G I O 



G I O 



a word applied to feveral different fubftances, and fometimcs 

 ni'ed as tint ditlinft names of tlu-m ; fometimcs only as an 

 epithet to tlicni. It is generally ufed by Avicennaas a name 

 for arfenic, fometimes for iintimony ; and in iSerapion, we 

 oftf n find it {landing for any of the mineral poifons. The 

 original meaning of the \v(ird is no more than what the 

 Greeks cxpreffcd by the word oucri», fnljiance ; but it became 

 applied to feveral tilings moil eminent in their way ; as lo nr- 

 fenie, the moll fatal of poUons ; to antimony, fuppofed at 

 that time the moll valuable of medicines ; and to pearls, as 

 the moll valuable of gems. 



GIOBAIl, mGco^rjphy, a town of Afiatic Turkey, in 

 the province of Diarbekir ; 20 miles N.W of Tecrit. 



GTOCONDO, Frax. Giovanni, in Bw^t-aphy, who 

 flonriflied in the fifteenth century, was a native of Verona, 

 where he taught the learned languages for a fubii Hence. 

 Among his pupils was the celebrated Julius C;t'far Scaliger. 

 He atterwards became a monk, and was claimed as a bro- 

 ther both by tlie Dominicans and Francifcans. He was ex- 

 tremely learned in matliematies, and contributed much to 

 the revival of clafiical learning, by the colleftion of ancic:it 

 monuments and manufcripts. He prefented to Lorenzo de 

 Medici a colletlion of ancient infcriptions which he had com- 

 piled in Rome. Giocoudo was fome time at the coin-t of 

 the emperor Maximilian. He vilited France, and was em- 

 ployed to build two bridges over the Seine. After this he 

 obtained the title of Architect -royal in France. The time 

 of his death has not been afcertained : it is fuppofed he did 

 not furvive, very long, the year 1 521, as he calls himfelf 

 an old man, eight years before this, in the dedication of a 

 work to Juliano de Medici. He materially ferved the caufe 

 of literature by fjveral works, which did him much credit 

 as a writer, as they likewife extended his lame as an artill. 

 He puhlilhed an edition of Pliny's epillles, and gave a cor- 

 reiit edition of Vitruvius, illullrated with ligures, which he 

 dedicated to pop? .lulius H. He took a part in editing 

 many other works of the ancients, and was the firft pericm 

 who gave a defign of Crefar's bridge over the Rhir-.e. In 

 1 506 he wrote four difTertatlons, audreffed to the magiftracy 

 of Venice, concerning the waters of that city. He was em- 

 ployed with Raphael and San Gallo in iuperintendlng the 

 ereAiofi of St. Peter's. His kill work was, probably, tiie 

 rebuilding of the Hone bridge of Verona. Gen. Biog. 



GIOFAR, Al, in Geography, a town of Arabia; S 

 miles S. S. E. of Rabogh. 



GIOGI, a town of Tranfdvania, fituated near the Ma- 

 ros; 14 miles S. W. of Millenbach. 



GIOJA, or GiovA, Flavio, in Biography, was born 

 at Pafitanc, near Amalli, in the kingdom of Naples, about 

 the rear i ^00. Little is known of the hillory of his lite, 

 except that he is thought to have been the difcoverer of the 

 direitive power of the magnet, by which it difpofes its 

 poles along the m.crldian of every place, or nearly h>, and 

 to have aiiplied this important faft to the purpoles ol navi- 

 gation, under the form of a compafs. As a proof that this 

 inllrumeut was the invention of a fubjeCt ot tlie king of 

 Naples, who was a junior branch of the royal family of 

 France, i; is faid he marked the north point with a fleur- 

 de-lis, by which it is dlilir.gui.'hed by the pcv-ple of every 

 coantrv. As a memorial of this difcovery, the territory of 

 Principato, in which Gioja was born, bears, for its arms, a 

 compais. It mufl not, however, be concealed, that the 

 Frencli and the Englifh have claimed for themfelves the 

 honour : and many auth.ors of reputation have given It to the 

 Chinefe, who are reported to have known its uie long be- 

 fore their intercourfe with Europeans, and that the fecret 



was brought to Italy by Marco Polo. Moreri. See the ar- 

 ticle Com CASS, 



GioiA, in Geography, a town of Naples, in the province 



of Bari ; 14 miles S. S. W. of Convorfano Alfo, a town of 



Naples, in Abruzzo Ultra; 7 miles S. E. of Cclano — Alfo, 

 a town of Naples, in Calabria Ultra; 7 miles S. of Nicofra. 

 GIOMELU, a body of the fpahis, or horfe, in the fcr- 

 vice of the grand fignior. 



CilONl PiAvo, St. in Geography, a town of Naples, in 

 Capitanata; 8 miles S. S. W. of Jx-hna. 



GIORASH, a town of Arabia, in Yemen; 60 mile* 

 N. W. of Saade. 



GIORDANI, Vital, in Biography, was born at Bi- 

 tonto, a town belonging to the kingdcnn of Naples, in irt^-j. 

 He was intended for the church, but dcferted the Undies 

 neceffary for tliat profeffion, and mjrried when he had no 

 means of providing for tlie fupport of a family. After this 

 he led an idle Dfe, quarrelled with his reiations, murdered 

 his brother, and fought for fafety by leaving his countrv. 

 He entered as a comiiKni foldier on board the gallevs, v.-!,.'clr 

 pope Innocent X. fent agalnft the Turks in the Levant. lie 

 was prefenl in fi veral attions, and gave abundant prc'~fs of 

 his courage and heroifm. His talents led him to promot'on 

 and he was made purfer, a iituatlon v.hlch obliged him to 

 improve himfelf in aritlimetic, of which he fcarcely kn'-\v 

 the elements. What his duty required him to leam, his 

 iiiclinatiou led him to purfue with plealure and delight ; 

 he became an able mathematician, and was at length 

 chofen pnjfelfor of mathematics to Chrillina, queen of Swe- 

 den. Lewis XIV. appointed him ]>n;feffor cf the fame 

 branch of fclence in tlie Academy of Sculpture and Paintin"-. 

 Tills was in i66<'>, and in 1672 pope Clement X. made him 

 Ills engineer, and profeffor at the College of Wifdoin. By 

 his great prudence, regularity, and temperance, he redeem- 

 ed Ills characler, and died in his 78lh year. His principal 

 works are " Euchde Reftltuto," 16S6, folio. " Funda- 

 mentum Doflrinse Motus Gravium," and " Ad Hvacin- 

 thum Chrillophorum Epiilola." Mor-eri. 



GIORDANO, LucA, an hidorical painter, born at 

 Napls in 1629. His father was an artiil of no great re- 

 pute, who, fancying his fon Lnca had an inclination to 

 painting, employed iiim very early m the practice ofthi* 

 art ; by wliicii means he acquired an uncommon ficility of 

 handling the jiencil, and iucceeded in imitating the works 

 of great mailers. By this, when very young, he gained 

 for his parents conlidcn.ble wealth; and fo e;iger was his 

 father tJ make advantage of his ingenuity, that he fcarcelv 

 allowed the youth time to eat iiis meals, but v.as continually 

 urgnig him to purfue his labours by repeating fo inccirantly 

 Luc.i fa preilo, ( l.uca make hi'Pe,) that fa jircllo becan-.e his 

 nick-name among his compmlons. 



His lirft mailer of any note was .Tofeph de Ribera, called 

 Spignoletto; to wliofe ilyle he, for a time, fo much ad- 

 hered, as to puz/le the moll difcerning critics. From 

 Naples he rcmo\' J to Rome, where he indullrioully ftudied 

 the noble remains of antiquity, and the works of < minent 

 mailers in the art. He iixed l:imlelf uuliappilv with Pletro 

 Co tona, by which it is probable his brilliant inl.^gillation 

 wa< tauglit to expand itielf in a moiv imperfect and trifling 

 m inner than it was originally capable of entertaining. His 

 rjady liaud, and the freedom, boldnefs, and preciiion of his 

 touch, was exaftlv what Cortona required, and wi;h hira he 

 wrought on many noble works in frelco; and was fo in- 

 credibly expeditious in that way, tiiat he could difpatch as 

 much work in a day, as ajiy other painter could ni a week. 

 His imagination was exceedingly iertile; and tiiis, with 

 the readinefs of liis liand, and the confcq\ient abundance cf 



