so 
G R I 
faft with the hand ; the a< 5 t of feizing with the hand ; 
a kind of .colic ; a pain in the bowels, 
GRI'PINGLY, adv. With pain in the inteftines.— 
Clyfters help, left the medicine flop in the guts, and 
work griping ly. Bacon. 
GRI'PLE, adj. Greedy.—Tho’ on his fhield he griple 
hold did lay. Spenfer. 
He gnafht his teeth, to fee 
Thofe heaps of gold with griple covetife. Spenfer. 
GRIPS'HOLM, a town of Sweden, in the province 
©f Sudermanland : twenty.five miles weft of Stockholm. 
GRIPS'WA LD. See Greifswalde. 
GRISAM'BER, f . Ufed by Milton for ambergrife; 
Beafts of chafe, or fowl of game. 
In paftry built, or from the fpit, or boil’d, 
Grifamber fteam’d. Paradife Regained. 
GRISE, f . [See Greece, as it fhould be written .] 
A ftep, or fcale of fteps : 
Let me fpeak like ourfelf; and lay a fentence, 
Which, as a grife or ftep, may help thefe lovers 
Into your favour. Shahefpeare. 
GRISIGNA'NA, a town of Iftria : nine miles eaft of 
Capo d’lftria. 
GRIS'KIN, f [ grifgin, Irifh, roaftmeat.} The ver¬ 
tebrae of a hog. 
GRISLE'Ajyi [named after G. Grifley, a Portuguefe 
furgean.] In botany, a genus of the clafs odtandria, 
order monogynia, natural order calycanthemae, (falica- 
r'\x, Juf.) The generic charaflers are—Calyx: peri- 
anthium one-leafed, awl-fhaped, inclined to bell-fhape, 
upright, four-toothed, coloured, permanent. Corolla: 
petals four, ovate, from the incifures of the calyx ex¬ 
tremely minute. Stamina: filaments eight, awl-fnaped, 
upright, long, afeending; antherae fimple, upright, 
roundifh. Piftillum : germ fuperior, globu|ar, pedi- 
celled ; ftyle filiform, the length of the ftamenS ; ftigma 
fimple. Pericarpium : capfule-globular, fhorter than 
the calyx, one-celled. Seeds: very many, roundifh, 
very fmall ; receptacle large.— EJential CharaEler. Ca- 
lyx, four-cleft; petals, four, from the incifures of the 
calyx ; filaments, very long, afeending; capfule, glo¬ 
bular, fuperior, one-celled, containing many feeds. 
Species, i. Grifleafecunda, or inferior griflea : leaves 
«vate-lanceolate, fmooth, on fhort petioles; raceme 
terminating; flowers all facing one way. This is a 
tree with round branches ; leaves like thofe of bay, op- 
pofite, quite entire, with alternate nerves; flowers nu- 
. merous, all bent upwards in one row, but inferior in 
beauty to the next. Native of South America. 
2. Griflea tomentofa, or, woolly griflea, the feringie 
®f the Telingas : leaves half-lanceolate with a cordate 
bafe, whitifh beneath, feflile; racemes axillary, fhort. 
Stem and principal branches ereft ; fmaller afeending ; 
bark ruft-coloured; leaves oppofite, two-faced, afcute, 
Ihiooth above ;-racemes bearing from five to fifteen 
flowers, which are pretty large, red, and permanent; 
calyx red,dix-toolhed, equal, permanent. It is a beau¬ 
tiful flowering ftirub, a native of the hills and valleys 
through the northern provinces of the Carnatic in the 
Eaft Indies, deferibed and figured by Dr. Roxburgh. 
The bright-red calyx, retaining its.colour till the feeds 
are ripe, gives this fhrub a very lhowy appearance. 
According to Linnaeup, it is alfo a native of China. 
GRIS'LEHAMN, or Grislehaven (New-), a fea- 
port of Sweden, in the province of Upland : thirty- 
fcven miles eaft-north-eaft of Up fa), and fifty north- 
»orth-eaft of Stockholm. 
t GRIS'LEHAVEN (Old), a fea-port of Sweden, in 
the province of Upland : thirty-eight miles eaft of Up- 
Sal,-and forty-five north-north-eaft of Stockholm. 
GRIS'LY, [ S jn r lu,,Sax.] Dreadful; horrible; 
hideous ; frightful; terrible ; 
G R I 
His grify locks, long growen and unbound, 
Diforder’d hung about his fhoulders round, Spenfer . 
In vifion thou fhalt fee his grify face, 
The king of terrors raging in thy race. Dryden. 
GRI'SON,"bne of the fmaller Granadillas, fituated 
between Diamond ifland and Cariacou. It is uninha¬ 
bited, having no frelh water. 
GRl'SONS, a people fituated among the Alps of 
Swiiferland. Their country is bounded on the north 
by the canton of Glaris, and the counties of Sargans 
and Pludentz ; on the eaft by the Tyrolefe; on the 
fouth by the ftales of Venice and the duchy of Milan;, 
and on the weft by the Swifs Italian bailiwicks, and the 
canton of Uri. The whole country was known to the 
ancients by the name of Rhcetia. .Under this name like- 
wife was comprifed a part of Swabia, and was diftin- 
guifhed into Upper and Lower Rhcetia. This country 
was what conftituted Upper Rhoetia, and, at the de¬ 
cline of the Roman empire, fell under the power of 
the Oftrogoths, who governed it by dukes. Towards 
the fixth century, it palled under the dominion of the 
Franks, and in the ninth was united to Germany. The 
leagues, or alliances, were originally formed on account 
of the tyranny of the great barons. The moft ancient 
began about the year 1400, and 1419, in the bifhoprie 
of Coire, againft the fecular power of the bilhop, and 
took the name of The Caddee, or League of God's Houfe - 
The fecond was formed in 1424, and was called the 
Grife, or Grey League. The other was formed in i 43 6 * 
which is the League of the Ten Jur if dill ions. The two 
former entered into an alliance in 1425, and was joined 
by the laft in 1471. This general confederation was re¬ 
newed in 1544, and again in 1712. By this treaty of 
union, thefe people reciprocally engage, not to make 
any new alliance, nor declare war, nor make peace, but 
by common confent. They agree to fuccour each other 
at their own expence, guarantee each other’s privileges,; 
&c. The length of the whole territory is above fe- 
venty miles, and the breadth about fixty. The inha¬ 
bitants are faid to have had the name of Grifons from 
the - grey coats they wore in former times. This coun¬ 
try, lying among the Alps, is very mountainous; but 
the mountains yield good pafture for cattle, flieep, and 
goats, with fo'me rye and barley : in the valleys there 
is plenty of grain, pulfe, fruits, and wine. This coun¬ 
try alio abounds with hogs and wild fowl; but there is 
a fcarcity of fifh and fait, and their horfes are moftly 
purchafed of foreigners. The principal rivers are, the 
Rhine, the Inn, and the Adda. Here are alfo feverai 
lakes, moft of which lie on the tops of the hills. The 
language of the Grifons is either a corrupt Italian, or 
the German. Each of the leagues is fubdivided into 
feverai fmaller communities, which are fo many demo¬ 
cracies ; every inale above fixteen having a lhare in the 
government of the community, and a vote in the elec¬ 
tion of magiftrates. Deputies from the feverai com¬ 
munities conftitute the general diet of the Grifon 
leagues, which meet annually, and alternately,, at the 
capital of each league ; but they can conclude nothing 
without the content of their condiments. 
The bailiwics belonging in common to the three 
leagues, are thofe of the Valteline, Chiavenna, Bormio,. 
Meyenfeld, Malans, and Jennins; the officers of which 
are nominated fucceflively by the feverai communities 
every two years. The yearly revenue arifing to the 
Grifons from their bailiwics is faid to amount to about 
thirteen thoufand five hundred, florins. The public 
revenues altogether are but fmall,. though there are 
many private per.fons- in. the country that are rich- 
„ However, in cafe of any extraordinary emergency, they 
tax themfelv.es in proportion to the neceflity of the oc- 
cafion, and the people’s abilities. They have no regu¬ 
lar troops, but a well-difciplined militia ; and upon oc- 
cafion, it is laid, can bring a body of thirty thoufand 
fighting. 
