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489 RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA Gifts

Gillespie

325-317; Rom Graham, St. Gilbert of Bemprinpham and the Gitbertines, London, 1901.

GIL'DAS, called the Wise: Author of the oldest historical work of Christian Britain; the De excidio et conquestu Britannia ac flebili castigaEione in reges, principes et sacerdotes, quoting the title from one of the latest editors, Theodor Mommsen. It is sometimes called the " Querulous Book," and was divided by an early editor, Thomas Gale, without good reason, into two parts, a Historic and an Epistula. A tenth century chronicle puts the death of Gildas in 570. All other traditions about him, including his visits to Brittany and Ireland, are doubtful. He states himself, according to the most probable interpretation of a corrupt passage of his work (MGH, Auct. ant., xiii. 3, chap. xxvi., Chronica minora, p. 40, 11. 16-20), that he was born in the year of the battle of Mount Badon [and that this occurred in the forty-fourth year before the time of writing. Hence it has been inferred that he was born in 493 and wrote c. 537], but the date of the battle of Mount Badon is uncertain. Less doubtful is the inference that the work was written before 547 (cf. chaps. xxxiii. aqq.). And beyond question the author was a well-informed, Romanized Briton, notwithstanding his clumsy Latin, who judged his countrymen with a monk's severity and criticized them with ruthless zeal [cf. W. Bright, Early English Church History, Oxford, 1897, 24, 30-32]. Other writings are ascribed to Gildas, but without good authority. [He was a popular saint in Brittany and was the reputed founder of a monastery at Ruys, which became famous as the place of retirement of Abelard. His work has historical value chiefly from the absence of anything better.] (F. Loolrs.)

BIBLIOGRAPHY: The work of Gildasisin MPL,Wx.327-392; with the exception of chaps. ii it is in Haddan and Stubbs, Councils, i. 34-107. The best editions are by T. Mommsen in MGH, Auct. ant., siii. 3, Chronica minora awe. iv.-vii., part 3 (1898), 1-110; and by H. Williams, with transl., London, 1899. There is an Eng. tranal. by Giles, London, 1841, reprinted in Bohn's Antiquarian Library, vol. iv. The life of Gildas by the monk of Ruys is in ASM, i. 138-139, less fully in ASB, Jan., iii. 573-574. Two lives are given by J. A. Giles, Vita quorundam AnploSasonum, London, 1854. For criticism consult: T. Mommsen, ut sup., pp. 1-24, 91-110; C. G. Schbll, De ecdesiastiae Britorum Scotorumque histories fontibus, Berlin, 1851; J. O'Hanlon Lives of the Irish Sainte, i. 471-494, Dublin, 1875; A. de la Borderie, La Date de to naissance de Gildas in Revue Celtique, vi (1883-85), 1-13; A. Anseombe, St. Gildas of Ruys and Irish Regal Chronology of th Sixth Century, London, 1893; H. Zimmer, Nennius

v iucatuB, Berlin, 1893; J. Briel, Saint Gilda8, abb6 de Rhuys, Vannes, 1908; DNB, xa.344-346.

GILEAD. See PERNA.

GILES (GILLES), jfl (Fr.] or jailz [Eng.] (Lat. ,Egidius), SAINT: A saint of great reputation from the ninth century onward. Apparently he spent some time in Provence as a hermit, and was then at the head of a monastery founded by him, in the vicinity of which a town named after him SaintGilles sprang up (11 m. e.s.e. of Nunes). As the brief of Benedict 11. in favor of his monastery dated Apr. 26, 685 (Jafftz, Regesta, 2127), is a forgery, there are no certain facts for his biography. His

festival is Sept. 1. (A. HAUCK.)

BIBLIOGRAPHY: The subject is well discussed in DCB, i. 4749. The early life with commentaryiein ASB, Sept.. i. 284-304; the Miracula are best given in Analeeta Bollandiana, ix. 393-422, Paris, 1890; and the life by William of Berneville is published by G. Paris, and A. Bop, Paris, 1881. Consult: J. de Herval, Vie et culls de S. Gilles, Le Mans, 1875; E. Rembry, S. Gilles, sa vie, ass reliquee, son culte, 2 vole., Bruges, 1879-82.

GILFILLAN, GEORGE: Clergyman of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland; b. at Comrie (20 m. w. of Perth), Perthshire, Jan. 30, 1813; d. at Arnhalt, Brechin (8 m. w. of Montrose), Aug. 13, 1878. He studied at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and from 1836 till his death was pastor of the School-Wynd church at Dundee. He was a zealous worker for the cause of liberal and progressive thought, and was active in the promotion of mechanics' institutes, free libraries, and popular lectures. He brought to Dundee such lecturers as R. W. Emerson, Samuel Brown, and John Nicol the astronomer, and himself delivered several courses of popular lectures. Gilfillan is best known as a man of letters. Altogether he published more than a hundred books and pamphlets, including various critical editions of the poets. His most important works are, Hades, or the Unseen (Dundee, 1842), a sermon that was attacked by John Eadie and Alexander Balfour; A Gallery of Literary Portraits (Edinburgh, 1845; 2d ser.,1850; 3d ser., 1854); Bards tend the BIZle (1851); Christianity and Our Era (1857); Alpha and Omega (2 vols., London, 1860); Night : a Poem (1867); Modern Christian Heroes (1869), and Martyrs and Heroes of the Scottish Covenant (7th ed., 1903).

BIBLIOGRAPHY: DNB, xa. 352-353. GILGAMESH. See BABYLONIA, VIL, 3, § 2.

GILL, JOHN: English Baptist, Biblical scholar; b. at Kettering (14 m. n.n.e. of Northampton), Northamptonshire, Nov. 23, 1697; d. at Camberwell (2 m. s. of St. Paul's, London) Oct. 14, 1771. He attended the Kettering grammar-school for a short time, became pastor at Higham Ferrers in 1718, and in 1719 entered upon a pastorate of fiftytwo years at Horsleydown, Southwark. In 1748 he received the degree of D.D. from the University of Aberdeen. He was a profound scholar and a voluminous author. His most important works are, The Doctrine of the Trinity Salted and Vindicated (London, 1731); The Cause of God and Truth (4 parts, 1735-38), an able answer to Whitby's Five Points; An Exposition of the New Testament (3 vols., 1746-48), which with his Exposition o f the Old Testament (6 vols., 1748-63) forms his magnum opus (best ed., 9 vols., Philadelphia, 1811-19); also A Dissertation on the Antiquit- of the Hebrew Language (1767); A Body of Doctrinal Divinity (1767); and A Body of Practical Divinity (1770).

BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. Rippon, Brief Memoir of the Life and Writings of . . . John Gill, London, 1838; DNB, xxi. 355.

GILLESPIE, GEORGE: Scotch Presbyterian; b. at Kirkcaldy (11 m. n. of Edinburgh) Jan. 21, 1613; d. there Dec. 16, 1648. After his graduation from the University of St. Andrews he became chaplain to John Gordon, and in 1634 chaplain to John Kennedy. He became pastor of the parish of Wemyss in 1638, and of Greyfriars Church,