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G I R 
GI'RAN, a town of Africa, in the country of Al¬ 
giers : forty-five miles fouth-eaft of Ouran. 
GI'RANCOURT, a town of France, in the depart¬ 
ment of ti'.e Vofges, and chief place of a canton, in (he 
diftr'dt of Epinal : one league and three quarters weft 
of Rpinai, and three and a half fouth-eaft of Mirecourt. 
GIR'ANDOLE, J'.- [French.] A kind of branched 
car.rileftick. 
GIRAPIE'TRA, a town of the iftand of Candia : 
fixteen miles fouth-weft of Settia. 
GI'RAR, a ftrong fortrefs of Hindooftan, in the 
country of Malwa: forty miles fouth-eaft ot Shande- 
ree, and tliirty-two eaft-north-eaft of Kimlafla. 
GI'RARD (Gabriel), diftinguifhed for his writings 
on the French language, and as being almoner to the 
duchefs of Berry, and king’s interpreter for the Scla- 
vonian and Ruftian languages. He was admitted into 
the French academy in 1744, and died in 1748, at the 
age of feventy. His principal work was Synonymes Fran¬ 
cois-, the purpofe of wlftch was to ftiew that the French 
words ufually accounted fynonymous, have, almoft all, 
fnades of difference, which, in correct fpeech, (hould 
prevent them from being ufed indiiferently. This po- 
iition he illuftrates by fliort fentences, in which the 
words are introduced, and which are generally ufeful 
maxims or delicate fentiments, chofen with much tafte 
and a very nice difcrimination. No work of the gram¬ 
matical kind was ever more pleafing to read ; and Vol¬ 
taire fays of it, “that it will iubfift as long as the lan¬ 
guage, and will even ferve to make it fubfiit.” A new 
edition of it, much augmented, was publiftied by M. 
Beaiizee, in 1769, 2 vols. i2mo. The abbe Girard 
alfo wrote a French grammar, entitled Prmcipcs de la 
Langue Franfoife, 2 vols. 121110. 1747, which has conlide- 
rable mciit. 
GI'RARD DE VILLETHIER'RI (John), a French 
prieft, born at Paris, where he died in 1709, at the age 
of fixty-eight years. He is highly praifed for his piety 
and his virtues, and for being the author of a great 
number of practical and devotional trcatiles. His works 
have been Irequently printed, and, according to Dupin, 
taken coileddively, form a body of pradlical morality 
adapted to all conditions ; founded on the Scriptures, 
the canons, the councils, and the fathers. 
GIRARDON' (Francis), an eminent French fculp- 
tor, born in 1630, the fon of a founder at Troyes in 
Champagne. After acquiring tafte and pradtice in his 
native city, he went to Paris, and improved liimfelf un¬ 
der the fculptor Anguier. The reputation he acquired 
by his performances caul'ed him to be fent by the king 
with a liberal penfion to Rome. On his return he was 
admitted into the academy of painting in 1657, and ob¬ 
tained the patronage of Le Bum, which he returned by 
an unlimited deference. He wrought much from the 
deligns of that painter ; and was, doubtlel's, not ill- 
-pleafcd wlien the dilcouragement of Le Brim caiifed 
the celebrated iciilptor Puget to quit Paris and return 
to Marleilles. Girardon is reckoned to have had more 
corr'ebtnefs than invention4 and he modelled with more 
facility than he worked in marble, for his chifel is 
thought to have generally left an impreffion of heavi- 
nefs. His works are, however, conlidered as mafter- 
pieces in the art. Among the principal are four of the 
figures compofmg the group of the baths of Apollo, 
and the rape of Prolerpine; both in the gardens of 
Verfailles : the equel'trian ftatue of Louis XI.V. the 
largeft that had been caft at a fingle fonti and the maii- 
foleum of cardinal Richelieu, 'in the church of tire 
Sorbonne. Fie made a prefent to his native place of a 
grand medallion of white marble reprefenting Lou is XIV. 
He cultivated the friendfhip of the fine writers of the 
age, feveraldf whom have perpetuated his name. He 
rofe through the various dignities in the academy to 
that of chancellor, to which he was nominated in 1695. 
After having adorned the capital and other parts of the 
G T R 
kingdorit with a number of works, and rifen to tliehead 
of his profeftion, he died in 1715, at the age of eighty- 
five, and w'as'buried in the iplendid tomb which he had 
erebted for his wife at Troyes. 
/GIRASO'LE, f. igirqfol, Fr.] The opal ftone, or 
that which is called cat's eye. The word is fometimes 
applied to femi-tranfparent milk-white porcelain. 
GIRCH, a river of North Wales, which runs into 
the fea, near Piillhely, in Caernarvonftiire. 
GIRCHS'BECK, a town of Germany, in the duchv 
of Holftein ; eleven miles fouth-fouth-wefi: of Segebero-, 
and fix weft-fouth-wcll of Oldeftohe. 
ToGIRD, D.(2. girded, or girt •, [^ypban. Sax.] 
To bind round.—They fprinkled earth upon their lieads, 
and girded their loins with fackcloth. 2 Mac. x. 3.—To 
put on fo as to furround or bind.—Cords of the bignefs 
of packthread were faftened to bandages, which the 
woi Kinen had girt round my neck. Swift. —To fallen by 
binding.—He girt his warlike harnefs about him. i Mac. 
i,i. 25. 
Let us rife at once, gird on our fwords. 
And, at the head of our remaining troops. 
Attack the foe. Addifon, 
To inveft : 
Stoop then, and fet your knee againfl: my foot; 
And in reguerdon of that duty done, 
I gird thee with the valiant fword of York. Skake/peare. 
To drefs ; to habit; to clothe.—I girded thee about 
with fine linen, and I covered thee with lilk. Ezek. xy'i. 10. 
Tyfiphone there keeps the ward. 
Girt in her fanguine gown, by night and day, 
Obfervant of the fouls that pafs the downward way. 
Dry den. 
To cover round as a garment: 
Thefe, with what fkill they had, together few’d. 
To gird their waift: : vain covering, if to hide 
Their guilt, and dreaded fhame ! Milton. 
To furnifli; to equip : 
So to the coaft of Jordan he direifls , 
His eafy fteps, girded with fnaky wiles. Milton, 
To inclofe ; to incircle; 
That Nyfeian ille. 
Girt with the river Triton, where old Cham 
Hid Amalthea, and her florid fon. 
Young Bacchus, from his ftepdame Rhea’s eye. Milton. 
To reproach; to gibe.—Being mov’d, he will not [pare 
to gird \.\\c god. Shakefpeare. 
To GIRD, V. n. [by tranfpofition from gride or c«<.] 
To break a fcornful jell; to gibe; to fneer.—Men of 
all forts take a pride to gird dt me. Shakefpeare. 
This wondred error growth 
At which our critics gird. ~ Drayton. 
GIRD, /! A twitcli ; a pang: it may come from the 
fenl'ation caufed by a bandage or girdle drawn hard lud- 
denly. This word is now leldom ufed, unlefs the for¬ 
mer etymology be admitted.—Confcience by this means 
is freed from many fearful girds and twinges which the 
atheill feels. Tillotfoa. 
Sweet king ! the biftiop hath a kindly gird: 
For fname, my lord of Wincheller, relent. Shakefpeare. 
GIR DER, f. in architedlure; the largeft beam or 
piece of timber fupporting a floor, d'hei.r ends are ufu¬ 
ally faftened into the fummers, or breaft-fummers ; and 
the joills are framed in at one end to the girders. By 
the ftatiite for rebuilding London, no girder is to lie lefs 
than ten incites into the wall, and their ends to be always 
laid in loam, &c. The Ihorter bearings a girder has, 
and the oftener it is fupported l?y tiie internal or parti¬ 
tion walls, fo much the Itronger will be the building in 
proportion-as the tie is greater. 
Thefe 
