a metal-founder, he was designed for the law, and placed in the office of a procureur. His determination to become a sculptor was, however, inflexible; and eventually, with the assistance of a pension procured him by the chancellor Seguier, he went to Italy and there studied the great works of antiquity. When he returned to France in 1652, Le Brun was arbiter in all that appertained to art, and, on the recommendation of that painter, he was largely employed by the king, Louis XIV., and made successively professor in the Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1659, and rector in 1674. On the death of Le Brun he became curator of sculpture in the royal palaces. In 1695 he was elected chancellor of the academy. He died in September, 1715. Girardon designed and modelled with great facility, but owing to the multiplicity of his occupations, left the actual execution of his works very much to his scholars and assistants. All his works have a certain Gallic air, though meant to be classic in style. Among the chief of them are the four principal figures of the Bath of Apollo, the Fountain of Neptune, and that of the Pyramids, at Versailles; the mausoleum of Cardinal Richelieu at the Sorbonne; the sculptures of the gallery of Apollo at the Louvre; and the bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV., which stood on the site now occupied by the Austerlitz column.—J. T—e.
GIRAUD, Giovanni, Count, born in Rome in 1776; died in a convent at Naples in 1834. His family, as the name suggests, was of French extraction. His childhood was embittered by the over-severity of a tutor, thanks to whom he detested study, and at twelve years of age knew nothing. A change of instructor then took place; kindness developed his powers; he applied his mind to acquire knowledge, noted and endeavoured to reproduce such characters as he encountered, and fed his dramatic taste on the comedies of Goldoni. Theatres, however, were forbidden him by his father. The first time he witnessed a scenic representation was in a convent, at the age of fourteen; and the excitement occasioned by this pleasure cost him some sleepless nights. Two years later his father's death set him free to indulge his theatrical bent; and he composed a piece, "L'Onestà non si vince," performed at Venice and at Rome in 1798 with some success. His country, however, threatened by the French, after a while demanded his attention. At his own cost he raised a body of cavalry, offered their services to Pius VI., and took an active part in the unsuccessful defence of the Roman see. Military duties over, he resumed the pen, and in 1807 produced "L'Ajo nell' Imbarazzo," pronounced his masterpiece, and founded on his childish experience that undue severity in education defeats its own object. In after years he visited Paris and England; in 1814 dedicated some verses to Louis XVIII. on the restoration of the Bourbons; yet in 1815 was presented to Napoleon. The close of his career was less happy. He exchanged successful authorship for disastrous mercantile speculations, which reduced him to comparative poverty; and when in 1818 he reappeared as a dramatist, his "Sospetto Funesto" gave umbrage to the family of the Marquis Albergati, to whose domestic troubles it apparently made allusion. In 1824 he once more embarked in a commercial venture, which failing, left him an almost ruined man. Repeated disappointments preyed upon his mind and spirits, and his death was preceded by a severe nervous attack. Count Giraud studied Goldoni, and contended for popularity with Nota. To his model has been assigned the superiority, in character; to his rival, in correctness; to himself, in melo-dramatic effect.—C. G. R.
GIRODET-TRIOSON, Anne Louis, a distinguished French painter of the school of David, with whom he was a favourite, was born at Montargis in 1767, and died at Paris in 1824. His name was Girodet, but in 1812 he added to it the name of his guardian, Dr. Trioson. Girodet obtained the great prize in painting in 1789, and was sent out to the French academy in Rome, and there he painted his beautiful well-known work, "The Dream of Endymion," now in the Louvre. On his return to Paris he was noticed by the Consul Bonaparte, for whom he painted a picture from Ossian. In 1806 he exhibited his most celebrated work, "A Scene from the Deluge;" in 1808 the "Burial of Atala;" in 1810 the "Revolt of Cairo," all three in the Louvre; and in 1819 "Pygmalion and his Statue," now in the Somariva collection. Girodet had the faults as well as the good qualities of the school of David; his chief merits are an elaborate execution and an academical beauty of design; but his composition is often extravagant and unnatural, and his figures at their best are generally cold and lifeless. Both these defects are illustrated in his group from the "Deluge," in which a whole family is by the fracture of a tree about to fall headlong into the raging waters below, yet each figure is motionless. The subject is a fine one, but by bad treatment the impression is rather ridiculous than sublime. Girodet's most tasteful composition is perhaps "Pygmalion and his Statue," which has been well engraved. Most of his best works have been engraved. He was also a great book illustrator. He was a member of the Institute of France, and an officer of the legion of honour. In 1829 was published a work entitled "Les Œuvres posthumes, poetiques et didactiques de Girodet-Trioson," 2 vols. 8vo.—(Gabet, Artistes de L'Ecole Française, &c.)—R. N. W.
GIRON, Pedro de, Duke of Ossuna, born in 1575. He was viceroy of Naples under Philip II., and so extravagantly executed the king's orders to send corn to Spain in a time of scarcity that he produced the greatest distress in Naples, and was recalled in consequence of the disorders which arose therefrom. Being sent back as viceroy a second time under Philip III., he conspired with the French and Turks to create Naples into a separate principality for himself. His intrigues being known at Madrid, Cardinal Borja was appointed his successor, and adroitly contrived to gain possession of the fortress of Castel Nuovo before Giron suspected that his successor had been even named. Giron returned to Spain, and lived unmolested till the next reign, when he was thrown into prison, and died there in 1624.—F. M. W.
GIRS, Argidius, a Swedish historian, born about 1580 in Södermanland. In 1627 he was ordered to prepare from the royal archives the history of the house of Vasa, which was published forty years afterwards, with the title "Konung Gustaf och Konung Erich XIV.'s Chrönikor." In 1635 he was appointed assessor of the court of Sweden, and died in 1639.—M. H.
GIRTIN, Thomas, one of the founders of the English school of water-colour painting, was born in 1775. He was a pupil of Edward Dayes, but probably learnt more by studying in the fields along with Turner, with whom he was for some time in the closest intimacy; the two friends mutually influencing each other's views of landscape art. It is to Girtin and Turner that is due the innovation in the practice of water-colour painting which has so greatly enlarged its power; that, namely, of applying at once the local colours, instead of first laying in a neutral ground-tint. Girtin adopted many peculiarities in choice of paper, preparation of surface, &c.; but generally his "effects" are the result of a profound feeling for the grandeur and poetry of natural scenery. Some of his drawings were made for engraving, as those of the "Rivers of England," undertaken in conjunction with Turner, and his "Views of Paris," of which he etched the outlines. Girtin was a man of rare genius, but unfortunately without sufficient self-control; and he died, "having trifled away a vigorous constitution" (Dayes), at the early age of twenty-seven, November 9, 1802.—J. T—e.
GIRY, François, a monk distinguished by his learning and piety, was born at Paris in 1635. His reputation as a philosopher and divine induced his ecclesiastical superiors to appoint him on various occasions to conduct public disputations on religious questions, a duty which he discharged with much skill and success. He took a lively interest in the education of poor children, and after the death of Father Barré he superintended the schools founded by that philanthropist. Giry was the author of various devotional works. He died in 1688.—J. B. J.
GIRY, Louis, born at Paris in 1595; died in 1665, a distinguished avocat, and one of the original members of the French Academy. Giry was so much employed in public affairs, that though fond of literature, he had no time for original works. He amused himself with translations from the Italian and the classical languages; and from the year 1624, when he published "La Pierre de Touche" from Boccalini, few years passed without some tracts by him from Cicero, Tacitus, or Plato. He also translated parts of Tertullian and St. Augustine.—J. A., D.
GISBORNE, Rev. Thomas, an exemplary clergyman, and the author of a long series of books published between the years 1789 and 1838. He was born at Derby on the 31st October, 1758, and after receiving his education at Harrow school and St. John's college, Cambridge, entered the church in 1781. Forty-five years later he was appointed to the first prebendal stall at Durham. His numerous published works are of the didactic kind, and relate to the principles of moral philosophy, the duties of men and the duties of women. They are calm,
