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lution; at least, he survived it but a short time, dying Sept. 17, 1762.

Dr. Burney, who has enumerated his various works, says that, with all his harmonical abilities, he was so circumscribed in his invention, that he was obliged to have recourse to all the arts of musical cookery, not to call it quackery, for materials to publish. In his younger days, when imagination is most fertile, sixteen years elapsed between the publication of his first book of solos and his first. six concertos. Indeed, during that period, he achieved what a plodding contrapuntist of inferior abilities might have done as well: he transformed Corelli's solos and six of his sonatas into concertos, by multiplying notes, and loading, and deforming those melodies, that were more graceful and pleasing in their light original dress. After the publication of his second set of solos, his productions seem to have been the offspring of whim, caprice, expedients, and an unprincipled change of style and taste, which neither pleased the public, nor contributed to his own honour or profit. One day he would set up French music against all other; the next English, Scots, Irish-any thing but the best compositions of Italy or Handel. He was certainly a great master of harmony, and very useful to our country in his day; but though he had more variety of modulation, and more skill in diversifying his parts than Corelli, his melody was even inferior, and there is frequently an irregularity in his measures and phraseology, and a confusion in the effect of the whole, from the too great business and dissimilitude of the several parts, which gives to each of his compositions the effect of a rhapsody or extemporaneous flight, rather than a polished and regular production. His sixth concerto of the second set is always to be excepted, which is the most pleasing and perfect composition of the kind.'

GEMISTUS (GEORGE), an eminent Greek philosopher, called also PLETHO, was born at Constantinople, in 1390, He was a zealous advocate for Platonism, and maintained a violent controversy with the Aristotelians. He was a strenuous defender of the Greek church against the Latins, and was consulted as an oracle on the points in debate, being unquestionably a man of learning and acuteness. He is principally noticeable as being the first Greek who

Hawkins and Burney's Hist. of Music.

gave occasion to the revival of Platonism in Italy, where he made many illustrious converts, and was the means of laying the foundation of a Platonic academy at Florence. He afterwards returned to Greece, where he died at the advanced age of nearly one hundred and one years. His heretical and philosophical writings afford unquestionable proofs of his learning, and particularly of his intimate knowledge of the Alexandrian philosophy. In his "Explanation of the Magic Oracles of Zoroaster," Gr. and Lat. Paris, 1599, Svo, and Lond. 1722, 4to, he exhibits twelve fundamental articles of the Platonic religion, and gives an elegant compendium of the whole Platonic philosophy. His other philosophical writings are, "On the Virtues," Oxon. 1752, 8vo; "On the difference between the Platonic and Aristotelian Philosophy," Paris, 1541, 8vo; and "Natural arguments concerning God." He had a profound acquaintance with Grecian history, as appears by his "De iis quæ post pugnam ad Mantinæam gesta sunt,' printed with the Venice edition of "Herodian," 1503, fol. and with the Aldus "Xenophon" of the same year.

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GEMMA (REINIER), sometimes called GEMMA FRISIUS, from his country, was a Dutch physician, a native of Dockum in Friseland, who practised physic at Louvain. He was born in 1508, and died in 1555. Besides his medical skill, he was esteemed one of the best astronomers of his age; and wrote several works on that science, and other branches of mathematics, among which the principal are, Methodus Arithmetica;" "Demonstrationes Geometricæ de usu radii astronomici ;" "De Astrolobio catholico liber," &c.-His son, CORNELIUS GEMMA, became royal professor of medicine in his native place in 1569, through the appointment of the duke of Alba, at which time he took the degree of doctor, but a few years afterwards died of the plague, which raged at Louvain, Oct. 12, 1577. His writings are not numerous, and relate to mathematical and philosophical subjects as well as to medicine. There was a third, JOHN BAPTIST Gemma, a native of Venice, and a physician of considerable repute about the end of the fifteenth century, who was physician to Sigismund III. king of Poland. He wrote a treatise, containing a history of pestilential epidemics, with a detail of the effects of contagion, &c. printed in 1584. 2

2

Hody de Græcis illust.-Brucker.Fabricii Bibl. Græc.-Saxii Onomast. 2 Moreri.-Freheri Theatrum.-Foppen Bibl. Belg,-Dict. Hist.

GENDRE (GILBERT CHARLES LE), marquis of St. Aubin, a French author, born in 1687, was first counsellor in the parliament of Paris, afterwards master of requests, and died in 1746. He wrote, 1. "A Treatise on Opinion," 1733, 8 vols. 12mo, which has been twice reprinted with additions. It contains a collection of historical examples, illustrating the influence of opinion in the different sciences. The work is well written; and though it displays more erudition than genius, contains many sound remarks to clear up facts, and remove errors. 2. "Antiquities of the Royal Family of France;" a work in which he displays a system of his own on the origin of the dynasties of that country, but not with sufficient success to subvert the opinions of others."

GENDRE (LOUIS LE), a French historian, was born of an obscure family at Rouen, in 1659, and educated and patronized by Harlay, archbishop of Rouen, and afterwards of Paris. This patron gave him first a canonry of Notre-Dame, and afterwards he was made abbe of ClaireFontaine, in the diocese of Chartres. He died at Paris, Feb. 1, 1733. Le Gendre was author of several works, of which the most important were the following: 1. "A History of France, from the commencement of the Monarchy, to the Death of Louis XIII." in 3 vols. folio, or 8, 12mo, published in 1718. This history, which is considered as an abridgement, is much esteemed by his countrymen. The style is simple, and rather low, but it contains many curious particulars not recorded in other histories. It is reckoned more interesting than Daniel's, though less elegant. His first volumes, from the nature of the subject, were less admired than the last. 2. "Manners and Customs of the French, in the different periods of the monarchy," 1755, a single volume, in 12mo, which may serve as an introduction to the history. 3. "The Life of Francis Harlay," 1695, 8vo, a work dictated by gratitude, but more esteemed for its style than its matter. Essay on the Reign of Louis the Great;" a panegyric, which ran through four editions in eighteen months, but owed its popularity to the circumstance of being presented to the king in person. 5. "A Life of cardinal d'Amboise, with a parallel of other cardinals who have been ruling statesmen," Paris, 1724, 4to; an instructive, but not very

Moreri.-Dict. H.st.

4. "An

laboured work. 6. "Life of Peter du 'Bosc," 1716, 8vo. At his death he left five histories of his own life, each composed in a different style and manner, which he directed to be published. He left also bequests for various singular foundations, some of which, being disputed as to the testator's meaning, it was decided that they should be applied to the institution of prizes in the university of Paris. '

GENDRON (Claude Deshais), a celebrated doctor of physic of the faculty at Montpellier, physician in ordinary to Monsieur brother of Louis XIV. and to the duke of Orleans, regent of France, descended from a respectable family in Beaure, and was born in 1663. By a skill, peculiar to himself, he restored great numbers of persons to health whose cases appeared hopeless, and gained great reputation, particularly in the cure of cancers, and disorders of the eyes. Having acquired a handsome fortune, he went to reside at Auteuil, near Paris, in a house which formerly belonged to his friend, the celebrated Boileau, but had been his own near thirty years, where noblemen, ministers, ambassadors, chief magistrates, the learned, and numerous persons of both sexes, went frequently to visit, or to consult him. In this retreat he acquired a high character for integrity, being scrupulously just, and abhorring every species of dissimulation, or flattery. He died September 3, 1750. He left all his MSS. by will to his nephew, who was also a doctor of physic, of the faculty at Montpellier. The principal are entitled, "Recherches sur l'Origine, le Devellopement, et la Reproduction de tous les Etres vivans," which is said to be an excellent work; and "Recherches sur la nature et la guerison du Cancer," Paris, 1601.2

GENEBRARD (GILBERT), a celebrated Benedictine, a zealous partizan of the league in France, and a writer for it, but also a learned writer in theology, was born at Riom in Auvergne, in 1537. He studied at Paris, and having acquired a profound knowledge of Hebrew, was professor of that language at the royal college for thirteen years. He was twice named for episcopacy, yet never obtained it, and at last died in a kind of exile at his priory of Semur in Burgundy, in consequence of the violence of his writings against Henry IV. As a polemic as well as a politician, he

1 Moreri.--Dict. Hist.

L'Avocat's Dict. Hist.

was a most violent and abusive writer, but is said to have been more prudent in his conduct than in his style. He died in 1597. The following verse, which was placed upon his tomb, served rather to prove the perishable nature of fame, than the merit of the man :

"Urna capit cineres, nomen non orbe tenetur."

His principal works are a "Sacred Chronology," 8vo; a "Commentary on the Psalms," 8vo; three books "on the Trinity," 8vo; a Latin treatise, in which he maintains the right of the clergy and people to elect bishops, contrary to the king's appointment, Svo (the parliament of Provence sentenced this treatise to be burnt, and banished Genebrard from the kingdom); a French translation of various Rabbins, fol. and a translation of Josephus; "Excommunication of the Ecclesiastics who assisted at divine service with Henry de Valois, after the assassination of cardinal de Guise," 1589, 8vo, Latin, and other works. St. Francis de Sales gloried in baving been his pupil.

1

GENESIUS (JOSEPHUS), one of the Byzantine historians, flourished about the year 940, and, by order of Constantine Porphyrogenitus wrote a history of Constantinople, in four books, from Leo the Armenian, to Basilius the Macedonian, the most complete MS. of which was in the library of St. Paul, at Leipsic. Kuster Olearius, Bergler, and several other learned men, had proposed to publish this history, but declining it, it was printed at Venice in 1733, by Pasquali, in the 23d volume of his edition of the Byzantine historians, in such a manner, that Menckenius heavily laments the fate of the author, who, after the efforts of so many most learned men, "fell at last," he says, "into the impure hands of the Venetians, whence he came forth disfigured in the most miserable manner." Bergler's copy, the same which was in the library of St. Paul, was afterwards the property of Saxius, but what became of it after his death we have not learned. 2

GENEST (CHARLES CLAUDIUS), a French poet of some celebrity, was born at Paris in 1636. Having lost his father early in life, he hoped to make his fortune in the Indies; but the ship he embarked in being taken by the English, for some time he taught French in London, and being enabled to return to France, he was made preceptor to mademoiselle de Blois, afterwards duchess of Orleans.

1 Niceron, vol. XXII-Moreri.-Saxii Onomast.

2 Saxii Onomast.

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