438 



GHAUTS GIIEKAKDKSCA. 



on different occasions. In 1772, he published another 

 volume of idyls. Their quiet, amiable character 

 jiU-iised many in Germany anil in France, where they 

 were translated by Huber ; they were received with 

 enthusiasm, and the author was regarded as a poet of 

 the first rank. He is, in fact, the only German writer 

 whom the French poets have repeatedly translated 

 and imitated. From France his fame spread over 

 all Europe. The most popular of his idyls is the 

 Death of Abel, which has been translated into many 

 foreign languages. In the mean time, he was married, 

 mid, for the sake of support, devoted himself seriously 

 to painting. His advances were, rapid, and his suc- 

 cess splendid. His pieces brought high prices, and 

 enchanted by the most delightful representations of 

 nature. The remainder of his life passed quietly and 

 pleasantly, till an apoplectic attack, March 2, 1787, 

 brought it to a close. A certain tenderness and a 

 melodious language are the sources of the success of 

 Gessner's writings ; but he is deficient in depth and 

 strength. In landscape painting, he has merits which 

 no age will diminish. His etching is light and 

 powerful ; his views are select, wild, and romantic ; 

 and his trees are particularly fine. Twelve engraved 

 landscapes, published in 1770, are considered among 

 his best works. All who were acquainted with 

 Gessner, describe him as an amiable, modest, high- 

 minded, and patriotic man, who was as simple, natural, 

 and true in his manners, as he appears in his works. 

 Of his works, the best editions are those of Zurich, 

 1777 8, 2 vols., 4to, and a small elegant edition, 

 Zurich, 176574, 5 vols. ; also, one of 1800, 3 vols. 

 His fellow citizens erected a monument to him. His 

 oldest son, Conrad Gessner, who distinguished him- 

 self, first by his pictures of horses and by his battle- 

 pieces, and afterwards by his landscapes, studied at 

 Dresden and Rome. From 1796 to 1804, he lived 

 in England ; then in his native town of Zurich, where 

 he died, aged 62, May 8, 1826. 

 GHAUTS. See Gauts. 



GHENT (in French, Gand; in German, Gent); 

 capital of the province of East Flanders, formerly of 

 the whole county of Flanders, and, at a later period, 

 of the Austrian part of the county ; a well-built city 

 at the confluence of the rivers Lys, Lievre, and More 

 with the Scheldt. Lon. 3 44' E. ; lat. 51 3' N. 

 Ghent has manufactories of woollen and cotton goods, 

 linen, hats, leather, &c. Rivers and canals divide the 

 city into twenty-six islands, connected by eighty-five 

 bridges ; it covers a large area. In the time of Philip 

 of Valois and Charles V., this city could raise 50,000 

 men; but in the time of Charles V., who was born 

 here, its splendour began to decline. Enormous taxes 

 induced the inhabitants, in 1539, to throw themselves 

 into the arms of Francis I. of France. But Francis 

 betrayed them to Charles V., who ordered thirty of 

 the principal citizens to be executed, and many to be 

 exiled, took possession of the public buildings, 

 abolished all the privileges of the city, which were 

 very great, built a citadel, and imposed on them a 

 heavy fine. The cathedral is remarkable. There 

 ore fifty-five other churches, and many other public 

 buildings. The city has some important scientific 

 institutions. A treaty was concluded at Ghent 

 between the United States and Britain in 1814. 

 Population 60,000. See the following article. 



GHENT, TREATY OF. The war of 1812, be- 

 tween Great Britain and America (see United States), 

 was terminated by the treaty of Ghent, December 24, 

 1814. The British commissioners for negotiating a 

 peace lord Gambier, Messrs Henry Goulburn and 

 William Adams arrived in that city in August, 

 where the American commissioners J. Q. Adams, 

 Gallatin, Bayard, Clay, and Russell were already 

 assembled. Excepting the establishment of peace, 



the treaty made no alteration in the situation of the 

 countries, the terms proposed by the respective com- 

 missioners being niuuially rejected. The disputed 

 points of maritime law and the subject of commerce 

 were reserved for future discussion. The treaty 

 relates principally to boundaries, but it settles nothing 

 in respect to them ; it merely provides for the mutual 

 appointment of commissioners to examine and report 

 to their respective governments on certain disputed 

 points of the treaty of 1783. See Lyman's Diplo- 

 macy of the United States, 2d edit., 2 vols., Boston, 

 1828. 



GHERARDESCA ; a family which play an 

 important part in the history of the Italian republics 

 of the middle ages. It originated from Tuscany, 

 where the counties of Gherardesca, Donoratico, and 

 Montescudaio (in the Maremme between Pisa and 

 Piombinq) belonged to it. About the beginning of 

 the thirteenth century, the counts of Gherardesca 

 united themselves with the powerful and rich republic 

 of Pisa, and placed themselves at the head of the 

 people, in opposition to the aristocracy. In the great 

 contest between the Gibelines and Guelfs (q. v.) 

 they joined the party of the Suabian emperors, and 

 fought not less bravely than faithfully under the 

 Gibeline banner. Two of this family the counts 

 Gherardo and Galvano Donoratico accompanied 

 Conradin of Hohenstaufen in his unfortunate expedi- 

 tion to Naples, and died with him on the scaffold. 

 This adherence to the interests of the emperors, 

 involved the Gherardescas, as early as 1237, in 

 hostilities with the Visconti, who belonged to the 

 party of the Guelfs ; and all Pisa was divided between 

 the two parties. At length the head of this powerful 

 family, Ugolino Gherardesca, resolved to make him- 

 self master of his native city (Pisa). Being first 

 magistrate in the republic, and head of the Gibelines 

 in the city, he expected to find but little difficulty in 

 attaining his object. Contrary, however, to the 

 politics of his house and the spirit of his age, he so 

 far coalesced with the Guelfs as to give his sister in 

 marriage to John Visconti, judge of Gallura, and 

 chief of the Guelfs in Pisa. This measure made him 

 suspected by all, and indeed, the Pisans had a right 

 to look with displeasure on an alliance, the secret 

 conditions of which were the overthrow of the free- 

 dom of the city. Visconti agreed to secure to 

 Ugolino the support of the Guelfs in Tuscany, and to 

 furnish him secretly with some mercenaries whom he 

 had collected in Sardinia for his own ambitious pur- 

 poses. The plan, however, was not successful, on 

 account of the vigilance of the Pisans. Gallura was 

 banished, June 24, 1274, and Ugolino imprison- 

 ed. The former armed the Guelfs against Pisa ; but 

 his early death at San-Miniato freed the republic from 

 its dangerous adversary. Ugolino, however, who 

 was likewise banished soon after, joined the Floren- 

 tines and the people of Lucca, at the head of whom 

 he gained several victories over the Pisans, and com- 

 pelled them to recall him in 1276. Returning to his 

 former plans, he endeavoured to secure the friend- 

 ship of the Gibelines in the city, as well as that of 

 the Guelfs abroad, and his prudence and riches 

 enabled him to succeed but too well. The once 

 v igilant republicans suffered themselves to be lulled 

 into security, and, in 1282, the war with Genoa, so 

 unfortunate for Pisa, afforded Ugolino an opportunity 

 for breaking the power of the people. In the battle 

 of Meloria (August 6, 1284), memorable for the final 

 destruction of the Pisan fleet, and in which 11,000 

 Pisans were made prisoners by the Genoese, Ugolino 

 betrayed his country, and, by his premeditated de- 

 sertion, gave the signal for general flight ; the rest, 

 giving up all for lost, followed him in confusion. 

 The old enemies of Pisa, the Florentines, Luccanese, 



