G R A 



point in engraving; after which, if a new fdije be made 

 by whetting the graver, it will be frequently found very 

 good without any other alteration. Handmaid to the 

 Arts, vol. ii. p. 56. 



The other end is fitted into a wooden handle. 



Befides engravers, the feal-cutters, lock-fmilhs, gun- 

 smiths, .gold-lmiths, armourers, fpurricrs, &c. likewife 

 make ufe of gravers. 



GRAV'EROL, Francis, in Biography, was born at 

 Nifmes in 1635. He was educated for the profeffion of the 

 law, and practiled, as an advocate, in the parliament of 

 Touloufe, aud in the prefidial chamber of Nifmes, and as 

 direftor and lecretary of the academy in the latter place. He 

 was not only well veried in the ttudies connected with his 

 profeflion, but deeply read in fubjefts of general literature, 

 and particularly diltinguiflied for his knowledge of medals 

 and infcriptions. In religion he adhered ilriclly to Calvinillic 

 principles, which impeded his advancement in life, and at 

 length involved him in perfecution. To avoid the la(h of 

 cruel laws he retired to Orange, but, not thinking liimfelf 

 fafe there, he attempted t« pafs into Switzerland. In his 

 journey he was apprehended by the officers of the civil power, 

 and thrown into prifon in the citadel of Montpellier. He was, 

 after a loiig confinement, liberated, and died in the year 1694. 

 His works confill of feveral differtations on particular me- 

 dals, and othermonuments of antiquity. His " Obfervations 

 o;i the Arrets of the Parliament of Touloufe," in ^to. were 

 much elleemed He was well known to all the learned in Eu- 

 rope, and was admitted a member of the Ricovrati at Padua. 

 At ins death he had in hand fome other literary works. 

 Moreri. 



S'GRAVESAND, William James lf, in Bio^^ra- 

 pJ.'V, was born at Bois-le-Duc in the year 1688. Having 

 received the elements of learning at a common fchool, he 

 was fent to Leyden to Ihidy the civil law, but he foon ex- 

 hibited a decided tafte for philofophical and mathematical 

 ftudies, which he determined to purfue in preference to the 

 learning of the courts. He produced, when he was only 

 eighteen years old, an eKcellent '•' Effay on Perfpeftive," 

 which gave hun a confiderable reputation among the mathe- 

 maticians of the age in which he flourifiied. In 1707 he 

 took his dodlor's degreCj quitted the univerfity, and fet- 

 tled at the Hague, where he pra6tifed at the bar, and 

 cultivated an acquaintance with learned men. He joined 

 fome other perfons in conducting a periodical work, en- 

 titled " Le Journal Litteraire,'' which was continued 

 without interruption from the year 1713 to 1722. 

 S'Gravefand contributed to it the original differtations relat- 

 ing chiefly to geometry and phyfics. Among the diicourles 

 moll worthy of notice, and which were original pieces ot 

 his own compofition, were the following, " Remarks on 

 the Coriftruftion of Pneumatical Engines :'' and " An 

 Eflay on the Collifion of Bodies," which was attacked 

 by Dr. Clarke and other learned men, on account of its op- 

 pofing the principles of the Newtonian philofophy. In 1715 

 the States General fent an embaify to England, to congratu- 

 late king George I. on his accefiion to the throne of Great 

 Britain. S'Gravefand was on this occafion appointed le- 

 cretary to the perfons compofing this body, and during his 

 ftay in London, he became intimately acquainted with fir Ilaac 

 Newton, and was, upon the recommendation of tiiat great man, 

 admitted 3 member of the Royal Society. Upon his return 

 to Holland, he was appointed profefTor of mathematics and al- 

 tronomy at the univerfity at Leyden. He immediately 

 undertook to teach and illuftrate the Newtonian philofophy 

 to the ftudeuts of the univerfity, and in 1734 he had the 

 additional profefibrlhip of philofophy conferred upon liim. 

 -Vol.. XVI. 



G R A 



So great were his exertions in the feveral duties of liis office, 

 and in preparing for publication his feveral workf on the 

 fcicnces, that he injured his conllitution, and finally funk 

 luider his labours in 1742, when he was only fifly-foiir years 

 of age. His principal publications were : (l')"Phyfitcs 

 Elementa Mathematica, Expcrimentis confirmata, fiv« 

 Introduclio ad Philofophiam Ncwtoniauam,'' which confilU 

 of the author's ledures : (2) " Matlitfeos Uiiivcrfalis Ele- 

 menta," containing a fylkm of algebra for the ufe of flur 

 dents, with a conuncntary on Newton's Univerfal Aritli- 

 metic : (3) " Philofophi* Newtonianx Inllitutionrs," which 

 is an abridgment of his Elements of Phyfics: (4) » Intro- 

 dudtio ad Philofophiam, Metaphyficam, et Logicam con- 

 tinens." His mathematical and pliilofopliical works, ex- 

 cepting the firft article, were collected and puhhflied at 

 AmIIerdam, in 2 vols. 410., with an account of the life and 

 writings of the author. The private tharaftcr of S'Gravc- 

 fand was highly refpeftable and amiable : his morals wcrtf 

 exemplary, and he was beloved for his gencrofity, benevo- 

 lence, and obliging manners. He was confulted by the mi- 

 nifters of the republic on all maltcri of finance, aiid he was 

 of great fervicc to them in deciphering and detecfting the 

 fecret correfpondence of their enemies. 



GRAVESANDE, in Geography, a town of Holland, 

 dlllant about four miles from the lea, fix miles W.S.W. of 

 Delft. 



GRAVESEND, a town in the hundred of Toltirg- 

 trough, in the county of Kent, England, confills of feveral 

 llreets, built on a declivity leading to tlie Thames ; and is 

 partly fituatcd in the parilh of Milton, which adjoins to that 

 of Gravefend on the call fide. The early profperity of tin's 

 town received a confiderable check iji the reign of Richard 

 II., when the French and Spaniards failed up the Thames 

 in gallles, plundered and burned many of the houfcs, and 

 took a great number of the inhabitants prifoners. To 

 alleviate the lofs, the king was induced to give the towns-peo- 

 ple a legal claim to the water-paffage to London, by a grant 

 to the abbey of St. Mary le Grace. In the tenth of queen 

 Elizabeth the parifhes of Gravefend and Milton were incor- 

 porated by her letters patent : but the principal charter was 

 granted by Charles I. in the year 1632. The chief officer, 

 who had before this time been called the portreve, was by 

 this charter conilituted mayor ; and in him, twelve jurats, 

 twenty-four common councihncn, a fenefchall or high rtcw- 

 ard, and other inferior officers, the go\xrnment of the town 

 is now vefted. The liberty of holding two additional week- 

 ly markets on Wedneldays and Saturdays, and an annual 

 fair of four days, was alio granted at the fame time, toge- 

 ther with a full confirmation of the exclufivc privilege, 

 conferred by king Richard, of conveying palfengers and 

 goods by water to the metropolis. In Augull 1727 the 

 greater part of the town was deltroyed by a fire, which 

 commenced in a barn-yard adjoining to the church, and 

 conlumed that fabric, with about 1 20 houfes, befides out- 

 buildings, llables, &c. The prclent church, which is dedi- 

 cated to St. George, was erected on the old feite in the \-c3r 

 1732, under an act of the fourth of George II. which 

 appropriated 5CO0/ for that purpofe, from tlic duties on 

 coals and culm, levied under the acts of the ninth and 

 tenth of queen Anne, for building fifty new churches in or 

 near London. 



Gravefend has been greatly improved fince the year 1764, 

 when a new town-hall, having an area beneath where' the 

 jioultry market is kept, was erected by tlie corporation. 

 In 1767 a new wharf, crane, and caufeway, were made, x\\e 

 expvnce of keeping which in repair is defrayed by fmall 

 tolls for cranage and wharfage. The increafe of the trad^ 

 4 P popublioii. 



