Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/269

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GRIFFIN of India, and the fable probably originated in the East. The fabulists and poets of antiquity represent it with the body of a lion, the head and wings of an eagle, the ears of a horse, and a comb of fishes' fins. GRIFFIN, Edward Dorr, an American divine, born in East Haddam, Conn., Jan. 6, 1770, died in Newark, N. J., Nov. 8, 1837. He graduated at Yale college in 1790, was licensed to preach in October, 1792, and in 1795 was settled as pastor of the Congregational church in New Hartford, Conn., from which in 1801 he was called to the first Presbyterian church in New- ark, N. J., where he remained till 1809. In 1808 he was appointed professor of sacred rhetoric in Andover theological seminary, which omce he filled till 1811, when he became pas- tor of Park street church, Boston. There he delivered a series of lectures in exposition of Calvinistic doctrines, afterward published under the title of " Park Street Lectures," and often reprinted. In 1815 he accepted a call to the second Presbyterian church in Newark. In 1821 he became president of Williams college, Mass., and devoted himself most successfully to its interests till 1836, when he resigned and removed again to Newark. Dr. Griffin was a vigorous writer and an eloquent preacher. His publications were numerous, consisting chiefly of sermons and addresses, a selection from which, with a memoir of his life by the Rev. Dr. Sprague, was published in 2 vols. in 1839, and an additional volume of sermons in 1844. RIFFIN, Gerald, an Irish novelist, born in erick, Dec. 12, 1803, died in Cork, June GRIMALDI 255 1840. When he was about 17 years of age his family emigrated to the United States, leav- ing him at Adare, near Limerick. Determining to devote himself to a literary career, he went in 1823 to London with "Aguire," a tragedy, composed two years previous, which he was unable to dispose of. Another called " Gisip- Z" (performed after the author's death at ry Lane with complete success) proving equally unfortunate, he was forced to become a writer for the periodical press, and for several years lived in a precarious manner. He grad- ually acquired reputation as a brilliant maga- zine writer, and in 1827 published his "Hol- land-tide," which was followed shortly by "^ Tales of the Munster Festivals," both de- signed to illustrate the manners of the Irish peasantry. In 1828 appeared "The Colleen Bawn, or the Collegians," the most successful of his novels, " The Invasion," " The Rivals," '^The Duke of Monmouth," &o. In 1838 he joined the society of the Christian brothers. He was likewise distinguished as a poet. His works have been published in New York in 10 vols., with a memoir by his brother. GRIFFIN CITY, the capital of Spalding co., Georgia, at the junction of the Savannah, Griffin, and North Alabama railroad with the Macon and Western line, 35 m. S. of Atlanta ; pop. in 1870, 3,421, of whom 1,588 were col- ored. It has a healthy situation, is well built, 377 VOL. viii. 1 7 and carries on an active trade. It has a female college, founded in 1848, a daily, a semi-week- ly, and three weekly newspapers, a bank, and several churches. GRIFFITH, William, an English physician, born in 1810, died in Malacca, Feb. 9, 1845. He was educated at the London university, in 1832 went out to India as assistant surgeon, and was appointed by the Bengal government to examine the botany of Tenasserim. In 1835 he was selected to accompany Dr. Wallich to Assam to report on the growth of the tea plant. In 1837 he accompanied Capt. Pemberton on his mission to Bootan, and was subsequently sent to examine the vegetable productions of Afghanistan. In 1841 he was placed on the medical staff at Malacca. He collected ani- mals as well as plants, and his collections of birds alone numbered 600 specimens. GRIJALVA, Juan de, a Spanish navigator, born at Cuellar in the latter part of the 15th cen- tury, slain by the Indians in Nicaragua, Jan. 21, 1527. He was intrusted by his uncle, Don Diego Velasquez, the first governor of Cuba, with the command of four vessels, which in the spring of 1518 sailed from Santiago de Cuba, to complete the discoveries which Fernandez de Cordova had made in Yucatan the preceding year. He coasted along the peninsula, and rounding it extended his explorations as far as the region of the Panuco, giving his name and that of his companion, Alvarado, to two rivers on the coast. His communication with the Aztecs was friendly, and so profitable that he was enabled to send back one of the ships freighted with gold, jewels, and other treasures. He afterward settled in Nicaragua, and was slain in the valley of Ulancho. GRILLPARZER, Franz, a German dramatist, born in Vienna, Jan. 15, 1791, died there, Jan. 20, 1872. He was from 1813 to 1856 director of the archives of the ministry of finance, and in 1861 became member for life of the Reichs- rath. He was first brought into notice by Die Ahnfrau, a tragedy of the fatalistic school, pro- duced in 1816. In 1819 he produced Sappho, in 1822 Das goldene Vliess, a fantastic work, and in 1825 Konig OttoTcar^s Qluck und Ende. He also wrote comedies and lyrics. A collec- tion of his works in 10 vols. was published in 1872 (2d ed., 1874), and his biography by Kuh in the same year. Early in life he became in- timate in the family of Counsellor Frohlich, af- ter whose death he assumed the guardianship of his three daughters, with whom he resided till his death. At the public celebration of his 80th birthday he was made grand cross of the order of Francis Joseph. See Orillparzer ah Archie-Director, by G. Wolf (Vienna, 1874). GRIMALDI, one of the four great patrician families of Genoa. They derive their descent from Grimoald, mayor of the palace under the Frankish king Childebert II., and first made their appearance in northern Italy in the 10th century. In 980 they gained posses- sion of the lordship of Monaco, of which they