G R A 



tKe popularity which he acquired, and [retained him as pro- 

 queftor in Sardinia in order to keep him at a diftance from 

 tlie Roman forum. Perceiving their intentions, he ventured, 

 in defiance of their orders, to quit tlie ifland without leave 

 of his commander, and fuddenly made his appearance at 

 Rome. He was called to account for this breach of military 

 difcipline, but \\^s readily acquitted. Soon after he became 

 a candidate for the tribuneihip, and fuch was the zeal of the 

 people in his favour, that the Campus Martins was not able 

 to contain the multitude who flocked from the Italian towns 

 to fupport his election, and many gave their votes from the 

 tops of the adjacent houfes. Caius had not forgotten the 

 enemies of Tiberius, and would have purfucd them to their 

 deilruftion, but was probably difliiaded from it by his mother. 

 His fpeeches were calculated to revive the indignation of the 

 people againll the fenators for their conduct towards Tibe- 

 rius, and he propofed and carried motions for confirming his 

 brother's laws, and the pafling of others ftiU more obnoxious 

 to the patricians. He was appointed commifTioner for the 

 divilion of lands among the poor citizens and allies, and in 

 liis progrefs through Italy he employed his talents and 

 wealth in repairing roads, building bridges, and in other 

 wOrks equally ufeful and important. He eflablifhed public 

 granaries in Rome, from which the citizens were to have 

 their monthly diftributions of corn at a low price, the ex- 

 pences of which were to be defrayed by duties laid on goods 

 imported into the dominions of the late king Attains. By 

 thefe, and other aCls of a like kind, he fo ingratiated him- 

 felf with the people, that he was chofen a fecond time 

 tribune. Triumphing in his fuccefs, he propoied a law for 

 transferring from the lenators to the knights the cognizance 

 of all private caufes. When he had obtained his purpofe he 

 exclaimed, " at length I have humbled the fenate." He 

 now felt himfelf the arbiter of the repubhc, and treated the 

 patricians with contempt. This behaviour haftened his 

 ruin. There is a point, beyond which the mod fuccefsful 

 man, whatever be his pretenfions, cannot go with fafety. 

 Caius had tranfgrelTed this boundary, and his enemies were 

 perpetually on the watch for opportunities to check his 

 power, and to introduce rivals who might, by the appear- 

 ance of more liberality, depreciate his reputation and influence 

 in the ftate. During his abfence in Africa his enemies 

 were ever on the alert to injure his fair fame, and to afcribe 

 unwortliv and bafe motives to all that he did or propofed to 

 do ; and in the tumult which accompanied the difcullion of 

 fome of his laws after lus return, he fled to the temple 

 of Diana, and, unwilling to facrifice either himfelf or his 

 adherents to popular fur)-, he propofed terms of accommo- 

 dation. Thefe were rejefted by the arts of Opimius the 



I conful, and a price was inft;antly fet upon the heads of 

 Gracchus and his friend Fulvius. A formal battle enlued, 

 in which multitudes were flain on both fides, and the popu- 

 lace without hefitation deferted their friends : Fulvius con- 

 cealed himfelf, but, being difcovered, was inftantly killed. 

 Gracchus, having folemnlv imprecated upon the heads of the 

 Roman people perpetual llavery for the bafe defertion of the 

 caufe, left the city and paffed acrofs the bridge named Sub- 

 llcius. His retreat was favoured by two faithtul friends, who 

 defended the bridge till they fell covered with wounds. In 

 the mean time Gracchus reached a grove facred to the furies, 



1 where it is faid a flave, by his order, firll difpatched him, and 

 then put an end to his own life. Others have, however^ 

 o-iven a different account of the matter; they fay that he 

 was overtaken by his enemies, and by them flain. His 

 liead was cut off and fold to the conful for its weight in gold. 

 The body was thrown into the Tyber, but afterw ards being 

 taken from the water it was delivered to hxi afflicted motlier 

 Vol. XVI. 



G R A 



for burial. This cataflrophe, in which three thoufand per* 

 fons pcrifhcd, happened in the year 121 1} C, and the fenate 

 immediately proceeded to abolilh all the law, of the Gracchi. 

 Their names, however, were Hill fondly cherilhcd by the 

 people, llatues were erected to their memory, and the place* 

 in wliich they were killed were confecratcd, by religious 

 rites, to their manes. Caius has been generally confidercd at 

 kfs pure in his intentions, and lefs moderate in his plans, than 

 Tiberius. From the evidence ef hillory it Ihould feem, that 

 the dilhirbance of the public tranquillity was rather owing to 

 his oppofers tlian to iiim ; " fo that," kys tlie hillorian, 

 •' inllead of calling the tumults of that period the " fedition 

 of the Gracchi," we Ihould rather call them the fedition 

 of tlie fenate againft the Gracchi, fince the efforts of the 

 latter were made in vindication of a law, to which the fe- 

 nate had affented, and as the dcfigns of the former were fup- 

 ported by an armed power from the country tliat had never 

 before interfered in tlie bufinefs of legiflation, and the in- 

 troduction of which gave a mod irrecoverable blow to the 

 conftitution. Caius in his pcrfon was graceful, his action 

 was ftrong and imprelTive, his voice of great compafs and 

 melodious when the vehemence of his pleading did not raifc 

 it to too high a key ; to correct this defect he was accullom- 

 ed to place a judicious perfon behind him with a pitch-pipc.by 

 which lie was enabled to regulate his tone. lu temper he wa» 

 warmer than Tiberius, nor was he dillinguilhed by fohriety 

 of maimers, though in this refpedt lie might be advantageouflf 

 compared to the Roman voutli in general. Plutarch. 

 Univer. Hift. 



GRACE, GuATr.A, 'x='-P''> '" 7y'C0%V> denotes in general 

 any gift or favour, wliicli God freely bellows upon mankind i 

 whether fuch gift pertains to the prefent or future life : but 

 as thofe which relate to the improvement of their temper, 

 and their fitnefs for final happinefs, were favours of tJie 

 greatelt importance, this term is by way of eminence 

 applied to them. The proper fignitieationof the word^rjre 

 is favour ; — favour in fuch a fenfe as denotes nu-rcy and 

 goodnefs in a fuperior, either remitting lomewhat of his own 

 right, or conferring fomewhat beneficial upon others, frieh 

 and without any obligation of debt. And becaufe this may 

 be done in various modes and in a great diverfity of inllanccs, 

 hence the word ^rarf in fcripture is accordingly applied in a 

 correlponding diverfity of fignifications. Sometimes it 

 fignilies thofe extraordinary gifts and favours of the Holy 

 Gholl, by which the apollles were enabled to demoiillratc 

 the truth of their commifTion, to preach their doc\rines with 

 authority, to convince gainfayers w ith evidence, and to go- 

 vern the churches by a proper dillHbution ai different 

 trulls and offices. The gifts or power,", by wliich the apoltle* 

 were enabled to do all thefe things witli extraordinary effica- 

 cy and fuccefs, are therefore called grace, becaufe they 

 arc not at all natural acquifitions but free gifts of God ; 

 dillributed to every one, not according to the will of man, 

 but at fuch times, and in fuch proportions, and to liich pcr- 

 fons, and for fuch purpofes as God himfelf pleated. Sec 

 Rom. i. 5. Ephef. iv. 7. II. 



In other palTages, the fame word is ufcd to fignity that 

 exti-aordinary affillance and fupport which God has been 

 pleafed fometimes to afford to his lVr\-ants under extraordi- 

 nary difficulties and trials ; and this is called grace, becaiile 

 it is conlidered as given particularly and gratuitoufly upon ex- 

 tiaoidinarv occalions over and above ihc general iiipport* 

 ariliiig from the confideratioiisof realbn.aiid from tlie pnmiifes 

 and motives of the gofpel in general. See i Cor. xii. 9. 



A third fenfe, in whioh the word grace lometinus occurs 



in the New Tellament, is to exprefs fuch moral »irtuc« as 



are the effects of men's being intlueuccd by the fpiritual 



^ X motives 



