Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/59

 GRIMALDI

35

GRONE

applied the names borne by terrestrial seas and mountains.

Grimaldi's most important scientific work was done in optics, in which field he became a worthy predeces- sor of Newton and Huyghens. He made several dis- coveries of fundamental importance, but they were much in advance of the theory of the time, and their significance was not recognized until over a century later. The first of these is the phenomenon of diffrac- tion. He allowed a beam of sunlight to pass through a small aperture in a screen, and noticed that it was diffused in the form of a cone. The shadow of a body placerl in the path of the beam was larger than that required by the rectilinear propagation of light. Careful observation also showed that the shadow was surrounded by coloured fringes, similar ones being seen within the edges, especially in the case of narrow objects: He showed that the effect could not be due to reflection or refraction, and concluded that the light was bent out of its course in passing the edges of bodies. This phenomenon, to which he gave the name of diffraction, was also studied by Hooke and Newton; but the true explanation was only given by Fresnel on the basis of the wave theory. Grimaldi also discovered that when sunlight, entering a room through two small apertures, was allowed to fall on a screen, the region illuminated by the two beams was darker than when illuminated by either of them sep- arately. He was thus led to enunciate the principle that an illuminated body may become darker by add- ing light to that which it already receives. This is, in reality, the well-known principle of interference after- wards so brilliantly employed by Yoimg and Fresnel. It has been questioned whether the phenomenon ob- served by Grimaldi was really due to interference. He himself regarded it simply as a conclusive proof of the immaterial nature of light which he was then investi- gating. He was likewise the first to observe the dis- persion of the sun's rays in passing through a prism. Grimaldi was conspicuous for his amiability, gentle- ness, and modesty. He was the author of " Physico- mathesis de lumine, coloribus, et iride, aliisciue annexis" (Bologna, 1665), published after his death.

iSoMMERvofiEL, Bibtiothi que fie ta Conip. de Jesus (Paris, 1S92\ III, 1S34; Hellek, Geschichte der Phi/sik (.Stuttgart, 1SS4), II, 26; RoSENBERSER, Geschichte der Pkysik (Brunswick, 1SS7-90), II, 131.

H. M. Brock.

Grimaldi, Giovanni Fr.\ncesco, eclectic p.ainter of the Bolognese school; b. at Bologna, KiOd; d. at Rome, 1680. He was a pupil of the Carracci, but made his mark when he left Bologna for Rome, and was employed by Innocent X to execute some fresco decoration in the Vatican. His work was so much admired that Prince Pamfili, the pope's nephew, em- ployed him to decorate the rooms of his villa with landscapes, and then wrote to Louis XIV, describing the work. His appreciation of it was so high that he induced Cardinal Mazarin to invite Grimaldi to Paris, where he decorated two of the rooms in the Louvre and painted some landscapes, and he is said to have received the honour of knighthood from the French king. Returning to Rome, he again entered the papal service, and worked for Alexander VII and Clement IX, was appointed president of the Academy of St. Luke, and became an exceedingly popular person in the Holy City. He was a skilful etcher, especially in landscape-work, and his chief pictures are in the Co- lonna palace at Rome, in the Quirinal, and in the galleries of Vienna and Paris.

M.tLVASH, Felsina Pillrire (Bologna, 167S); Orlandi, Abhe- cedario Pittorico (Bologna. 1719'.

George Charles Williamson. Grimberghen, Abbey of. See Premonstraten-

SIAN.S.

Grimes, John Joseph. See Christchurch, Dio- cese of.

Grimmelshausen, Johann J.\cob Christoffei,

von, the greatest German novelist of the seventeenth century. What we know of his life is largely gathered from his own writings. He was born near Gelnhausen in Hesse about the year 162.5, when the Thirty Years War was at its height. While still a boy he was car- ried off by marauding troopers, and until the close of the war in 1648 he led a soldier's life. In 1667 he was in the service of the Bishop of Strasburg as Schultheiss (bailiff) in the town of Renchen in Baden. In this position he remained up to the time of his death, 17 August, 1676. Nothing definite is known of his life during the period from 1648 to 1667 ; but it seems that he travelled extensively, for his writings show ac- quaintance with many lands and peoples. In the earlier part of his hfe Cirimmelshausen was a Protestant, but later on he became a Catholic, as is attested by a notice of his death in the parish-record of Renchen.

He is the author of many romances, but the most famous is "Der abenteurliche Simplicissimus", which appeared at Mompelgard, 1669. It is modelled on the picaresque novels of Spain and relates in the form of an autobiography, for which, no doubt, the author's own life furnished many traits, the fortunes of the hero during the troublous times of the great war. Many of the epLsodes narrated are coarse and repulsive, but are related with never-failing humour, and the whole work is pervaded by a deeply religious spirit. A number of writings in similar vein followed, such as "Trutzsim- plex" (1670?), "Dersehzame Springinsfeld " (1670), "Das wunderbarliche Vogel-Nest" (in 2 parts, 1672), and other minor works. Grimmelshausen also wrote a number of romances in the heroic-gallant manner in vogue in his day; such are " Der keusche Joseph", his earliest work (probably 1667), "Dietwald und Ame- hnde" (1670), and "Proxinuis und Lympida" (1672). The last two works mentioned were published with the author's real name on the title-page ; for most of his other works he used pseudonyms, that were anagrams of his real name, so that for a long time it remained unknown.

The "Simplicissimus", together with other writings of Grimmelshausen, was edited by Keller (Stuttgart, 1854-62, "Bibhothek des Litterarischen Vereins zu Stuttgart", xxxiii, xxxiv); by Kurz (Leipzig, 1863, 4 vols., "Deutsche Bibliothek", III-VI); by Titt- raann (2nd ed., Leipzig, 1877, in "Deutsche Dichter des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts", ed. Goedeke andTitt- mann); and by Bobertag (in "Kiirschners Deutsche National Litteratur", xx.xiii-.xx.xv). A reprint of the oldest original edition of the "Simplicissimus" was published by Kogel (Halle, 1.SS0, " Neudrucke deut- scher Literaturwerke des 16 und 17 Jahrhunderts", xix-x.xv).

^Consult introductions to above-mentioned editions; also Keller in Allgemeine deulsche Biographic (Leipzig. 1S75— 1900), s. v.: .\ntoine. Etude sur le Simplicissimus de Grimmels- hausen (Paris, 1S.S2); Bobertag, Geschichte des Romans in Deutschland (Breslau and Berlin, 1876-84). II, pt. U. 1-110.

Arthur F. J. Remy.

Grimston, Ralph. See Snow, Peter.

Griswold, Robert. See Sugar, John.

Grbne, Valentin, a Catholic theologian, b. at Paderborn,7 December, 1817; d.at Irmgarteichen, in the district Siegen, Westphalia, 18 March, 18S2. On the completion of his studies he was ordained priest at Paderborn (4 July, 1844), after which he took an advanced course in Church history at the L'niversity of Munich, where he obtained the degree of Doctor in Theologv (1848). He was then sent as chaplain to Bielefeld, Warstein (10 Nov., 1848). Brilon,,Scherfede (10 Dec, 185.3), and on 14 Oct., 1857, was appointed rector of the city high-school at Fredeburg, going later (17 Dec, 1860) to Sehmallenberg in a similar capacity. On 24 Sept., 1868, he was made pastor at Irmgarteichen, and later dean. Grone's best-known