the hands of the Infidels, obtained permiffion to build a Benedictine monastery oppofite to the holy fepulchre for the reception of pilgrims. In 1081, an abbot of that monaftery founded alfo an hofpital, the direction of which he gave to Gerard, who was diftinguished for his piety. In 1100, Gerard took a religious habit, and affociated with others, under a particular vow to relieve all Chriftians in diftrefs, befides the three great vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. Gerard died in 1120. His order was protected by the church from the beginning, and in 1154, was confirmed by a bull of Anaftafius IV. which diftinguifhed the fubdivifions of the order into knights, companions, clerks, and ferving brothers. The fucceffor of Gerard as grand mafter, was Raymond du Puy. GERARD (BALTHAZAR), the affaffin of William the first prince of Orange, was a native of Villefans in Franche-Compté. This villain found means to infinuate himself into the good graces of 'the prince, by affecting an outrageous zeal for the proteftant religion, and a furious hatred of the Roman catholics, He was a conftant attendant at prayers and fermons, and scarcely ever feen without a Pfalter or New Teftament in his hands. Who could have imagined, that fo pious an exterior concealed the heart of fuch a monster? The whole world was duped by his execrable hypocrify. One day, when the prince of Orange was going out of his palace at Delft, Gerard shot him through the head with a pistol. When the murderer was feized, he asked for pen and paper, to write down all that they wanted to know of him. He declared, that for fix years paft he had refolved to put to death the prince of Orange, as chief of the rebellious heretics. And why? To expiate his fins, and merit eternal glory. He mentioned fome of the fecular clergy, as having applauded his project; and plumed himself as a noble champion of the church of Rome. He avowed, that if the prince had lived, he would have killed him again, although they made him fuffer a thousand tortures: tantum religio potuit. His fentence was the fame as thofe of Ravaillac, Clement, Damien, &c. and this fanatic died, in his own conceit, a martyr of the church of Rome, July, 1584. GERBELIUS (NICOLAUS), an eminent lawyer, was a native of Pforzeim. He was a profeffor of law at Strafburg, where he died very old in 1560. He was greatly distinguished and refpected in his day: Thuanus calls him, Virum optimum, & pariter doctrina ac morum fuavitate excellentem." His principal work is an excellent defcription of Greece, under the title of, "Ifagoge in tabulam Græcia Nicolai Sophiani. Bafil, 1550," folio. There are befides of Gerbelius, 1. "Vita Joh. Cufpiniani." 2. "De Anabaptiftorum ortu & progreffu;" a curious work. He publifhed alfo a New Teftament, in 1521. GERBERON GERBERON (GABRIEL), born at Saint-Calais in the French province of Maine, in 1628, was firft of the Oratory, and then became a Benedictine in the congregation of St. Maur, in 1649. He there taught theology for fome years with confiderable fuccefs, but being too free in his opinions on the Janfenift controverfy, was ordered to be arrefted by Louis XIV. in 1682. Gerberon contrived to efcape into Holland, but the air of that country difagreeing with him, he changed his fituation for the Low Countries. In, 1703, he was taken into cuftody by the bishop of Mechlin, and being condemned for errors on the doctrine of grace, fuffered imprisonment at Amiens, and in the caftle of Vincennes. No fufferings could thake his zeal for what he thought the truth, and in 1710 he was given up to the fuperiors of his own order, who fent him to the abbey of St. Denis, where he died in 1711, at the age of 82. He was author of many works on the fubjects of controversy then agitated, and other topics. His chief work was a general history of Janfenifm, 3 vols. 12mo, Amfterdam, 1703, for which he was called a violent Janfenift. Many other of his works are extant, but not much known. He is faid to have been impetuous in character and style, but his virtues were also great, his manners fevere, and his piety exemplary. A confiderable detail of the life of Gerberon is given in the literary history of the congregation of St. Maur, published in 4to, 1770. GERBIER (Sir BALTHAZAR), a painter of Antwerp, born. in 1592. He painted fmall figures in diftemper; and Charles I. was fo pleafed with his performances, that he invited him to his court. The duke of Buckingham, perceiving, that he was a man of very good fenfe, as well as a good painter, recommended him zealously to his majefty; who knighted him and fent him to Bruffels, where he refided a long time in quality of agent for the king of Great Britain. He died in 1661. GERBILLON (JOHN FRANCIS), one of the Jefuit miffionaries in China, and author of fome hiftorical obfervations on Great Tartary; and accounts of fome of his travels, inferted in Du Halde's hiftory of China. He was born in 1654, became a Jefuit in 1670, was fent to China in 1685, and arrived at Pekin in 1688. He obtained the highest favour with the emperor, for whom he wrote Elements of Geometry, from Euclid and Archimedes; and a practical and fpeculative geometry, which were fplendidly published at Pekin in the Chinese and Tartarian languages. The emperor permitted him to preach, and to appoint preachers throughout his vaft dominions, but was defirous always to have him about his perfon. He died at Pekin in 1707, fuperior general of all the miffions in China. He wrote an account of his journey to Siam, which has not been published. GERMANICUS GERMANICUS (CÆSAR), fon of Drufus and of Antonia the virtuous niece of Auguftus, inherited the excellent qualities of his mother. Tiberius, who was his paternal uncle, adopted him, and he was gradually raised to the confulfhip, the twelfth year of the Christian æra. When Auguftus died, he was in Germany, where the foldiers would have raised him to the empire, had he not declined it. He recalled the rebellious to their duty, defeated the Germans under Arminius, and retook a Roman eagle which the Marfi had kept from the defeat of Varus. Being recalled to Rome, he obtained the honours of a triumph, and was appointed commander in the East, whither he returned foon after, to quell the enemies of Rome in that quarter. He was there fo fuccefsful, that he defeated the king of Armenia, and placed another on his throne. But the fplendor of his victories is fuppofed to have coft him his life; for Tiberius became jealous of him, and if he did not actually poifon him, as many thought, contrived to wear out his life with fatigue and vexation. He died at Daphne of Antioch, aged 34, in the 29th year of the Christian æra. His widow, Agrippina, by whom he had nine children, received his afhes with fincerity, as well as folemnity of grief, in which all Rome, except the tyrant, deeply partook. One of his fons was Caligula, who proved fo dreadfully unworthy of his excellent father. Germanicus had all the qualities and talents which could conciliate univerfal affection and esteem: courage, probity, military skill, pleafing manners in fociety, fidelity in friendship, and even abilities for literature, eloquence, and compofition. Some fpecimens of his Latin poetry are still extant; and he wrote comedies in Greek, and a verfion of Aratus. In the midst of arms he cultivated polite ftudies. It is feldom that so many admirable qualities unite in a person of fuch rank; and it must have been, therefore, with the most poignant regret, that the Romans faw him fo early cut off by the dark fufpicions, or unfeeling treatment, of Tiberius. GERSON (JOHN), by fome called Charlier, an illustrious Frenchman, and ufually ftyled "Doctor Chriftianiffimus [A]," was born in 1633. He became canon and chancellor of the church of Paris; and, when John Petit had the baseness to justify the murder of Louis duke of Orleans, which was committed in 1408 by order of the duke of Burgundy, Gerfon caufed the doctrine of this tyrannicide to be cenfured by the doctors and bifhops of Paris. His zeal fhone forth no lefs illustriously at the council of Conftance, at which he affifted as ambassador from France; and where he diftinguifhed himself by many fpeeches, and by one, particularly, in which he enforced the fu 5 [A] Pope Blount, Cens, Auct. periority periority of the council over the pope. He caufed alfo the doc- curious. Thuanus has fpoken highly of Gerson in the first book of his |