Gerona, 
Gers. 
—_—— 
GER 
hibits a magnificent front at the top of three grand ter- 
races, adorned with granite ballustrades, andthe ascent 
is by a flight of 86 steps, as broad as the whole extent 
of the church. The front, whichis flanked with three. 
hexagon towers, is ornamented with the Doric, Corin- 
thian, and Composite orders. The interior is large and 
handsome, but the nave only is Gothic. The treasury 
of the cathedral was very rich before the revolution. 
The collegiate church of ‘St Felix, formerly St. Mary’s, 
is built in the Gothic style, and has a body and two 
aisles, divided by pillars, with a large and fine casement 
in the middle, In front of the facade is an old and 
lofty tower. : 
In the Capuchin convent, there is a curious Arabian 
bath constructed in the most elegant style.’ . It.consists 
of columns standing on an octagonal stylobate, or) low 
base, which surrounds a reservoir for water, . The Be- 
nedictine nunnery of St Daniel is about a mile from 
Gerona. It is one of the principal nunneries in Cata- 
lonia of the order of St Benet,- and those ladies only are 
admitted who can bring proofs of nobility. 
The university of Gerona, founded in 1521 .by Phi- 
lip II. was abolished in 1715 by Philip V. | After the 
suppression of the order of Jesuits, the means of public 
instruction were concentrated in one college, where 
there are 900 students, who are instructed in Latin 
grammar, rhetoric, philosophy, and theology. . The li- 
brary of the Jesuits, which is now open to the public, 
is-extensive and well selected. Other three professors 
chairs are supported at the expence of thetown. - Schools 
for the gratuitous instruction of poor girls, and a board- 
ing-school for young ladies, are kept by the community 
of Beguine nuns. This institution is owing to the ge- 
nerosity of the bishop Don Thomas de,Lorenzana, who 
encouraged in his diocese, agriculture, manufactures; 
and all-the useful arts. The civil and: military admi- 
nistration of the town resides in a governor, a king’s 
lieutenant, a mayor, a governor of the little, castle of 
Mountjouy,..an alcade major for the administration of 
justice, and a municipal body of twelve regidors, and 
a small garrison. 
Very little trade is carried on in this town. | It pos- 
sesses a few looms for stockings, coarse cloths, and wool- 
len and cotton stuffs, which have been established with- 
in the last thirty years. 
Gerona is the see of a bishop suffragan of T ona. 
The diocese consists of 4 arch-deaconries, 470 parishes, 
2 collegiate chapters, and 8 abbeys or priories. -In the 
town there are five parishes, 9 convents for men ‘and 
3 for women, a nunnery of Beguines, acollege,-semina- 
ry, general “hospital, and charitable asylums. Popu- 
lation about 14,000, a fourth of whom. consisted before 
the revolutionjof priests, monks, nuns, scholars; and. 
students, See Laborde’s View of Spain, vol. iop.13, &c. 
GERS, the name of one of the departments of 
France, is so.called from the river of the ‘same name 
by which it is traversed from north to® south.’ It! is 
bounded on ‘the north by the. departments of; the Lot 
and Garonne, on the west by that of the Landes, on 
the south by those of the Higher and) Lower:iPyre- 
nees, and on the east by that of theHigh Garonne. :The: 
soil of this department is far from being fertile), The 
westerm part of it is the best, and. produces ‘some wheat; 
and a considerable quantity of wines, some of whichare: 
esteemed. » It has almost no manufactures, and itsyprin-; 
cipal trade is inbrandy, The forests occupy from 12,000» 
to 13,000 heetares, or about 25,000-acres, of which: 
one half helongs to individuals, and the restto the nas 
256 
tion and the communes. ‘The Adour.also waters the de- ~ 
partment. The following are the principal towns: ; | 
n bre} 
3 | Inhabitants. t 
Avelh .:.>s16 aie Woda OOS wah 
Condom .% 16 ee » «O91 Fir bo wy 
Lectoure ..... sien le Lat EBS ety vey 
Mirande - . ris: asf. eto nth GBB baci heats 
Lombez \.'.¢+iiins ath Eotth4B > Siete bee 
The population of the, department is 291,845. arid 
piers ere ngiion 1803, 2,660,310 francs, 
GERSAU, or Guersau, is a village of Switzerland, 
situated on the lake of Waldstettes, atthe foot of Righi, 
in an angle between the mountain of »Gersauand the 
Rothe-Schouth. Its territory is-only about one league 
broad and two leagues long, and it constitutesithe small- 
est republic in the world. . There is mot a single ‘horse 
in the republic; and, excepting a narrow path down the 
side of the steep mountain, the only way of arriving at 
the town is by water. Gersau forms partiof the canton 
of Schweitz. It contains 1500 inhabitants, who are 
employed principally in spinning: silk forthe manufac- 
turers at Basle. Ca Baty 
GERTRUYDENBERG, iis a fortified town of Hol+ 
land, situated on the river Merwe, which forms aygood 
harbour, and expands into. a considerable lake, called 
Bies Bosch, across which there en ‘two hours: 
to Dort. The town is remark incipally 
abundance of salmon, sturgeons, sad dud-adaeucng 
caught in the neighbourhood. It has sometimes: hap- 
ened, that 18,000 shads have been taken in’ one day. 
The town enjoys the staple right for this ies of fish, 
and therefore its principal trade consists in vere mer 
smoking them, and: in-sending them tothe neigh 
ing towns. Distance from Dort ten ‘miles south-east; 
from Breda seven north-east. cpus (Aewtre hy, aaa 
GESNER, or Gessner, Conrap,a learn iss, was 
born at Zurich in the year 1516. He received the ru- 
diments of his education in his) native city; and discos 
vered an early genius for literature and science; but he 
experienced many serious» difficulties and di 
ments in the course of his zealous pursuit of kn 
His father’s circumstances were insufficien in= 
tenance as a scholar ; and heswasin consequence’ about 
to discontinue his studies, when Ammien, "professor of 
Latin and eloquence at Zurich, generously took ‘yo 
Gesner into his own house, and ‘charged: 
the:caré of his education. ‘The death ofthisfather, how- 
ever, again reduced him: to. great extremities ; and his 
misfortunes were increased by his fallmg into a i< 
cal complaint. Having insome:measure his © 
health, he determined to travel and ‘seek his: fortune ; 
the Academy of Zurich: ‘inorder 
to enable him to make: the tour of France,’ Onvhis re- 
turn, he accepted an invitation fromthe: oF * 
Zurich to take charge of a sehool; but hay 
and finding his appointment inadequate to the rt 
ofa family, he resolved to:study physi ings 
ly devoted:all the time he rer wre 3 
sat mii oe ¥ 
s . 
his school to books of medicine. “\ 
usted with his situation at Zurich,’ 
Basle, and employed himself m i 
- 
Greek physicians, until/he was. i ‘Greek pro- 
fessor at Lausanne. »: Having now i ae < 
of attending to his: favourite pursuits, he wa: <i 
towépair to Montpelier, where he studied-anatomy and ; 
; PS a re L Sree 
¥ 
