to Madrid; and which he requested that he night be the means of conveying to those for whom they were designed. Both he and the duke of Bourbon signified to general Eliott, the high regard they had for his person and character; the duke of Crillon expressing the same sentiments. Such a prodigious armament raised the confidence of the besiegers so high, that they looked upon the conquest of the place as an absolute certainty; and the commander in chief was thought by far too modest, when he said, that the garrison might hold out a fortnight. It appeared,' says captain Drinkwater, that they meant, previous to their final efforts, to strike if possible a terror through their opponents, by displaying an armament more powerful than had probably ever been brought before any fortress. Fortyseven sail of the line, including three inferior twodeckers; ten battering ships, deemed perfect in design, and esteemed invincible, carrying 212 guns; innumerable frigates, xebeques, hombketches, cutters, gun and mortar boats, and smaller craft for disembarking men, were assembled in the bay. On the land side were most stupendous and strong batteries and works, mounting 200 pieces of heavy ordnance, and protected by an army of 40,000 men, commanded by a victorious and active general. In their certainty of success, however, the enemy seemed entirely to have overlooked the nature of that force which was opposed to them; for though the garrison scarcely consisted of more than 7000 effective men, including the marine brigade, they forgot that they were now veterans in this service, had long been habituated to the effects of artillery, and were by degrees prepared for the arduous conflict that awaited them. We were at the same time commanded by officers of approved courage, prudence, and activity; eminent for all the accomplishments of their profession, and in whom we had unbounded confidence. Our spirits too were not a little elevated by the success attending the firing of red hot shot, which in this attack we hoped would enable us to bring our labors to a conclusion, and relieve us from the tedious cruelty of a vexatious blockade.' This was suggested by lieutenant-governor Boyd, and on the 8th September, 1782, their advanced works were almost destroyed by it.

As a prelude to the dreadful storm which was about to be poured forth on this garrison, the enemy on the 9th September opened a battery of sixty-four of their largest cannon, accompanied with a terrible fire from other batteries, and a great number of mortars. On this and the following day an attack was also made upon the batteries erected on Europa Point, which at that time were entirely under the management of captain Curtis of the Brilliant frigate. By these the fire of the Spaniards was so warmly returned, that they not only could make no impression, but were forced to retire, after being so much damaged that two of the principal ships were obliged to withdraw to the bay of Algesiras. On the 12th the enemy made preparations for their grand and decisive attack. Accordingly, on the morning of the 13th, the ten floating batteries came forward, under Don Buenventura de Moreno, a Spanish officer of great gallantry, who

had signalised himself at Minorca. Before ten o'clock they had all reached their proper stations, anchoring in a line about 1000 yards from the shore. They then began a heavy cannonade, and were seconded by all the cannon and mortars in the enemy's lines and approaches; at the same time that the garrison opened all its batteries both with hot and cold shot from the guns, and shells from the howitzers and mortars. This terrible fire continued on both sides without intermission until noon; when that of the Spaniards began to slacken, and the fire of the garrison to obtain a superiority. About two o'clock the principal battering ship, commanded by Don Moreno, was observed to emit smoke as if on fire, and some men were seen busy upon the roof, searching from whence it proceeded. The fire from the garrison was now kept up without the least intermission or diminution, while that from the floating batteries was perceived sensibly to decrease; so that about 7 P. M. they fired but few guns, and these only at intervals. At midnight the admiral's ship was on fire, and soon completely in flames. Eight more of these batteries took fire successively; and on the signals of distress made by them, the multitude of feluccas, launches, and boats, with which they were surrounded, all came to their assistance, and began to take the men out of the burning vessels. Captain Curtis, who lay ready with the gun boats to take advantage of any favourable circumstance, came upon them at two A. M., and, forming a line on the enemy's flank, advanced upon them with such expedition as to throw them into entire confusion; they now therefore filed precipitately with all their boats, totally abandoning the floating batteries and all who were in them to perish in the flames, This would undoubtedly have been their fate, had not captain Curtis extricated them at the imminent risk of his own life and that of his men. So zealous was he in this work of benevolence that while his boat was along-side of one of the largest batteries, it blew up, and some heavy pieces of timber pierced the bottom of his boat, killing one man and wounding several others. He himself escaped with difficulty out of this boat, which was sunk, as well as another by the accident. The floating batteries were all consumed; about 400 people being saved from them; many of whom were picked up floating on rafts and pieces of timber. Indeed the blowing up of the batteries as the flames reached their powder-rooms, and the discharge of the guns in succession as the metal became heated by the fire, rendered the attempt to rescue them very dangerous. This terrible catastrophe took place in sight of the combined fleets of France and Spain. It had been proposed that they should co-operate upon this important occasion, by attacking the garrison at Europa Point, and such places as appeared most exposed to an attempt by sea: but they remained inactive, assigning, as a reason for this, the want of wind.

A British fleet in the mean time had assembled at Portsmouth, consisting of thirty-five sail of the line, in excellent condition, and filled with the best officers and sailors in Europe. The command was given to lord Howe, accompanied by admirals Barrington, Milbank, Hood, Sir Richard

Hughes, and commodore Hotham. But the progress of this force to Gibraltar was delayed by contrary winds, and it was not until he had gained the southern coast of Portugal, that lord Howe received information of the defeat of the enemy's attempt on the 13th September. On the 11th October he entered the Straits, and several of the storeships destined for Gibraltar came safe to anchor under the cannon of the fort, without any molestation from the enemy. The combined fleet in the mean time had been much damaged by a storm; two ships of the line were driven ashore near Algesiras; two more were driven out of the bay into the Mediterranean; others lost their masts, and most of them suffered consider ably. One in particular, a ship of seventy guns, was carried by the storm across the bay, and ran aground under the works of Gibraltar, where she was taken by the garrison, with her whole complement of men. The combined fleet, however, put to sea on the 13th, with a view to prevent the remaining store-ships that had overshot the bay to the east from making good their entrance; and at the same time to rejoin the two ships that had been separated from the main body. Having the advantage of the wind, they bore down upon the British fleet, which drew up in order of battle to receive them; but, notwithstanding their superiority, they declined coming to an engagement. On the wind becoming more favorable next day, lord Howe took the opportunity to bring in the storeships that were in company; and the day following the remainder were conveyed to Gibraltar, and the troops for the reinforcement of the garrison were landed with a large supply of powder, and provisions. This last relief proved entirely decisive; for though the blockade continued till news arrived of the preliminaries of peace being signed, in the beginning of February, 1783, no other attack was made. Gibraltar is now a decidedly favorite possession of our government. In war it is a valuable place of rendezvous, and in peace a convenient mercantile depôt. Yet it has been of late questioned, whether all the advantages of this possession are not too dearly purchased, when we calculate the maintenance of a garrison not otherwise necessary, and the large disbursements made since the peace of 1783? It is said to cost annually little short of £400,000.

GIBRALTAR, STRAITS OF, are a narrow sea, which forms the communication between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, thereby dividing Europe from Africa; and runs from west to east about thirteen leagues. In this strait there are three remarkable promontories, or capes, on the Spanish side, and as many opposite to them on the Barbary side. The first of these, on the side of Spain, is Cape Trafalgar, opposite to which is Cape Spartel; and, in the neighbourhood of this, stood the fortress of Tangier, once in the possession of the British. The next to the Spanish side is Tarisan, and over against it lies Malabata, near the town of Alcassar, where the straits are about five leagues broad. Lastly, Gibraltar, facing the mountain of Abyla, near the fortress and town of Ceuta, which make the eastern entry of the straits.

GIBSON (Dr. Edmund), bishop of London, was born at Knipe in Westmoreland, in 1669.

He early displayed his knowledge in several writings and translations, which recommended him to the patronage of archbishop Tennison, who appointed him his domestic chaplain; and soon after rector of Lambeth, and archdeacon of Surry. Becoming thus a member of the convocation, he defended his patron's rights, as president, in eleven pamphlets; he then completed his scheme of the legal duties and rights of the English clergy, under the title of Codex Juris Ecclesiastici Anglicani, in folio. Archbishop Tennison dying in 1715, and Dr. Wake, bishop of Lincoln, being made archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Gibson succeeded him in the see of Lincoln, and in 1720 was promoted to the bishopric of London. He spent the latter part of his life in publishing letters, charges, occasional sermons, and tracts against the prevailing immoralities of the age. His pastoral letters are justly esteemed masterly productions against infidelity and enthusiasm. His other publications are, 1. An edition of Drummond's Polemo-Middinia, and James V.'s Cantilena Rustica, with notes; 2. The Chronicon Saxonicum, with a Latin translation, and notes; 3. Reliquiæ Spelmannianæ, the posthumous works of Sir Henry Spelman, relating to the laws and antiquities of England; 4. An edition of Quintilian de Arte Oratoriâ, with notes; 5. An English translation of Camden's Britannia, with additions, 2 vols. folio; and, 6, A number of small pieces, that have been collected and printed in 3 vols. folio. He died, aged seventynine, in September 1748.

GIBSON (Richard), an English painter, commonly called the Dwarf, was originally page to a lady at Mortlake; who, observing his genius for painting, generously had him instructed in that art. He devoted himself to Sir Peter Lely's style, and copied his pictures to admiration. His paintings in water colors were also esteemed. He was in great favor with Charles I., who made him his page of the back-stairs; and he had the honor to instruct in drawing queen Mary II., and queen Anne, when princesses. He married Anne Shepherd, who was also a dwarf; on which occasion king Charles I. honored their marriage with his presence, and gave away the bride. Waller wrote a poem on this occasion, entitled "The Marriage of the Dwarfs.' Fenton, in his notes on this poem, observes, that he had seen this couple painted by Sir Peter Lely; and that they were of an equal stature, each being three feet ten inches high. However, they had nine children, five of whom arrived at maturity, wellproportioned, and of the usual standard of mankind. Mr. Gibson died in the seventy-fifth year of his age; and his wife, having survived him almost twenty years, died in 1709, aged eightynine.

GIBYLE, a sea-port town of Tripoli, on the river Jebilee, the ancient Byblos: it is in ruins, and thinly inhabited. It was repeatedly besieged by the Crusaders. Twelve miles S. S. W. of Tripoli.

GID'DILY, adv.
GID'DINESS, n. s.
GID'DY, adj.
GIDDY-BRAINED, adj.
GID'DY-HEADED,
GID'DY-PACED.

Sax gibig; Goth. edga, to agitate. Having a rotatory or circular motion or sensation. Inconstant; thoughtless; irregu

GIER-EAGLE, n. s.

Sometimes it is written jer-eagle. An eagle of a particular kind. Bochart thinks the vulture is meant below.

These fowls shall not be eaten, the swan, and the pelican, and the gier-eagle. Leviticus xi. 18.

GIESSEN, a walled town of Hesse-Darmstadt, the seat of the civil and ecclesiastical courts of Upper Hesse, between the Lahn and the Wiesek. It has some woollen and cotton manufactures; but its trade is inconsiderable, and the arsenal of little military importance. A university was founded here in 1607. Population 7700. Six miles east of Wetzlar, and thirty-six north-east of Mentz.

GIFANIUS (Obertus, or Hubert), LL.D., a learned critic and civilian, born at Bueren in Guelderland, in 1534. He studied at Louvain and Paris, and erected the German library at Orleans; where he took his degree in 1567. He taught civil law and philosophy at Strasburg, Altdorf, and Ingoldstadt; and wrote several tracts, besides comments on ancient authors. Though bred a protestant, he turned Roman Catholic, and was made counsellor to the emperor Rodolph. He was very avaricious, and is accused of suppressing the MSS. of Fruterius, a youth of extraordinary genius, who died at Paris, aged twenty-five, and left them to his care. Gifanius died at Prague in 1604.

GIFFORD (Andrew), D.D., an eminent English dissenting divine and antiquarian, born August 17th, 1700. He was the son of Emanuel Gifford, minister of a Baptist church at Bristol, and was educated at Tewksbury, under the Rev. Mr. Jones, and the celebrated Dr. Ward. He joined his father's church, and was baptized in 1723; he preached to the church at Nottingham in 1725; and was ordained and settled at London, February 5th, 1730. In 1731 Sir Richard Ellys appointed him his chaplain. In 1754 the Marischal College of Aberdeen presented him with a diploma. He was also admitted a member of the Society of Antiquaries, and, in 1757, was appointed assistant librarian to the British Museum. He died 19th June, 1784, leaving his museum and library to the Baptist academy at Bristol.

Re

GIFFORD (John), a modern political writer, whose real name is said to have been John Richard Green. He was born in 1758, and educated by his grandfather, who enabled him to enter as a gentleman commoner at St. John's College, Oxford. He adopted the legal profession; but dissipated his fortune, and, having involved himself in difficulties, travelled on the continent under the above assumed name. turning to England, in 1788, he became a political writer and alarmist; a contributor to the British Critic and Antijacobin Review, &c. He was also the author of The Reign of Louis XVI., and complete History of the French Revolution, 1794, 4to; The History of France, from the earliest Times to the End of the Revolution, 1795, 5 vols. 4to; A Residence in France in the Years 1792, 1793, 1794, and 1795, &c., 1797, 2 vols. 8vo; and A History of the Political Life of the Right Honorable William Pitt, 3 vols. 4to. Mr. Gifford received finally a pension from the government, and was made one of the police magistrates