ORBNV1LLK, THOMAS. 



GR6TRY, ANDI; '' MODESTK. 



18J 



of parliamentary reform, and supported ~~lly Mr. 

 r> drnknMrtttioo. He WM an aMe .prker, and hd much 

 * In U* Houa* of Lord*. He apmt Uie latter yean of his hie 

 \m retirement at bis (cat, Uroproore Lodge, Buckinghamshire, where 

 he died January 12, 1834, without issue, when the title became 



TSJOMA* Guvrau. the tond eon of George ( ircntille, was born in 

 1TM. and dW in 1811. He Mi hi* valuable library to the British 

 Mow-on, of which it now form* a .eparU portion. I 



M, SIR THOMAS, was descended of an ancient family of 

 Norfolk. Ilia father, Richard Gresham, a younger ton, waa bred to 

 trad* and waa a member of the Mercers' Company. In due time lio 

 a leading man in the city, wa* agent to Henry VIII. for 

 loan, *c., with foreign merchant*, and obtained the 

 knighthood and the mayoralty. He died February 20th 

 IMS. Thomu Gretbam, his aeoond son, was born in London in 1519, 

 ad atndied at QonYille (nnw commonly called Gains) College, Cam- 

 bridge; bat Sir Richard, while giving bis aon the benefit of a liberal 

 dotation, intruded him to tread in his own steps, and bound him 

 apprentice to bis brother. Sir John Grenhuro, who also belonged to 

 tie Mercers' Company, and also bad acquired a Urge fortune by trade. 

 Thomas Urcabam took out bis freedom in 1543. In 1651 he was 

 employed, as his father bad been, in negotiating foreign loans by 

 Edward VL ; and he did good service in this capacity. When money 

 became doe it seldom waa convenient to pay it ; and an extension of 

 the time was commonly purchased on terms ruinously high, 10 per 

 cent, for instance, dogged with the further condition of purchasing 

 e*rUin jewel* or other wares at the price of the vendor. By Gresham's 

 kill and assiduity the outstanding debts were paid off, and an enormous 

 saving made, the particulars of which, us stated in his own memorial, 

 will be found in Ward's ' Live* of the Gresham Professors,' p. 8. By 

 his advice the experiment of raising money at home rather than from 

 foreigners waa first tried by Elizabeth in 1569, and followed with great 

 advantage both to the crown and the nation. He waa employed in 

 the same capacity of agent by Mary and Elizabeth, received knight- 

 hood from the latter in 1559, and was often consulted by her in 

 political and commercial affairs. His favour, his office, and his princely 

 munificence, combined probably to procure him the title of the Koyal 

 Merchant. He built a noblx house on the west side of Bishopsgate 

 Street (where the Excise-Office latterly stood), where he lived in 

 splendour, and was occasionally commissioned by the queen to receive 

 and entertain foreign visitors of high rank. Increasing in wealth, he 

 bought estate* in many parts of England ; ainonz others Osterley , near 

 Brentford, now in possession of the Earl of Jersey, which next to 

 London was bis chief place of abode. He died suddenly November 

 21st 1579, leaving no children except one natural daughter. 



In the foundation of the Koyal Exchange Sir Thomas Gresham bay 

 left a lasting memorial of his wealth and generosity. Previously the 

 merchant* were accustomed to meet, without shelter, in Lombard 

 Street Sir Itichard Gresham contemplated the scheme of building 

 an exchange, or covered walk, such as he had seen abroad, but did not 

 effect it. Resuming the design, Sir Thomas offered to erect a suitable 

 building if the citizens would provide a plot of ground. The site 

 north of Cornhill waa accordingly purchased in 1566, far more than 

 35002. The date of completion is not clearly known ; but January 

 23rd, 1570, the queen dined at Gresham's bouse, visited the new 

 building, and caused it to be proclaimed by sound of trumpet the 

 ' Royal Exchange.' This building waa destroyed in the great fire of 

 1866. A view of it may be seen in Ward's ' Lives.' It was similar in 

 its main features to its successor, consisting of a quadrangular arcade 

 surrounding an open court, with galleries above containing shops, c. 

 From the rents of these Gresham derived a yearly income of 750, 

 Decides fines. (Ward, ' Appendix,' iv.) 



One moiety of his interest herein Gresham bequeathed to the cor- 

 poration of London, and the other to the Mercers' Company, on 

 condition of their making certain annual payments, amounting to 

 6031 6*. 8d. After the fire the Exchange was rebuilt on a larger 

 scale ; and it is a striking instance of the rise of prices, that the 

 additional ground required cost 70172. 11. The new building cost 

 8,9621. This, with some alterations, of which the chief was the 

 rebuilding of the clock-tower in 1821, stood till it was again destroyed 

 by fire on January the 10th, 1888. It was again built, as is well 

 known, from the designs of Mr. Tite, on a still larger and more splendid 

 scale, calculated to meet the increased and increasing demands of the 

 metropolitan commerce. The first stone of the present Royal 

 Exchange was laid by Prince Albert on the 17th of January 1842; 

 and on the 28th of October 1844 the completed building was opened 

 in stute by Queen Victoria. 



GRK8SET, JOHN-BAPTISTE-LOUIS, born in 1709, nt Amiens, 

 studied at a Jesuit'* college, and entered their order in the 17th year 

 of bis age. He waa afterwards sent to Paris, where he completed his 

 studies in the College de Louis-le-Orand. He was only twenty-four years 

 old when he wrote his celebrated comic poem entitled ' Vert-vert,' 

 which contain* the adventure* of a parrot, and is one of the wittiest 

 productions in the French language. He published soon afterwards 

 Lea Carome Impromptu* and ' Le Lutrin vivant,' two witty trifle*, 

 and also two beautiful epistle* entitled ' La Chartreuse,' and < Lee 

 Ombre*.' These productions toon acquired great reputation for the 



author, and he wa* sent as professor to the college of Tours ; but the 

 suiter of an influential tuiuUter taking offence at the light tone of Gresaet'i 

 poetry, accused him before hi* superiors, who, by way of punishment, 

 sent him to La Fleoho. Several of his poetical epistles, as, for instance, 

 ' A ua Muse,' and ' Au Pere Bougeant, are very well written ; but the 

 ' Epttre a ma Scour sur ma Convalescence ' may be regarded as a 

 masterpiece. Disliking his residence in La Fleche, he requested hi* 

 superiors to remove him to some other place, and on meeting with a 

 refusal he left the order in the 26th year of his age, but he always pre- 

 served a regard for his old colleagues, which is particularly proved by 

 his ' Adieux anx Jesuits.' He now settled at Paris, where his wit 

 and talents, united with agreeable manners as well as his literary 

 reputation, soon made him the favourite of the best society. In 1748 

 le was received a member of the French Academy, but he soon after- 

 wards retired to his native city of Amiens, where he founded, with the 

 wriniseion of the king, an academy ; and having married, he settled 

 n the vicinity of the town. la 1774 he was chosen to congratulate 

 ,,ouis XVI. on his accession in the name of the French Academy. 

 The king gave him a patent of nobility, and Monsieur, afterwards 

 .outs XVIII., nominated him historiographer of the order of St. 

 jazarus. 



Cresset died at Amiens in 1777. Besides the productions already 

 mentioned he wrote several plays, which have not been very Miccess- 

 ul, except his comedy ' Le Mediant,' which was performed, for the 

 irst time, in 1747. His tragedy of ' Edward III.,' which was per- 

 formed only once, in 1740, and his 'Sydney,' are both inferior pro- 

 ductions. In his latter years Gresset became religiously disposed, 

 and destroyed some unpublished plays as well as two new cantos of 

 ' Vert-vert.' He even condemned his former production-*, for which 

 Voltaire was very angry with him. The poems of Greaset are 

 characterised by originality, great ease, a refined humour, and a 

 versification always harmonious. He could give life and animation to 

 the most uninteresting subjects. The best edition of Grcsset's works 

 is that of Reuouard, published at Paris, 1811, in three volumes. 



' Vert-vert ' has been twice translated into English : 1st, by T. G. 

 Cooper, London, 1759; and 2ndly, by Alexander Geddes, LL.D., 

 London, 1793. 



GRETRY, ANDRE-ERNEST-MODESTE, a celebrated and once 

 most popular composer of French operas, was born at Liege in 1741. 

 At the age of four he gave distinct proofs of the influence which 

 rhythm exercised over his excitable nerves. At six he was placed 

 under a music-master, whose roughness of manners soon rendered it 

 necessary that another teacher should bo found for him, and the 

 second proved as gentle as the other had been savage. A company of 

 Italian performers being engaged at Liege, Gre'try, then ten years old, 

 was allowed to sing with them in the operas of Pergolesi, Galuppi, 

 &c. ; the bent and strength of his genius was proved, and his destiny 

 was fixed. In his eighteenth year he set out for liome, and com- 

 menced his musical studies under Casali. 



During a long residence in the capital of the Papal States, then a 

 musical city, Gretry had constant opportunities of hearing the best 

 works of the first masters, which at length inspired him with a wish 

 to try his own powers. An occasion soon presented itself; he was 

 invited by the manager of the Albert! theatre to set a short opera, ' La 

 Vendemiatrice,' which met with decided success. He was caressed by 

 every order of society, and had the gratification of hearing his airs 

 sung in all the streets. He then went to Bologna, and, having stood 

 the customary test of ability, was admitted a member of the ' Societa 

 Filharmonica.' After this he proceeded to Geneva, and produced his 

 first French opera, 'Isabella et Gertrude,' which was most favourably 

 received. There he formed an acquaintance with Voltaire, which con- 

 tinued to the close of the poet's life. 



M. Gre'try settled finally in Paris, and immediately commenced 

 that brilliant career which, as an artist, scarcely ever suffered the 

 slightest interruption. He speedily joined the society of the literati 

 of Paris, and with Marmoutel his intimacy was dose and continue. 1. 

 Intercourse of this kind sharpened his intellect and strengthened his 

 judgment, and much of his success as a composer may be attributed 

 to that vigour of mind which be in a great measure acquired by 

 mixing with men of lively imagination, corrected by education. 



At the period of the Revolution, Grdtry, then ' le Citoyen,' became, 

 to all appearance, a zealous republican ; and set some of the revolu- 

 tionary songs. Napoleon never liked him, and on one occasion he was 

 provoked to rebuke the despotic and rude conqueror in a marked 

 manner. Nevertheless, he was made a member of the French National 

 Institute, Inspector ot the 'Conservatoire,' &c. Ordtry died in 1813, 

 and was buried with great pomp close by Delille, the poet. The peo- 

 ple of Liege demanded as a right to have possession of the heart of 

 their distinguished countryman, and the matter underwent long and 

 grave litigation, which terminated in favour of the claimants. 



Griitry's operas are too numerous to be named here. The best 

 known are, 'La Caravane du Cairo ; ' ' Le Tableau Parlaut; ' ' L'Amitio 

 a rEpreuve;''Zemire etAzor ;"LesMari ages Samnites;'' Richard Cceur- 

 de-Lion ; ' ' Barbe-Bleu ; ' ' Panurge ; ' ' Cc'phale et Prooris,' &c. Some of 

 these have been produced on the English stage, with great success ; and 

 others have been pillaged by one at least of our deceased pseudo- 

 composers. In 1780, M. Gretry published his ' Essais sur la Musique,' 

 in three Svo. volumes ; and in 1793 the republican government printed 



