G I L 
Painting with gold upon porcelain or glafs, is done 
with the powder of gold, which remains behind after 
diftilling the aqua regia, or nitro-muriatic acid, from a 
folution of that metal. It is laid on with borax and 
giun water, burned in, and poliihed. The gilding of 
glafs is commonly etFedfed by covering the part with a 
I'olution of borax, and applying gold leaf upon it, which 
is afterwards fixed by burning. 
The gilders of wood and other compofitions defigned 
to fupply the place of carved work, make ufe of two 
methods : the one called oil-gilding, or gilding in oil, 
becaufe the gold is made to adlrere by means of an oily 
dompolitionthe other is commonly called burnijlicd 
gold, on account of the burnilh it is capable of receiv¬ 
ing, which is one of the principal advantages it poliefles 
over the other method. 
Gilding in oil is performed by means of a paint fold 
under the name of gold fize. It confills of drying oil, 
that is to fay, linfeed oil boiled upon litharge, and 
mixed with yelk)w ochre. It is faid to improve in its 
quality by keeping. This is laid upon the work ; and 
wlien it has become fo dry as to adhere to the fingers 
without foiling them, the gold leaf is laid on, and 
prelTed down with cotton. Tliis method of gilding is 
proper for work intended to be expofed to the weather. 
The method of gilding in burniflied gold, confilts in 
covering the work with parchment fize and whiting, 
thinly laid on at five or fix different times. This is co¬ 
vered with a yellow fize made of Armenian bole, a little 
wax, and fome parchment fize ; but in this, as in molf 
other compofitions ufed in the arts, there are variations 
which depend on the fkill of the artift. When the fize 
is dry, the gold is applied upon the furface previoufiy 
wetted with clear water. A certain number of hours 
alter this application, but previous to the perfeiSt hard¬ 
ening of the cornpofition, the gold may be very highly 
burniflied witli a tool of agate made for that purpofe. 
This gilding is fit only for work w’ithin doors ; for it 
readily comes off upon being wetted. 
The edges of the leaves of books are gilded by ap¬ 
plying a cornpofition of one part Armenian bole, and 
one quarter of a part fugar-candy, ground together with 
white of eggs. This is burniflied with a dog’s tufk, or 
ivory polilher, wliile the book remains in the prefs, and 
the gold is laid on by means of a little water. 
The gold prepared for painting, or enamelling, is 
called Jhell-gold or gold-powder, and may be obtained by 
amalgamating one part of gold with eight of quickfil- 
ver, and afterwards evaporating the latter, which leaves 
the gold in the form of powder ; or otherwife the me¬ 
tal may be reduced to powder by mechanical tritura¬ 
tion. For this purpofe, gold-leaf muff be ground with 
honey or ftrong gum-water for a long time j and when 
the powder is fufficiently fine, the honey or gum may be 
waflied off with water. 
Leather may be gilded either with leaf-brafs or filver, 
but moft commonly by the latter; in which cafe a gold- 
coloured varnifli is laid over the metal, as direfted 
above. Tin-foil is now very frequently ufed inlfead of 
filver-leaf, for this lefs perfedl kind of gilding; but it 
muff only be ufed upon fuch works as do not poflTefs 
flexibility. Among the falfe gilding may alfo be rec¬ 
koned that which is made with the thin leaves of cop. 
per or brafs, called Dutch-leaf, upon the furface of paper 
in diverfe figures and flowers, and denominated gilt im- 
bojfed paper, commonly ufed for the coverings of chil¬ 
dren’s books, and for ornaments of various kinds. 
By feveral ancient llatutes, the gilding of any metal 
but filver, and church ornaments ; or filveringany thing 
except the apparel of peers, &c. and metal for knights’ 
Ipurs, is liable to forfeiture of ten times the value, and 
a year’s imprifonment. None fhall gild rings or other 
things made of copper or latten, on pain to forfeit five 
ounds to the king, and damages to the party deceived, 
or gilding filver wares, no pejfon may take above four 
a 
(j I Tj 567 
Ihillings and eight-pence for 3 pound of troy weight, 
under penalties. 5 Hen, IV. c. jj. 3 Hen. V. c. 4. 
8 He n . V. c. 3. 
GILP'MERCHANT’, f. One of thofe merchants 
which have privilege to hold pleas of lands among 
tliemf'elves. Scott. 
GIL'DO, Con of Nabal, and brother to the tyrant 
Firmus, ferved the emperor Theodofuis in his brother’s 
revolt in 373 with lb much fidelity, that the forfeited 
patrimony of the family was beftowed upon him, and 
he was railed to the dignity of the chief command in 
Africa. When dilienfions arofe between the eaftern and 
weflern empires, Gildo was perfuaded by the minifler 
Eutropius to revolt from Honorius his legal fovereign, 
and acknowledge Arcadius. In the mean time a deadly 
feud arofe between Gildo and his younger brother Maf- 
cezel, in which the latter had beqn obliged to take re- 
fuge at the court of Konorius. Gildo inffantly fatiated 
his vengeance upon the two children of his brothei, 
whom he barbaroufly m.urdered. Mafeczel, burning 
for revenge, was employed by Stilicho to lead a chofen 
but fmall body of Europeans to the invalionof Africa. 
They landed in 398, and encamped in the face of the 
army of Gildo, which was foon overthrown and de¬ 
feated. Gildo efcaped to the fea-fhore, where he em¬ 
barked with an intention of feeking a foreign refuge, 
but being driven by adverfe winds to the harbour of 
Tabraca, he was feized by the inhabitants and thrown 
into prifon. There, an a6t of filicide faved him from 
the fate he had to expebf from an injured brother. His 
revolt was confidered as an event of fo much importance 
to the empire, that the poet Claudian made the “ Gil- 
donic war” the fubjeft of one of his tributes to the ho¬ 
nour of the hero Stilicho; but it is come down to us in 
a mutilated Hate. 
GILD'RENT, y. Certain rent payable to the king 
from any gild or fraternity. 
GIL'EAD (Land of), or Mount Gilead, a part of 
Paleftine, fituated call of Jordan, which, previous to its 
conquefl: by Ifrael, formed a part of the kingdom of the 
Amorites, whofe laft king, Sihon, in attempting to hin¬ 
der their paffage through his territory, loll both his 
kingdom and his life. Gilead being part of their firlf 
acquilition in Palefline, Mofes immediately, in compli¬ 
ance with their requeifs, divided one half to the tribe 
of Gad ; the other to the half-tribe of Manalfeh in Ba- 
fhan; as a part of their refpefitive inheritances. It is 
frequejitly ftyled Mount Gilead from the range of moun¬ 
tains forming its eaftern boundary ; and its uncommon 
fertility is celebrated throughout Scripture ; hence we 
read of the balm and the flocks of Gilead, of its being a 
place for cattle, and of the I flimaelites and Midlanites 
trading here-for fpicery, balm, and myrrh, even in the 
days of the patriarch Jacob. It is allb remarkable tor. 
feveral events: here Jacob was overtaken by his uncle. 
Laban; here the Ammonites encamped againft Ilrael in 
the days of Jephtha ; here I fli-boflieth the fon of Saul 
was proclaimed king by Abner in oppofition to .David; 
and here the armies of Ifrael and ot Abfalom pitched, 
when Abfalom rebelled againft David his father. It is 
alfo celebrated in the Maccabean wars tor the battles, 
fought by them under Judas, and is diftinguilhed by the 
names of Galaad or Galead. Several eminent perfons- 
were natives of this place; Jair, who judged Ilrael 
twenty-two years ; Jephtha, whojudged Ilrael fix years; 
and Barzillia, David’s friend. Elijah the prophet alfo 
dwelt here. Gen.xxxi.23. xxxvii. 25. xxxii. i., 
Deut. Vi. 26, See. iii. i—17. Jfh- xiii. 24-31. judges, x.. 
3,17. xi. I, 29. iSam.h. <). xvii. 26, &c. iMacc.v.. 
GIL'EAD, the fon of Machir, and grandlbn of Ma- 
nalfeh, had his inheritance allotted him in the moijn.- 
tains of Gilead, whence he took his name. 
GIL'FIAD (Balm of). SccAmykis. 
GIL'EADITE, y. An inhabitant of Gilead; a de-- 
feendant of Gilead. 
GILES, 
