GOT 
Cial exertions. Forty miles foiith of Uddcvalla. Lat. 
^7. 42. N. Ion. 29. ig. E. Ferro. 
GO'TFIIA, an ifland in the Baltic, fo called from 
the ancient Go» lis. 
GOTli'IC, adj. [from Got/i.'] Spoken by the Goths. 
—They are to be found witli little variation in the other 
collateral laugutiges del’cendcd iVoni th.e GoUuc. Tyrtfintl.. 
Uncivilized.—Ah ! rultic ruder than Gothic. Congreve. 
GO'litIC ARCHITECTURE. That llyle of build¬ 
ing wltich diltinguillies our cathedrals, and many other 
ancient fabrics.—See Architect u re, vol. ii. p. 78-86. 
GCTH'i'CISM, f. [from Gothic.'\ Gothic arcliitec- 
tjn'C.—I am glad you enter into the Ipirit of Stravrberry- 
calUe, it has a purity'and propriety of Gothkifm in it. 
Gray'i Letters. —d'lie fta’te of barbarians.—Night, Gothkifm, 
confulion, andablbluce chaos, are come again. Shenjlone. 
GOTh'LAND, a country of Sweden, bounded on the 
north by Sweden Proper, on the eafi: and fouth by the 
Baltic, and on the weft by the Sound, the German 
Ocean, and Norway. This country was'inhabited by a 
nation which had its origin from the Getae, or Tartars 
of the Crimea ; and was united to Sweden by Suercher. 
It is a pleafant and fertile country, confifting of good 
arable and pafture land ; with lakes and rivers, which 
abound in filh ; it has alfo forefts and mines. It contains 
forty-eight towns, and is divided into Eaft Gothland, 
V/eft Gothland, and South Gothland. 
GOTH'LAND (Eaft), is bounded on the north by 
the provinces oi'Nericia and Sudermanland, on the eaft 
by the Baltic, on the fouth by Smaland, and on the 
weft by the ‘W etter Lake, w hich feparates it from'Vt'’'eft 
Gothland, about eighty miles in length, and feventy in 
breadth. This country was formerly governed by its 
particular kings an'd laws. It produces wiieat, rye, bar¬ 
ley, oats, peafe, &c. in fucli plenty as to fupply the 
neighbouring provinces with thele lorts of grain. It 
has°alfo many fine orchards, rich meadows and paftures, 
lakes, and rivers, abounding with a variety of filh, ex- 
tenlive forefts, fome of which are of oak and birch ; pro¬ 
fitable iron-;; ines and founderies, q^uarries of ftone and 
inarblej flatting-mills, and other machines for lhe im¬ 
provement of manufacture. The occupations oi the in¬ 
habitants are agriculture, grazing,* hunting, and filhing; 
and in fome places they are employed in the inines. 
The principal towns are Nerdkioping, Soderkioping, 
Linkioping, and Wadftena. 
GOTH'LAND (South), is divided into three pro¬ 
vinces, Schonen, Haland, and Blekingen, which from 
time immemorial, have undergone many vicillitudes and 
changes. Sometimes they were fubjebt to the crown of 
Denmark, at other times they were recovered by the 
Swedes' but at length king Charles Gultavus annexed 
them for ever to the Swedilh dominions, by the treaty 
of Kofchild, in 1658. 
GOTti'LAND (Weft), is bounded on the north by 
Warmeland, on the eaft by Ncricia, the Wetter Lake, 
and Smaland, on the Icuiit by Smaland and Haland, 
and on the weft by the Scaggerac ; about 115 miles in 
lenoth, and fifteen in breadth. It was formerly an in¬ 
dependent kingdom, governed by its own laws. The 
foil produces corn, vegetables, and fruit, witli excel¬ 
lent paftures, lo that the inl-.-bitants lend cheefe and 
butter to other provinces. The rivers, lakes, and fea- 
coaft abound with filh. Iron-w g.rks, alum-works, and 
paper-mills, are creCitd in leveral places. '1 he princi¬ 
pal occupations oftiie inhabiitants are agriculture, graz¬ 
ing, and filhing. The principal towns are Gotheburg, 
W e’nnelbura, Lidkoping, and Ealkioping. 
GO'l t.'LAND, or G OTT'LAND, an itland of Sweden, 
in the Baltic lea, about Icventy miles in length, and 
twenty-five in its grcatelt breadth, formerly an inde- 
pendeiu kingdom, biitnow fubject to thefupreme court 
of jultice ai°t)rockholm. From its convenient fituation 
it hasjiiftly acquired, the name of the Eye of the Baltic. 
T'he loll IS fertile, and there are fine woods of oaks and 
Vol. VIll. No. 537. 
GOT 705 
pines, good paftures, and profitable fiftieries round the 
ifland; large quarries of ftone, pariiculaily the famous 
Gottland ftone, and a foft grey Luniy ftone, wiiich are 
exported to Stockholm and otlier places. Here are al;o 
found fome curious fpecies of ftone coral, cornelian;^ 
agates, and beautiful petfifahlions. In former times 
here were alfo, fine marble quarries. Very good liinc- 
lione, tar, deal-boards, beams, and an excellent breed 
of (beep, are exported from this illaiid. Gottland is not 
infefted witlubears or v/olves, but is fufficiently ftocke-I 
with deer, foxes, and hares; tlie inhabitants fublift by 
agriculture, grazing, filhing, working in the quarries, 
burning lime, and by fevcral forts of mechanic trades, 
and navigation. The Gottland peafants fell none of 
their commodities to the inhabitants of ilie towns; but 
when a, iieafant comes to a market-town, the burgher 
to wliom he applies finds, liim in all necelfaries, and 
gives liim money to enable him to pay his taxes. O.n 
the other hand, the peafant delivers up to the burgher 
all the prodtice of his induftry, without laying a word 
about the price; and thus both jKirtics aci: accordtug 
to the diifl'ates of natural juftice and equity. In 1361. 
Waldemar king of Denmark ravaged this ifland, and 
laid it wafte, but it ftill remained fubjeiSl to the crown 
of Sweden. Albert king of Sweden, after an expenfive 
war, was obliged to mortgage it to the knights of the 
crofs, in Prullia, who, in confideration of a I'um of mo¬ 
ney, delivered it up, in 1403,'to queen Margaret, though 
with fome reluftance. King Erick, of Pomerania, after 
he was dethroned, withdrew to this ifland, wliere he re¬ 
mained for tliree years: and when Charles VIII. vvas pre- 
paring to drive liim from Gottland, and make a conquefi: 
of it, in t449, lirick made an offer of it to Ciiriftian I. 
king of Denmark. It remained in the polfellion of the 
Danes till the year 1645, when, by the treaty of Bromfe- 
bro, it was reftored to Sweden. Wifoy is the capital, 
Lat.56.54. to 57.56. N. Ion.18.6. to 19.6. E. Greenwich. 
- GOTHS, or Gu'TiE, one of the moft celebrated 
northern nations of antiquity, called alfo by different 
writers Gotkones, Gutones, Gythoncs, and Guttones. Their 
origin is deduced from the peninfula of Scandinavia or 
Sweden ; and the peopling of the Cherfonel'us, of the 
iflands of the Baltic fea, and the adjacent places on the 
continent, is attributed by the northern writers to this fa¬ 
mous race of warriors. Many veftiges indeed ftill atteft 
the ancient refidence of the Goths in the countries be¬ 
yond the Baltic. From the time of the geographer Pto¬ 
lemy, the fduthern part of Sweden feems to have con¬ 
tinued in the polfellion of the lefs enterprifing remnant 
of that nation,,and a large territory, after their name, is 
even at prefent divTded into Eaft and Weft; Gothland. 
During the middle ages, whilft Chriftianity was advanc¬ 
ing with a flow jirogrefs into the nortli, tlie Gotlis and 
the Swedes compofed two diftintt and fometimes hoftile 
members of the fame community. 'iTie latter of th.efe 
two names has however prevailed, witliout extinguifh- 
ing the former. Tlie Swedes alio have in every age 
claimed the kindred glory of the Goths. In a momeiit 
of difeontent againft the court of Rome, Charles XII. 
infinuated, accorduig to Voltaire, that his vidforious 
troops were not degenerated from their brave anceftors, 
who had fubdued the millrefs of the world ; and when 
the Auftrians defired the aid of the court of Rome againft 
Gailtavus Adolphus, tliey alvvays reprefented that con¬ 
queror as the lineal lucceilbr of A.laric.—See ilarte’s 
ililtory of Guftavus, vol. ii. p. 123. 
T ill the end of the eleventh century, an ancient tern, 
pie fubfifted at Upfal, the moft confiderable town of the 
Swedes and Goths. It was enriched with the gold 
v.'hich the Scandinavians had acquired in their piratical 
adventures, and faiRtified by reprelentations of their 
three principal deities, the god'of war, the goddefs of 
generation, and the god of thunder. In the general fef- 
tival that was folemnized every ninth year, nine animals 
of every Ipecies, witliout excepting even the human, 
8 R VYei '9 
