OATAKKR, THOMAS. 



GAUBIL, ANTHi-NV. 



40 



colUotinc of book* and his astronomical and philosophical apparatus 

 ware purchased by the Emperor Ferdinand IIL, and deposited in the 

 Imperial Library at Vienna, 



The philosophical reserve and moderation of Qassendi bare led 

 Bayle to designate him at a sceptic, which however, to judge at least 

 from hi* writing*, U little in accordance with the spirit of hit 

 philosophy; for although he often complain* of the weakness of 

 >>,,m.n rawon, which even in the sphere of physical investigations is 



ally at fault, and therefore admits the insufficiency of his own 

 discoveries to satisfy either himself or others, this circumstance, 

 while it rendered him patient in controversy aud unwilling to enforce 

 his own conclusions upon others, only proves at most that hU 

 dogmatism was not as one-sided and immoderate as that of other 

 dogmatists, and that even while he insisted upon the possibility of 

 establishing positive results, he was yet sceptical enough to doubt the 

 finality of his own positions. 



By the philosophical cast of his mind and the variety of his acquire- 

 ments, as well as by the amiable moderation of his character, Qassendi 

 was one of the brightest ornaments of his age. Bayle has justly 

 styled him the greatest philosopher among scholars, and the greatest 

 scholar among philosophers, lie may have been surpassed by some 

 of his contemporaries in particular departments of inquiry, as, for 

 instance, by Des Cartes, in the higher branches of mathematics, yet 

 none came near to him in reach and universality of genius. Varied 

 as was his erudition, it did not overpower the clearness of his intellect, 

 the too common result of great learning ; on the contrary, his works 

 are distinguished for the perspicuous arrangement of the ideas, the 

 justice of the reasoning, the acutenesa of the criticism, and the pre- 

 eminent lucidness of the style and diction. 



The works of Qassendi were collected by Montmort and Sorbicre, 

 6 vols. foL, Lyon, 1658, and by Averrani, 6 vols. fol., Firenze, 1728. 

 There is a Ufa of Qassendi by Sorbicre, prefixed to the collected works, 

 and one by Bougerel, Paris, 1737. 



GATAKER, THOMAS, born in London in 1574, studied at 

 Cambridge, where he took his degrees, was afterwards chaplain to Sir 

 William Cook, and also preacher to the Society of Lincoln's Inn. He 

 applied himself especially to the study of the Scriptures in the Hebrew 

 and Greek text, and wrote several works in illustration of the Old 

 Testament. He also wrote ' Of the Nature and Use of Lots,' a treatise 

 historical and theological, in which he distinguishes between innocent 

 and lawful games of chance and those which are unlawful or repre- 

 hensible. His arguments having been misrepresented, he had to sustain 

 a polemical correspondence in his own justification. In 1611 be was 

 appointed rector of Rotherhithe. In 1024 he wrote a treatise against 

 Transubstantiation. In 1642 he was chosen to sit in the Assembly of 

 Divines at Westminster, where in several instances he differed from 

 the majority. He afterwards wrote with others the 'Annotations on 

 the Bible,' which were published by the same Assembly ; the Notes 

 on Isaiah and Jeremiah are by him. In 1648 Qataker, with other 

 London clergymen, to the number of forty-seven, remonstrated against 

 the measures taken by the Long Parliament with respect to King 

 Charles, and be became in consequenca an object of suspicion to the 

 ruling powers, but by his mild and open conduct he escape.! personal 

 annoyance. In 1652 he published a Latin translation of SI. Aurelius's 

 ' Meditations,' with valuable notes, tables of reference, and a prelimi- 

 nary discourse on the philosophy of the Stoics. In the latter part of 

 his life he had to sustain a controversy against the pretended astrologer 

 William Lilly. He died above eighty years of age. His son Charles 

 published his ' Opera Critic >,' 2 vols. folio, Utrecht, 1698, which contain, 

 besides the ' Meditations,' his ' G'inmis ' and ' Adversaria Miscellanea,' 

 being disquisitions on biblical subjects, and 'Do Novi Testament! 

 Stylo,' a philological treatise on the ancient languages. 



GATES, HORATIO, an American general of the Revolutionary war, 

 was born in England in 1728. He received his military training in 

 the English army, served in the West Indies, and accompanied General 

 Braddock in his disastrous expedition against the French settlements 

 on the Ohio in 1755. [BRAODOCK.] Being wounded in that affair, 

 and obliged for a time to retire from active service, he purchased an 

 estate in Virginia. Ho took the popular side in the Revolutionary 

 troubles, and was appointed adjutant-general on the breaking out of 

 the war. In 1770 be was sent to command the at my on Lake Cham- 

 plain. His conduct at first was not approved of, insomuch that he 

 was superseded in the spring of 1777 ; but in the following August he 

 wss appointed to oppose General Burgoync, who had forced his way 

 from the Canadian frontier to the Hudson. An indecisive battle took 

 place on the ISth of September, and a second on the 8th of October, 

 in which the British were defeated. General Gates then blockaded 

 his adversary at Saratoga, who, being disappointed in bis hope of 

 forming a junction with the Royalist troops on the Hudson, and cut off 

 from all supplies, found it necessary to capitulate with his whole nrmy. 



The convention of Saratoga was one of the most important suc- 

 cesses gained in the whole war, for nearly 6000 men surrendered on 

 parole not to serve again, and their arms aud artillery were converted 

 to the use of the victors. Gates became the popular hero of the day ; 

 and attempts were made by some intriguing partisans, or misjudging 

 friends, to raise him over the head of Washington. Fortunately fur 

 America these attempts came to nothing. In June 1780 he was 

 appointed to command the southern army, which at that time was in 



a wretched state of disorganisation. It is no wonder therefore that 

 on his first meeting with the British troops [CORNWALLIS] he received, 

 though greatly superior in numbers, a total defeat. This took place 

 on the 16th of August, at Camden, in South Carolina. By great 

 exertion he was again iu condition to take the field, when he received 

 news that he wai superseded by General Greene, and that Congress 

 had resolved to submit his conduct to a court of inquiry. The inves- 

 tigation lasted until after the close of the war in 1782 : in the end he 

 was fully and honourably acquitted of blame. 



General Gates then retired to his Virginia estate, from which in 

 1800 he removed to New York, to the freedom of which city he was 

 immediately admitted. In the same year he was elected a member of 

 the state legislature. Before his departure from Virginia he performed 

 the noblest act of his life the emancipation of bis slaves, which he 

 accompanied with a provision for those who needed assistance. He 

 died on the 10th of April 1806. 



OA/TTEUER, JOHANN CHRISTOPH, bora in 1727, near Nurn- 

 berg, became professor of history at Gottingen, where he published 

 numerous useful works on ancient history, geography, chronology, 

 genealogy, heraldry, and diplomacy, on all which subjects his infor- 

 mation was very extensive. His principal publications are 1. ' Kle- 

 menta ortis Diplomatics Universalis,' 4 to, Oottingen, 1765, a work of 

 great and curious research, especially concerning the graphic part, or 

 the various characters, monograms, aud symbols used in old diplomacy. 

 2. Handbuch der Universal Historic,' 2 vols. Svo, 1764-65, iu which he 

 gives catalogues of numerous writers on the history of the various 

 countries of Europe and Asia, according to the order of time. 3. ' Stamm- 

 tafeln zur Weltgeschichte,' 4to, 1790. 4. ' Einleitung iu die Synchro- 

 nistische Universal Historic,' 2 vols. Svo, 1771, with chrono! 

 tables. 6. 'Abriss der Chronologic, 1 1777. 6. 'Handbuch der Neii- 

 esteu Genealogie,' 1772. 7. ' Allgemeine Historische Bibliothek,' 

 16 vols. Svo, Halle, 1771. Gatterer died at Gottingen in 1779. 



There was another contemporary professor, CURISTOPH WIMIELM 

 JACOB GATTEREB, at Heidelberg, who wrote several works on geology 

 and mineralogy. 



QATTI, BERNARDINO, called il Soiaro from the occupation of 

 his father, was born at Cremona about 1495. Ha is one of the most 

 distinguished of Correggio's pupils aud imitators : there are several 

 admirable works by him iu Parma, Piaceuza, and Cremona. Tho 

 ' Miracle of the Loaves ' in the refectory of the Padri Laterals 

 Cremona, painted in 1552, is a masterpiece; as is also the 'Ascension 

 of Christ' in the church of San Sigismondo. He died in 1;'>7.~>. II 

 Soiaro is claimed by other cities, but Cremona appears to have the 

 best title to him. (Zaist, Notizie Istoric/tc dei Ptttori, <tc. Cremonai ; 

 Lauzi, Storia Pittorica. <tc.) 



GAUBIL, ANTHONY, a learned Jesuit, whose labours greatly 

 advanced our knowledge of the literature of eastern Asia, was born 

 in Languedoc iu 1689. He entered the society of the Jesuits in 1704, 

 and was sent in 1723 to China, where he applied himself to the study 

 of the Chinese and Mautchoo languages, in which he mudo such pro- 

 ficiency that the first Chinese scholars sometimes consulted him about 

 obscure and difficult passages in their authors. Besides the above- 

 mentioned literary occupations Gaubil applied himself with great 

 success to mathematics, and particularly to astronomy, without 

 neglecting his numerous ecclesiastical avocations. Gaubil arrived in 

 China just after the death of the celebrated emperor Ching-Tsoo, 

 better known in Europe under the name of Kaug-Hi, who w.is very 

 partial to Europeans, but whose successor was imbued with a strong 

 prejudice against the Curistiun missionaries. Notwithstanding this 

 uni.ivjurablo circumstance, Qaubil succeeded in obtaining the favour 

 of the monarch, aud was nominated director of the college, where a 

 number of Mantchoo youths aro instructed in Latin and Russian, the 

 diplomatic correspondence being, by the treaty of 172S, carried on in 

 Latin. He was also employed as interpreter for the diplomatic cor- 

 respondence between China and Russia. Notwithstanding his multi- 

 farious occupations, Gaubil found time to write several important 

 works in China, the first of which is an ' Historical and Critical Trea- 

 tise on the Chinese Astronomy,' published in the ' Observations Mutho- 

 uiatiques, Astrououiiques, Qdographiques et Physiques tirees des 

 aucieus livrcs L'hiuois, on Faites uouvellementaux ludes ou a la Chine, 

 par les Misoionuaires Jesuites, requeillies par le P. Souciet (a Jesuit),' 

 Paris, 1729, 1 voL 4 to. The same collection contains the narrative of 

 a ' Voyage from Peking to Canton,' by Gaubil, which has been likewise 

 inserted by Prevot iu the fifth volume of his ' History of Travels." 

 But the work which reflects the greatest credit ou the abilities of 

 Gaubil is his translation into French of the 'Choo-king,' which con- 

 tains the earliest traditions respecting the history of China. It was 

 published after bis death by Desguignes, in 1771, at Paris. Gaubil 

 published also a ' History of Genghis Khan and his Dynasty ' (1739, 

 Paris), which alone, according to the celebrated Chinese scholar Abel 

 Reinusat, would be sufficient to establish the reputation of the author. 

 The other works of Uaubil are 'A Description of Peking,' and many 

 essays ou China aud the adjacent countries, which are inserted iu the 

 celebrated collection published by the Jesuits under the title of 

 ' Lettres curieuses et c'ditiantes,' which contains the description of the 

 countries where they exercised their missionary labours. Gaubil died 

 at Peking in 1759, aged seventy -one, after having resided iu 

 thirty-six years. (Lellrei Curieutu et lidijianta, vol. xxxi.) 



