580 



G UIBERT G UICCIA RD1NI. 



every variety, of such as are valuable for their hard- 

 ness and durability, as well as of others, which are 

 richly veined, capable of taking the finest polish, and 

 well adapted for all sorts of ornamental furniture ; 

 while others yield valuable dyes, or exude balsamic 

 iind medicinal oils. The fruit trees are in great 

 variety, ami the fruits they yield are of the most ex- 

 quisite delicacy and flavour,. Wild animals and beasts 

 of prey are abundant. These are the jaguar, which 

 ;s a powerful and ferocious animal ; the cougar, or 

 red tiger, resembling a greyhound in shape, but 

 larger in size ; the tiger cat ; the crabbodago, not 

 much larger than a common cat, and exceedingly 

 ferocious ; the coatimondi, or Brazilian weasel ; the 

 great ant-bear ; the porcupine ; the hedgehog ; the 

 armadillo; the sloth; the opossum of different kinds; 

 the deer ; the hog ; the agouti ; the lizard ; the 

 chameleon. In the rivers are to be found the alli- 

 gator ; the tapir, resembling the hippopotamus of the 

 old continent, but of much smaller size, not being 

 larger than a small ass, but much more clumsy ; the 

 manati, or sea-cow, about sixteen feet in length ; the 

 paca, or spotted cony ; and the pipa, a hideous and 

 deformed animal. Of the serpent tribe there are 

 various species, from the large aboma snake, which 

 grows to the length of twenty and thirty feet, to 

 those of the smallest size. The woods of Guiana are 

 filled with every variety of the feathered species, 

 many of which, there is reason to believe, are but 

 imperfectly known to naturalists. Those most com- 

 monly seen are the crested eagle, a very fierce bird, 

 and very strong ; the vulture ; the owl ; the black 

 and white butcher-bird ; parrots of different kinds, 

 and of the most brilliant plumage ; the toucan ; the 

 pelican ; the tiger-bird ; herons of different kinds ; 

 the flamingo ; the humming-bird of various species ; 

 the plover ; the woodpecker ; the mocking-bird. 

 The vampire bat is also found in Guiana, and grows 

 to an enormous size, measuring about 3gA inches be- 

 tween the tips of the two wings. It sucks the blood 

 of men and cattle when they are fast asleep. After 

 it is full, it disgorges the blood, and begins to suck 

 afresh, until it reduces the sufferer to a state of great 

 weakness. The rivers of Guiana abound with fish, 

 many of which are highly prized by the inhabitants ; 

 and, owing to the heat and moisture of the climate, 

 insects and reptiles of all sorts are produced in such 

 abundance, that the annoyance from this source is 

 inconceivable. These insects are flies, ants, mosqui- 

 toes, cockroaches, lizards, jack-spaniards, a large 

 species of wasp, fire-flies, centipedes, &c. The 

 native inhabitants of Guiana are continually receding 

 from the districts which are occupied by Europeans. 

 They chiefly consist of the following tribes, viz., the 

 Caribbees, the Worrows, the Accawaws, the Arro- 

 wauks. From the earliest period, the Dutch colo- 

 nies in Guiana have been exposed to depredations 

 from fugitive Negroes, who, at different periods, have 

 been driven, by the cruelty of their masters, to take 

 refuge in the woods. At one time, the colony was 

 threatened witli destruction from these bands of de- 

 serter slaves. As the European troops who were 

 sent against this enemy generally fell a prey to the 

 climate, a corps of manumitted Negroes was formed, 

 by whom the slaves were pursued into the woods ; 

 and the colony has been since freed from this source 

 of annoyance. 



GUIBERT, jACQUES-ANTOINE-HlPPOLITE, COUllt of 



was born at Montauban in 1743, educated at Paris, 

 and accompanied his father to Germany, during the 

 seven years' war, at the age of thirteen. In the 

 battle of Beliinghausen, in 1761, finding that the 

 orders which he carried were rendered unseasonable 

 by a change of circumstances, lie had the boldness to 

 alter them, and adapt them to the existing state of 



affairs. In the Corsican war in 17C6, he obtained 

 the cross of St Louis, and soon after, with the rank of 

 colonel, the chief command of the newly-levied Cor- 

 sican legion. He employed his leisure hours in liter- 

 ary occupations,* and his Essui general tie Tacti(/nc, 

 precede d'un Discours sur /' Etat dc la Politirjue et 

 de la Science militaire en Europe (London, 1778), 

 probably written. during the German campaigns, at- 

 tracted the more attention, as at that time a reform 

 was going on in almost all the armies. He after- 

 wards travelled for military purposes through Ger 

 many. His journal, Journal d'un Voyage en Alle- 

 magne, fait en 1773, Ouvrage postfmme de Guibert, 

 public par su Veuve, et precede dune Notice histori- 

 que sur la Vie de I'Auteur, par Toulongeon, avcc 

 Figures (1803), was but a mere sketch for the author's 

 use, but is interesting for its descriptions and anec- 

 dotes of celebrated men, especially of Frederic II., 

 whose great character Guibert passionately admired. 

 His tragedies have not retained their place upon the 

 stage. In 1779 appeared his Defense du Systeme de 

 Guerre moderne. In 1786, he became a member of 

 the French academy. In 1787, he wrote his famous 

 eulogy on Frederic II., one of the most splendid 

 monuments ever raised to the memory of this great 

 king. Guibert's eulogies, among which are one upon 

 Thomas, and another upon PEspinasse, are among his 

 most finished works. Vigour, fancy, clearness, and a 

 certain artlessness, engage the reader, and cause him 

 to excuse many instances of negligence. Guibert 

 was a field-marshal, and member of the council of war 

 an office which gave him much trouble. He died 

 in 1790, in the 47th year of his age. He was distin- 

 guished for ambition and for activity of spirit. 



GUICCIARDINI, FRANCIS, a celebrated historian, 

 was born March 6, 1482, at Florence, where his 

 family was of distinguished rank. He obtained so 

 great a reputation as a jurist, that in his twenty-third 

 year he was chosen professor of law, and, although he 

 had not yet reached the lawful age, was appointed 

 ambassador to the court of Ferdinand the Catholic, 

 of Spain. When Florence (1512) had lost her liberty 

 through the usurpation of the Medici, he entered the 

 service of that family, which soon availed themselves 

 of his talents. He was invited by Leo X. to his 

 court, and intrusted with the government of Modena 

 and Reggio. This office he discharged also under 

 Adrian VI., to the general satisfaction; and after- 

 wards, when Clement VII., (de' Medici) ascended 

 the papal chair, Guicciardini was sent, as luogolenente 

 of the pope, to Romagna, then torn by the factions 

 of the Guelfs and Ghibelines, and infested by robbers 

 where, by a severe and upright administration of 

 justice, he soon succeeded in restoring tranquillity. 

 He also contributed here in other ways to the public 

 good, by constructing roads, by erecting public 

 buildings, and by founding useful institutions. Hav- 

 ing been appointed lieutenant-general of the pope , 

 he defended Parma with great valour, when besieged 

 .by the French (at least he says so in his own history ; 

 Angeli, author of a history of Parma, accuses him, 

 on the contrary, of great cowardice). At a later 

 period, after the death of Giovanni de' Medici, 

 Guicciardini was invited by the Florentines to suc- 

 ceed him in the command of the famous bande ncre ; 

 but the pope, still claimed his services for a time. 

 Having quelled an insurrection in Bologna, he re- 

 turned, in spite of the instance of the holy father, to 

 his native city, where, in 1534, he began his great 

 work on the History of Italy, which has since been 

 repeatedly published, and has obtained for him great 

 reputation. It extends from 1490 to 1534. In his 

 retirement he was not without influence on state 

 affairs, and his counsels often restrained the prodi- 

 gality and the ambition of Alessandro de' Medici, wh 



