we read of the indefatigable scholars of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; and they may instruct scholars of all ages, and especially those who rely on the powers of genius only, that no station of permanent eminence can be reached without labour, and that the indolence and waste of time in which the sons of ardour and imagination indulge, "will make knowledge useless, wit ridiculous, and genius contemptible."

GIBBON (JOHN), an ancestor of the preceding, and a heraldic writer, was born November 3, 1629. He was son of Robert Gibbon, a woollen-draper in London, and a member of the Cloth-workers' company, by a daughter of the Edgars of Suffolk. Having spent some time in Jersey, he was sent to Jesus college, Cambridge, but afterwards became a soldier, and went to the Netherlands, to France, and in 1659 and 1660 was in Virginia. He procured the appointment of blue-mantle by the patronage of sir William Dugdale, then norroy. His patent was given only during pleasure, and he never received any other. At his death, in 17-, he was the oldest officer at arms, but thought himself ill-treated in never having farther promotion. To assist in maintaining his family he kept a school. He was a learned, but imprudent man, injuring his best interests by an arrogant insolence to his superiors in the college, filling the margins of the books belonging to the library with severe reflections upon their conduct, couched in quaint terms, and with silly calculations of his own nativity. He despised them for not having had so classical an education as himself, and he supposed his destiny so fixed by the stars which presided at his birth, that good or ill behaviour could never alter it. These were weaknesses which shaded his excellencies. His "Introductio ad Latinam Blazoniam, an essay towards a more correct Blazon in Latin than formerly hath been used," was a work which did him the highest credit: it was printed in octavo, in 1682. He wrote two small tracts also, in the French language, entitled, "Christian Valour encouraged," exhorting the king of France to join the Venetians in their design upon the Morca, and to attack the Turks, and leave Germany alone. He likewise wrote "Day Fatality;" "Unio Dissidentium;" "Prince-protecting Providences;" "Edwardus Confessor redivivus." "Satan's welcome," 1679,

Sheffield's Life of Gibbon, 2 vols. 4to.

and "Flagellum Mercurii Antiducales." He also diligently collected, out of various authors, a particular account of the great and important services of heralds of former times, which he styled "Heraldo Memoriale," the heads of which came afterwards into the hands of Maitland, to be inserted in his History of London. '

1

GIBBONS (ORLANDO), au eminent composer of church music in the reign of James I. was born in 1583, and at the age of twenty-one was appointed organist of the chapel-royal. In 1622 he was honoured at Oxford with a doctor's degree, in consequence of the strong recommendation of the learned Camden. Previously to this he had published "Madrigals of five parts for voices and viols, London, 1612; but the most valuable of his works, which are still in constant use among the best productions of the kind, are his compositions for the church, consisting of services and anthems. Of the latter, the most celebrated is his "Hosanna." He also composed the tunes to the hymns and songs of the church, translated by George Withers, as appears by the dedication to king James I. In 1625, being commanded, ex officio, to attend the solemnity of the marriage of his royal master Charles I. with the princess Henrietta of France, at Canterbury, for which occasion he had composed the music, he was seized with the small-pox, and dying on Whitsunday, in the same year, was buried in that cathedral.-His son, Dr. Christopher Gibbons, was also honoured with the notice of Charles I. and was of his chapel. At the restoration, besides being appointed principal organist of the chapel royal, private organist to his majesty, and organist of Westminster-abbey, he obtained his doctor's degree in music at Oxford, in consequence of a letter written by his majesty Charles II. himself, in his behalf in 1664. His compositions, which were not numerous, seem never to have enjoyed a great degree of favour; and though some of them are preserved in the Museum collections, they have long ceased to be performed in our cathedrals.-Orlando Gibbons had also two brothers, Edward and Ellis, the one organist of Bristol, and the other of Salisbury. Edward was a Cambridge bachelor of music, and incorporated at Oxford, 1592. Besides being organist of Bristol, he was priest-vicar, sub-chanter, and master of the choirist

Noble's Hist. of the College of Arms.-Gent. Mag. vols. LXII. and LXXVI.

ers in that cathedral. He was sworn a gentleman of the chapel, March 21, 1604, and was the master of Matthew Lock. In the "Triumphs of Oriana," there are two madrigals, the one in five, and the other in six parts, composed by Ellis Gibbons. Of Edward Gibbons, it is said, that in the time of the rebellion he assisted king Charles I. with the sum of one thousand pounds; for which instance of his loyalty, he was afterwards very severely treated by those in power, who deprived him of a considerable estate, and thrust him and three grand-children out of his house, though he was more than fourscore years of age.1

GIBBONS (GRINLING), an eminent carver in wood, and a statuary, supposed to be of Dutch parents, was born in Spur-alley in the Strand. He lived afterwards in Bell-savage court, Ludgate-hill, where he carved a pot of flowers, which shook surprizingly with the motion of the coaches that passed by. There is no instance, says lord Orford, of a man, before Gibbons, who gave to wood the loose and airy lightness of flowers, and chained together the various productions of the elements with a free disorder natural to each species. He lived afterwards at Deptford, where Mr. Evelyn, discovering his wonderful talents, recommended him to Charles II. who gave him a place in the board of works, and employed him in the chapel at Windsor. His carved work here is done in lime-tree, representing a great variety of pelicans, doves, palms, and other allusions to scripture history, with the star and garter, and other ornaments, finished with great perfection. At Windsor too, he carved the beautiful pedestal in marble, for the equestrian statue of the king in the principal court. The fruit, fish, implements of shipping, are all exquisite; the base of the figure at Charing-cross, and the statue of Charles II. in the Royal-exchange, were also his, and probably the brazen statue of James II. in the Privygarden, for there was no other artist of that time capable

of it.

Gibbons made a magnificent tomb for Baptist Noel viscount Camden, in the church of Exton, in Rutlandshire; it cost 1000l. is twenty-two feet high, and fourteen wide. There are two figures of him and his lady, and bas-reliefs of their children. The same workman performed the wooden throne at Canterbury, which cost 70% and was the

1 Hawkins's and Burney's Hist. of Music-and the latter in Rees's Cyclopædia,

donation of archbishop Tenison. The foliage in the choir of St. Paul's is of his hand. At Burleigh is a noble profusion of his carving, in picture frames, chimney-pieces, and door-cases, and the last supper in alto-relievo, finely executed. At Chatsworth, where a like taste collected ornaments, by the most living eminent masters, are many by Gibbons, particularly in the chapel; in the great antichamber are several dead fowl over the chimney, finely executed, and over a closet-door, a pen not distinguishable from real feather. When Gibbons had finished his works in that palace, he presented the duke with a point cravat, a woodcock, and a medal with his own head, all preserved in a glass case in the gallery. In lord Orford's collection is another point cravat by hiin, the art of which arrives even to deception, and Herodias with St. John's head, alto-relievo, in ivory. In Thoresby's collection was Elijah under the juniper-tree, supported by an angel, six inches long and four wide. At Houghton, two chimneys are adorned with his foliage. At Mr. Norton's, at Southwich, in Hampshire, was a whole gallery embroidered in pannels by his hand-but the most superb monument of his skill is a large chamber at Petworth, enriched from the ceiling, between the pictures, with festoons of flowers and dead game, &c. all in the higliest perfection and preservation. Appendant to one is an antique vase, with a basrelief of the purest taste, and worthy the Grecian age of cameos. At the earl of Halifax's, at Stanstead, is a chimney-piece, adorned with flowers, and two beautiful vases. The font in St. James' church in white marble, was also the work of Gibbons. It is supported by the tree of life; the serpent is offering the fruit to our first parents, who stand beneath; on one side of the font is engraven the Baptist baptising our Saviour: on another, St. Philip baptising the Eunuch: and on the third, Noah's ark, with the dove bringing the olive-branch, the type of peace, to mankind. The chancel, above the altar, is enriched with some beautiful foliage in wood, by the same great artist.

Gibbons died August 3, 1721, at his house in Bowstreet, Covent-garden, and in November of the following year, his collection, a very considerable one, of pictures, models, &c. was sold by auction. Among other things were two chimney-pieces of his work, the one valued at 1007, and the other at 1207.; his own bust in marble, by himself, but the wig and cravat extravagant; and an original

of Simon the engraver, by sir Peter Lely, which had been much damaged by the fall of Gibbons' house.1

GIBBONS (RICHARD), a learned English Jesuit, was born in Winchester in 1549, and going abroad, became a man of considerable consequence in his order. Besides filling some ecclesiastic posts, he was professor of philosophy and divinity in Italy, Spain, Portugal, at Toulouse in France, and lastly at Doway, where he lived during his latter years, and employed his leisure time in publishing editions of various works from MSS. illustrated with notes. He died there June 21, 1632. His works are, 1. "Nicolai Harpsfeldii Hist. Eccles. Angliæ." 2. "Opera divi Ælredi, abbatis Riavallensis, Cisterciensis," Doway, 1631, 8vo. 3. "Divi Amadæi, Episc. Lausannæ, de Maria virgine matre, Homiliæ octo," Audomaropoli (St. Omer's), 12mo. 4. "Vita beati Gosvini, &c." 5. "Summa casuum conscientiæ Francisci Toleti cardinalis," with notes. Ribera Comment. in duodecim prophetas minores," Doway, 1612, &c. &c. 2

6. "F.

GIBBONS (THOMAS), a pious dissenting divine, was born at Reak, in the parish of Swaffham Prior, near Newmarket, May 31, 1720. His father, of both his names, was for some years pastor of a congregation at Olney, in Buckinghamshire, and afterwards of another at Royston in Hertfordshire. He received his early education in Cambridgeshire, and in 1735 was placed under the care of Dr. Taylor, at Deptford. After going through a course of preparatory studies, he was ordained, according to the forms among the dissenters, in 1742, and appointed assistant preacher at the meeting in Silver-street. In this situation, however, he did not continue long, being in 1743, called to the pastoral charge of the independent congregation at Haberdashers' hall, which he sustained the whole of his life.

He became an author very early, publishing in 1743 "Poems on several occasions," which were followed by other productions in the same style. It was perhaps Dr. Gibbons's foible that he fancied himself a poet, and in consequence was all his life composing hymns, elegies, &c. on occasional subjects, without any of the inspiration. of genius. In 1754 he was elected one of the tutors of the dissenting academy at Mile-end; the sciences he taught 1 Walpole's Anecdotes of Painters, &c. 2 Alegambe.-Dodd's Ch. Hist.