GOVERNOR'S ISLAND 



2548 



GRACES 



minion in purely local affairs. His attitude 

 toward Canadian political factions is that of 

 strict neutrality. He is appointed by the Eng- 



FLAG OF THE 

 GOVERNOR-GENERAL 



lish ruler, usually for a term of five years; 

 his salary is $50,000 per annum. See CANADA, 

 subtitle Government. 



GOVERNOR'S ISLAND, a small island in 

 the Bay of New York, near the lower end of 

 Manhattan Island, at the entrance to East 

 River. Originally it comprised sixty-five acres, 

 but this area has been almost doubled by the 

 addition of filled-in land. It is used entirely 

 by the United States government for military 

 purposes, and besides forts Jay, Castle, Wil- 

 liam and South Battery, for military protec- 

 tion of the great metropolis, contains buildings 

 for the principal commanding officers. 



GRACCHUS, grak'us, the name of a distin- 

 guished Roman family, of which the following 

 were prominent members: 



Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, a Roman 

 magistrate (born about 210 B.C.), who also 

 served as a general in Spain and Sardinia. He 

 married Cornelia, daughter of Scipio Africanus 

 the Elder, and was the father of the two best- 

 known Gracchi, to whom their mother referred 

 as her jewels. 



Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (?160-133 

 B.C.), a Roman politician, served under his 

 brother-in-law, the younger Scipio Africanus, 

 at the siege of Carthage and was the first man 

 to mount the walls. He was appointed quaes- 

 tor in 137 B. c. in Spain and served there in the 

 Numantine war. In 133 B. c. he was elected 



tribune of the people and sought to introduce 

 land reforms to improve the condition of the 

 poorer classes. At the end of his term he 

 tried, contrary to the laws, to secure reelection, 

 and was killed in the disturbance that fol- 

 lowed. 



Caius Sempronius Gracchus (158-121 B.C.) 

 was a quaestor in Sardinia in 126 B. c. and 

 was afterwards elected tribune of the people. 

 He renewed the law of his brother, and tried 

 to substitute a democracy for the existing 

 aristocratic form of government. He was 

 reflected to the tribuneship in 122 B. c., but 

 became unpopular and failed to win the office 

 a third time. Riots ensued, and at his own re- 

 quest Caius was killed by his slave. See 

 TRIBUNE; QUAESTOR. 



GRACE, DAYS 'OF, three days allowed in 

 which to make payment of a note or draft after 

 the day on which it becomes due. These days 

 were formerly allowed as a favor, and the 

 name arose from this fact, but the courts sanc- 

 tioned the custom and it grew into law which 

 remained in effect for many years. No days 

 of grace are now allowed in over half of the 

 states of the Union, except on sight drafts. 

 Bankers' checks and notes on demand are pay- 

 able without grace, and no days of grace are 

 allowed on time paper. In the United States, 

 when the last day of grace (in states where 

 allowed) falls on a legal holiday or Sunday, 

 the note is payable on the first business day 

 thereafter, but in England and Canada on the 

 preceding day. 



GRACES, THE THREE, in Greek mythology, 

 the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, the three 

 goddesses who presided over the dance, the 

 banquet and all kindred pleasures and polite 

 accomplishments. The English poet Spenser 

 describes them in these words: 



These three on men all gracious gifts bestow 

 Which deck the body or adorn the mind, 

 To make them lovely or well-favored show; 

 As comely carriage, entertainment kind. 

 Sweet semblance, friendly offices that bind, 

 And all the complements of courtesy : 

 They teach us how to each degree and kind 

 We should ourselves demean, to low, to high, 

 To friends, to foes ; which skill men call civility. 



In the writings of the Greek poet Hesiod 

 they are given the names of Aglaia (Bright- 

 ness), Euphrosyne (Joy) and Thalia (Bloom). 

 Homer represents them in the Ody.w<i a-< tin 

 attendants of Aphrodite. In art they are 

 grouped together, usually embracing each other 

 or clasping hands. There is a well-known 

 painting of the Three Graces in the Louvre. 



