Page:Imperialdictiona02eadi Brandeis.pdf/767

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
GRE
727
GRE

from Russia, and in 1844 he published a critique of Custine's work, Russia in 1829. For some years he has been chiefly occupied with the periodical press, and in 1854 was one of the founders of Le Nord.—B. H. C.

GRETSER, Jacob, an eminent writer of the jesuits, was born in 1560 at Markdorf in the diocese of Constance, and entered the Society of Jesus in his seventeenth year. He studied, and afterwards became a professor, at the catholic university of Ingoldstadt. For three years he taught philosophy, for seven he held the chair of morals, and for fourteen he lectured on scholastic theology or dogmatics. His whole life was a controversy with the enemies of his order and church, on which he brought to bear immense industry, learning, and mental vigour. Among others he entered into controversy with Duplessis Mornay, in answer to his famous work, Mystére de l'Iniquité. More than a hundred and fifty works are ascribed to his pen. He stood in high favour with the Emperor Ferdinand II. and Pope Clement VIII., as well as with his own sovereign, Maximilian I. of Bavaria. Among the Romanists he was styled "Magnus Lutheranorum domitor, malleus hereticorum et calumniatorum Societatis Iesu terror." Even Bellarmine occasionally betook himself to him for counsel and aid. He died at Ingolstadt, 29th January, 1625. His collected works appeared at Regensburg in 1730-39, in seventeen thick folios.—P. L.

GREUZE, Jean Baptiste, a celebrated French genre painter, was born at Tournus in Burgundy in 1726; he studied first under a painter of the name of Landon at Lyons, and became afterwards a pupil of the academic des beaux arts at Paris, and completed his studies at Rome. Greuze is best known in this country for his pictures of women, heads of girls, and such works of which we have an example in the national gallery. He was also a portrait painter, but his great works are family pieces belonging to the higher genre; he executed only one strictly called historical picture, "Severus reprimanding his son Caracalla." Greuze, however, considered his works to belong to the higher class of intellectual performances. He was long an associate of the French Academy of Painting; but as he was placed in the class of genre painters, that is, Peintres du genre bas, when he was elected a full member, he considered it a degradation, and retired altogether from the Academy. He died, March 21st, 1805. Greuze has been called the Lachausée of painting, or the French Hogarth, a compliment he does not merit, though he was an excellent painter. His favourite subjects are illustrations of the affections and domestic duties, their observance or violation; but he is often exaggerated and theatrical. There are some good examples of his work in the Louvre—as "the Village Bride" and the "Broken Pitcher." The "Little Girl with the Dog," engraved by Ch. Porporati, by some is considered the painter's masterpiece.—R. N. W.

GREVILLE, Fulke, Lord Brooke, best known as the friend and biographer of Sir Philip Sidney, was born at his father's seat of Beauchamp Court, Alcaster, in Warwickshire, in 1554. His family was an ancient and honourable one, which had enriched itself by important alliances, his mother being a daughter of the earl of Westmoreland. He received his early education at an eminent school in Shrewsbury, in the company, there is reason to believe, of his near kinsman Sir Philip Sidney; and between them there grew up a strong friendship, which was severed only by death. For a period he was a gentleman commoner at Oxford, perhaps again, in the company of Sidney, at Christ Church; but he completed his education at Trinity college, Cambridge. Trained, after the manner of the time, in all knightly as well as all intellectual accomplishments, he received a final polish in continental travel, and was introduced to Queen Elizabeth and her court by his uncle, Robert Greville. He became a prime favourite of the queen; Walsingham was his relative; and the father of his dearest friend was Sir Henry Sidney, for a time lord president of Wales. Sir Henry conferred on him various lucrative employments in connection with the principality; and we find him eventually clerk of the signet to the council of Wales, with the salary, very large for those times, of £2000 a year. But the spirited young man, like his friend Philip, wished to see the world, and this was just what their royal mistress did not wish. He himself has recorded how Elizabeth on several occasions either baffled or punished the indulgence of an adventurous disposition. He accompanied by stealth his kinsman Walsingham, sent in 1578 to Flanders on an embassy, and was punished on his return by being forbidden the royal presence for months. It is to this escapade, however, that we probably owe the very interesting account of his interview with William the Silent, given afterwards from memory in his biography of Sidney. Greville never was allowed active employment in the wars, and had to content himself with his rôle of courtier. He was knighted by Elizabeth, was appointed by her treasurer of marine causes for life, and in 1599, if a rumoured invasion of the Spaniards had been attempted, he was to have sailed to meet them as a vice-admiral of the fleet.

On the death of Elizabeth, her successor seemed desirous of continuing her patronage. Greville was made a knight of the bath by James, and his lucrative secretaryship to the council of Wales was confirmed to him for life. The ruinous castle of Warwick was presented to him, and, at an expense of £20,000, he converted it into one of the most splendid mansions and domains in England. But the policy of the opening years of the new reign did not please him, nor was Cecil his friend; and he meditated retirement into private life to write a history of England from the marriage of Henry VII. to the death of Elizabeth. Few episodes in the history of our literature are more curious than Greville's own account (in the Life of Sidney) of his interview with Cecil to request access to the "obsolete records of the council chest"—the state paper office of those days—of Cecil's refusal, except under conditions tantamount to a censorship of the contemplated work, and of Greville's consequent abandonment of the scheme. Instead of the history, Greville amused his leisure with the composition and revision of his ice-cold tragedies and poems. After the death of Cecil, he was taken again into favour by James, raised to the peerage as Lord Brooke of Beauchamp Court, appointed chancellor of the exchequer, and subsequently one of the lords of the bedchamber, then accounted a more important post than the other, which he resigned on receiving it. The closing scene of his career was in every respect extraordinary. Greville had been noted for his warm patronage of the deserving, and for his great liberality and munificence. Camden, Speed, Daniel, Davenant, and it is said even Shakspeare and Spenser, experienced his bounty. Yet his death was caused by an alleged oblivion of the claims of an old dependent, Ralph Haywood, who, after expostulating with his master for having omitted his name in a testamentary document executed in February, 1628, stabbed him in the back. Lord Brooke died of the effects of the wound on the 30th September, 1628, and his corpse was conveyed to St. Mary's church, Warwick, where a monument was erected with the incription, "Fulke Greville, servant to Queen Elizabeth, counsellor to King James, and friend to Sir Philip Sidney—Trophæum Peccati." Of his biography we shall only add one item more. He represented Warwickshire frequently in the house of commons with Sir Thomas Lucy, of the family which Shakspeare has made famous. Lord Bacon, who esteemed him highly, and who submitted the Life of Henry VII. to his inspection, has honoured him by recording in the Apopthegms one of his sharp parliamentary sayings.

Little or nothing of Lord Brooke's composition was printed under his own auspices during his lifetime. He bequeathed, however, his writings, carefully revised by himself, to a friend for posthumous publication, and in 1633 appeared "Certain Learned and Elegant Works of the Right Honourable Fulke, Lord Brooke, written in his youth, and familiar exercise with Sir Philip Sidney." The volume contains three didactic poems, two tragedies of portentous frigidity, a number of small poems, and two curious epistles in prose. A poem on religion is printed in Lord Brooke's "Remains," published at London in 1670. Among literary archæologists a demand is occasionally made for the issue of a collective edition of Lord Brooke's writings. But of these the only one to which a genuine interest still attaches is "The Life of the Renowned Sir Philip Sidney, with the true interest of England as it then stood in relation to all foreign princes," published in 1652. As a life it is far from perfect, but, with all its deficiencies, it is the basis of any possible biography of Sir Philip, and it contains some very curious autobiographical passages. A modern edition of Lord Brooke's Life of Sidney, with preface, notes, &c., was privately printed by Sir Egerton Bridges at Lee Priory in 1816.—F. E.

GREVILLE, Robert, Lord Brooke, born in 1608. His father, uncle of Fulk Greville, had introduced his nephew to the court of Queen Elizabeth, and Robert, the subject of the present notice, reaped the reward of his father's kindness. Adopted