at tlie head of this,iilustrkms confrerie, writing for them farces, soties, and satires. In this capacity of dramatist he exercised an extraordinary influence. At no time was the stage, rude and coarse as it was, more popular as a true exponent of the popular mind. Gringoire s success lay in the fact that he followed, but did not attempt to lead ; on his stage the people saw exhibited their passions, their judgments of the moment, their jealousies, their hatreds, and their ambitions. Brotherhoods of the kind existed all over France. In Paris there were the " Enfans Sans Souci," the " Basochiens," the " Confrerie de la Passion," and the " Souverain Empire de Galilee " ; at Dijon there were the " Mere Folle " and her family ; in Flanders the " Socie te des Arbaletriers " played comedies ; at Rouen the " Cornards " or " Conards " yielded to none in vigour and fearlessness of satire. There is every reason, therefore, to believe that Gringoire enjoyed considerable distinction as the leading spirit among the satirists of the capital. He adopted for his device, Tout par Raison, Raison par Tout, Par tout Raison. He has been called the "Aristophanes das Halles." In one respect at least he resembles Aristo phanes. He is serious in his merriment ; there is purpose behind his extravagancies. Among his principal works are Les Folles Enterprises and Les Abus du Monde, poems in which everything under the sun is criticized, certain political pieces, such as La Chasse du Cerf des Cerfs (Serf des Serfs, i.e., servus servoruiii), under which title that of the pope is thinly veiled, and La Mere Sotte, with all her literary offspring. During the last twenty years of a long life he became orthodox, and contributed the Blason des Hereticques to orthodox literature. It was during this period also that he wrote the work by which he is best known, the Mystere de la Vie de Saint Louis, of which an analysis may be found in M. Leroy^s Etudes sur les Mysteres. After more than 300 years of oblivion this poet has been republished, not so much on account of his own merits as because of the position which he occupies in the history of dramatic literature.
GRIQUALAND WEST, a province in South Africa,
comprising the territory formerly belonging to the western
division of the Griqua people, which was annexed to the
British empire October 27, 1871. The extent of the pro
vince is 17,800 square miles. It is bounded on the S.
by the Orange River (which separates it from the Cape
Colony), on the N. and N.E. by territory occupied by the
Bechuana tribes and the Transvaal settlement, and on the
E. by the Orange Free State. The general elevation of the
country is about 3000 feet above sea-level ; its character
istic features are undulating grassy plains, alternating with
low ranges of rocky hills and sandy downs. The Vaal
river flows through the principal districts, receiving in its
course the Hart River and Modder River, with its affluent
the Riet River, before its junction with the Orange River.
A portion of the territory is adapted for sheep-farming, and
the river basins contain fertile lands suitable for agri
cultural purposes. But the great wealth of the country
is in its- diamond mines. Since the first discovery of
diamonds, in 1867, the total value of the gems exported
from the province up to the close of the year 1878 is esti
mated at 20,000,000. Digging operations were at first
eonfined to the alluvial deposits on the banks of the Vaal
River, but in 1871 mines were opened in the locality known
as the " dry diggings," which have since received the names
of Kimberley, De Beer s, Du Toit s Pan, and Bultfontein,
all situated within a radius of a few miles. The area of
the diamond-producing ground at each of these places is dis
tinctly defined. At Kimberley the mine covers only 9 acres,
at De Beer s 14 acres, at Du Toit s Pan 41 acres, and at
Bultfontein 22 acres. These circular areas appear to be
" throats " or " pipes " through which the volcanic and
! serpentinous matter containing the sparkling gems have
| been erupted ; the surrounding rock consists of sandstones
and shales entirely barren of diamonds. Kimberley, the
chief centre of the mining industry, is the capital of the
province and the seat of government. There is a resident
lieutenant-governor or administrator, who is assisted by an
executive council, and a legislative council composed of
members partly elective and partly nominated by the crown.
There is also a high court of justice presided over by a
resident recorder. The other towns are Du Toit s Pan
(including Bultfontein), Barkly, and Griqua Town. The
villages and native locations are Hebron, Likatlong, Boetsap,
Campbell, and Douglas. Among the river diggings or
encampments are Pniel, Waldek s Plant, Sifonell, and
Setiacomie s. A census taken in 1877 showed the total
population of Griqualand West at that time to be 45,277,
of whom 12,347 were Europeans.
GRISONS (German, Graubünden) is the largest and
easternmost of the Swiss cantons. It is 80 miles in length
from E.N.E. to W.S.W., and 45 in breadth, and has an
area of 29G3 square miles. On the N.E. and E. it abuts
against the little principality of Liechtenstein, and the
Austrian provinces of Tyrol and Yorarlberg, on the S. on the
Italian provinces of Val Tellina and Como, and on the
W. and N. on the Swiss cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus,
and St Gall.
The whole canton is mountainous, and, with the exception of the Rhine valley below Reichenau and the Italian
valleys, which still form part of it, has a severe alpine climate
and vegetation. One-tenth of the surface is covered by
glaciers. The five principal glacier groups are those of the
Todi, N". ; the Medelser Gebirge and the Rheinwald or
Adula Gebirge, containing the chief source of the Rhine,
S.W. ; the Bernina group, the largest and loftiest, S.E.;
and the Silvretta Gebirge, E. The principal valleys are
the Vorder and Hinter Rheinthiiler, with their side-valleys
the Valserthal, Averserthal, Oberhalbstein, and Pratigau,
! forming together the upper basin of the Rhine. Besides
these, the canton includes the long narrow trough of the
! upper Inn, and the Italian valleys of Misocco, Bregaglia,
and Poschiavo, whose streams join the Ticino or the Adda.
The high average elevation of the country, with the absence
of any large lake, renders the scenery more severe than that
of central Switzerland, and the mountain summits less im
posing. The most fertile valleys are the Pratigau and
Rheinthal below Ilanz. The lower chains arc rent by many
great gorges. The Via Mala, the Rofla, and the Schya
are the best known, but those of the Ziige, the Averserthal,
Medelserthal, and Valserthal are almost equal to them in
grandeur. In the Rheinthal below Chur the vine flourishes
and good wine is produced, and the Cisalpine territory
bears the usual products of the southern slope of the Alp?,
maize and chestnuts. At Poschiavo tobacco is cultivated
to some extent. The inner valleys are the highest of Central
Europe, containing several villages at an elevation of about
6000 feet (St Moritz, Engadine, 6080 ; Bivio, Oberhalb
stein, 5827 ; Cresta, in the Averserthal, 6394 ; snow lies
there for six or seven months in the year, and corn will not
ripen. The hay-harvest is the great agricultural event of
the year, and is so large that great numbers of Italian
labourers are annually employed in it. The forests and
pasturages are the chief source of wealth. The lower
Alps maintain a fine breed of cows ; the upper are let
to Bergamasque shepherds, who drive yearly immense
flocks of sheep from North Italy for the summer pasturage.
There are many mineral springs in the country ; the most
frequented are at Alveneu, Fideris, Le Prese, and San Ber
nardino, besides those in the Engadine (see ENGADINE).
The Grisons is sparely peopled. The population in 1870 amounted to 91,782, 39,843 Protestants and 51,877
