained the vicar-generalship to the diocese of Ely. A curious controversy was carried on between him and a writer named Heale, on the subject of the right of husband

to beat their wives. He also wrote against Dr Reynolds, respecting the lawfulness of theatrical amusements.-Biog. Dram.

his royal patron with queen Anne, he followed in his suite to England, where he succeeded Battista Draghi as chapel-master to the queen dowager Catherine. The whole musical world being at this time occupied with the rivalry between Handel and Buononcini, the merits of

GAGNIER (JOHN) an eminent orientalist, who was a native of Paris, where he was educated, and entering into holy orders, became a canon in the church of St. Genevieve. Enter-Gaillard, though great, were comparatively taining doubts relative to the Roman catholic unnoticed. He therefore entered into an endoctrines, he emigrated to England, where his gagement with Rich, then manager of the learning procured him the countenance of theatre in Lincoln's-inn Fields, and composed the archbishop Sharp, the lord chancellor Maccles- music to most of those mixed pieces, half opera field, and others. He was admitted MA. at half pantomime, with which he entertained the Cambridge, and subsequently at Oxford, in town. Among these, the greatest notice was which latter university he took up his abode, attracted by the " Necromancer, or Harlequin supporting himself chiefly by teaching Hebrew. Faustus," and "The Royal Chace, or Merlin's In 1706 he published Joseph Ben Gorion's Cave;" in which Beard first recommended himHistory of the Jews, in Hebrew, with a Latin self to the public by singing, for some hundred translation and notes, 4to. In 1717 he began nights, a favourite song by Gaillard, comto give lectures on the Arabic language, and mencing "With early horn." This, which be published a treatise on the small-pox, trans- was the most popular, was also one of the lated from the works of Rhazes, an Arabian latest of his compositions, as he died early in physician. He also produced two valuable the year 1749, leaving behind him an unfiworks relative to the early history of Maho- nished opera on the story of Orestes and Pymetism, "Ismael Abulfeda de Vita et Rebus lades, and a valuable collection of scores, &c. gestis Mohammedis, &c. Latine vertit, Pre- in his own hand-writing. His music to the fatione et Notis illustravit Joh. Gagnier," tragedy of Edipus (which had before been set Oxon. 1723, folio; and La Vie de Mahomet, by Purcel) was never printed, but is now in traduite et compilée de l'Alcoran, des Tradi- the library of the Academy of Ancient Music. tions authentiques de la Sonna, et des meil--Biog. Dict. of Mus. leurs Auteurs Arabes," 1735, three volumes, GAIMAR or GAIMARD (GEOFFREY) an 12mo. Gagnier died in 1740.-Chalmers's Anglo-Norman troubadour or minstrel, of the Biog. Dict. Aikin's Gen. Biog. Nouv. Dict. twelfth century. He is supposed to have been Hist. a native of Lower Normandy; and between the years 1142 and 1145, he composed in octo-syllabic verse, a romantic chronicle of the Anglo-Saxon kings, founded on. Saxon and Welsh documents. This curious poem is still extant among the MSS. in the British Museum M. de la Rue, professor of history at Caen, has published an interesting extract from this piece, describing the feats of dexterity, by the exhibition of which, before the two armies at the battle of Hastings, Taillefer, the bard or jongeleur of William the Norman, astonished and perhaps daunted the English soldiers, who, as the poet informs us, ascribed the juggler's skill to enchantment.-Archeologia, vol. xii.

GAGUIN (ROBERT) a native of Colines, near Amiens, eminent as a diplomatist under Charles VIII and Louis XII; both which monarchs employed him on various missions to different European courts. He received the principal part of his education at Paris, where he was appointed keeper of the Royal Library, and published a history, "De Gestis Francorum," in eleven books, printed at Lyons in 1524, folio. This work contains the history of affairs from the commencement of the thirteenth to the close of the fifteenth century. His death took place in 1501 at an advanced age.-Nouv. Diet. Hist.

GAILLARD (GABRIEL HENRY) a French GAINSBOROUGH (THOMAS) a celebrated historian, member of the old French academy, English landscape painter. He was born in of that of inscriptions, and belles-lettres, and 1737, at Sudbury in Suffolk, where his father of the third class of the institute, was born at was a clothier, but in such circumstances as Ostel near Soissons, in 1728, and died at St prevented him from bestowing on his son the Firmin near Chantilly in 1806. He was the advantages of education. He consequently author of " Poetique Françoise," 2 vols.; owed to native genius and spontaneous study Histoire de François I, 7 vols. 12mo; "His- that great eminence which he attained in his toire de Marie de Bourgogne," 12mo; "His-art. He used to ramble in the woods, and toire des Rivalités de la France et de l'Angle- employ himself in sketching the scenery around terre ;""Histoire de Charlemagne ;" "Rheto- him. At length his talents having attracted rique Françoise;" "Parallele des quatre Elec- observation, he was sent to London for imtre de Sophocle, d'Euripide, de Crebillon, et provement. There he is said to have practised de Voltaire ;" Eloge historique sur M. Ma- modelling figures of animals with great success. lesherbes ;" "Observations sur l'Histoire de He also made ornamental drawings for an enFrance, de Messrs. Velly, Villaret, et Gar-graver, and painted small landscapes for sale. nier," 4 vols. 12mo.-Dict. Hist. Prudence however, rather than inclination, inGAILLARD (JOHN ERNEST) the son of a duced him to engage in portrait painting, by barber of Zell, born in 1687. He was a pupil which means he supported himself for some first of Marichal and afterwards of the cele-time in the metropolis, and then married and brated Farinelli. Entering the service of removed to Ipswich. Thence he went to Bath, George Prince of Denmark, on the marriage of where he attained high reputation; and at

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length, in 1774, he settled in London, and sup- | tist congregation in the metropolis, in which ported till his death the character of almost situation he continued till his death in 1721. unrivalled excellence in the department of his Dr Gale was preparing an answer to Wall's profession, which he chiefly cultivated. He Defence of his History of Infant Baptism at was also much employed as a painter of por- the time of his decease; and he is also said to traits; and those of the king and others of the have contemplated the publication of an Engroyal family were among the works which he lish Translation of the Septuagint, according executed. He died of a cancer in the neck, to the edition of Dr. Grabe and other literary August 2, 1788, and was interred in the church-labours; for which he appears to have been yard of Kew. The landscapes of Gainsbo- well qualified by his talents and acquirements. rough are distinguished for a portrait-like Four volumes of his sermons likewise appeared representation of nature," uniting the brilliancy in a posthumous publication.-Biog. Brit. of Claude with the precision and simplicity of Aikin's G. Biog Ruysdael and others of the Flemish school. This artist was much esteemed by sir Joshua Reynolds, who thus notices him in one of his Academical Discourses: "If ever this nation should produce genius sufficient to acquire to us the honourable distinction of the English school, the name of Gainsborough will be transmitted to posterity, in the history of the art, among the very first of that rising name.' He had also extraordinary talents for music, though accompanied by a capricious love of change in the instruments on which he practised: and he displayed, both in his letters and conversation, considerable taste and ability, though uncultivated.-One of his brothers, a dissenting minister at Henley-upon-Thames, was an ingenious mechanic; and his nephew, GAINSBOROUGH DUPONT, distinguished himself as an artist, but died in 1797, at the early age of thirty.-Ann. Reg. Life of Gainsborough by Thickness.

GALE (THEOPHILUS) a learned divine, who was a native of King's Teignton in Devonshire, of which place his father was vicar. In 1647 he became a student of Magdalen college, Oxford, where he took the degree of MA. in 1652, having previously been chosen to a fellowship. While at the university he formed the plan of his work, entitled "The "Court of the Gentiles," intended to demonstrate that not only the theology, but also the philosophy and philology of the Pagans were derived from the Bible. In 1657 he became a preacher at Winchester, among the independents; from which situation he was ejected in consequence of the Act of Uniformity in 1661. He was then received into the family of lord Wharton, as tutor to his two sons, whom he accompanied to Caen in Normandy, where he became intimate with Bochart and other learned foreigners. In 1665 he returned with his pupils to England, and soon after removed GALATEO (ANTHONY) an Italian physician to London, where he narrowly escaped sufferand miscellaneous writer of the fifteenth and ing an irreparable loss, through the great fire sixteenth centuries. He was a native of the in the city, which destroyed the house of a territory of Otranto, and studied medicine at friend, in whose custody he had left his Ferrara, where he took his doctor's degree in manuscript collections, previously to his jourthat faculty. He settled at Naples, and was ney to France. These however were acciappointed physician to the king. The air of dentally preserved from the conflagration; that city proving prejudicial to his health, he and in 1659 he published the first part of his removed to Gallipoli, and afterwards to Lecce," Court of the Gentiles;" the second appeared at which place he founded an academy, on the model of that of Naples, to which he belonged. He died in 1516, aged seventy-two. His principal work is a treatise," De Situ Iapygi,

to which is added a description of the city of Gallipoli, containing much curious information relating to geography and civil and and natural history. Among his other productions are "De Situ Elementorum;" "De Situ Terrarum;""De Mari et Aquis ;" and a tract on the Expedition of the Turks against Otranto in 1480.-Moreri. Tiraboschi.

in 1671, and the third and fourth in 1677. The whole was speedily translated into Latin, and the work became known and valued, not only in England but on the continent. Mr Gale became minister of a dissenting congregation in Holborn; but he resided chiefly at Newington, where he conducted a seminary for the education of youth. He died in 1678, in the fiftieth year of his age. Besides his great work, he was the author of " Philosophia Generalis, in duas partes disterminata," 8vo; "Idea Theologiæ tam contemplativæ quam activæ, ad formam S. Scripturæ delineata," 8vo; "The Anatomy of Infidelity," 8vo; &c.

GALE (JOHN) an eminent nonconformist divine of the anti-pædobaptist persuasion, in the eighteenth century. He was born in Lon--Ibid. don, and pursued his studies at Leyden, where GALE (THOMAS) an English divine, critic, he took the degrees of master of arts and doc- and antiquary of distinguished erudition in the tor of philosophy at the age of nineteen. He seventeenth century. He was born at Scruton then went to Amsterdam, and formed an ac-in Yorkshire, in 1636, and received his educaquaintance with Limborch and Le Clerc. Re- tion at Westminster school and King's college, turning to London, he distinguished himself Cambridge. He took the degree of BA. in by writing "Reflections on Wall's History of 1658, and that of MA. in 1662. His reputaInfant Baptism, in several Letters to a Friend," tion as a classical scholar procured him the which, after being circulated for some time in regius professorship of the Greek language in manuscript, were at length published in 1711, the university in 1666; and in 1671 he pubAbout 1715 he became pastor of a bap-lished a collection of the ancient mythological