Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 10.djvu/600

582 is unable when Christianity comes to be discussed to con- ceal his heartfelt dislike. Comparing " superstition ” with "superstition," virtue with virtue, vice with vice, Gibbon had formed a deliberate preference for the religion and ethics of ancient Rome. Philosophical students of history, even though they may feel themselves unable to subscribe the Athanasian creed, may now be said to be almost unanimous, however, in finding that the phenomenon called Christianity did mean for mankind a higher conception of truth and a nobler conception of duty. Upon the famous ﬁfteenth and sixteenth chapters it is not necessary to dwell, because at this time of day no Christian apologist dreams of denying the substantial truth of any of the more important allegations of Gibbon. Christians may complain of the suppression of some circumstances which might inﬂuence the general result ; and they must remonstrate against the unfair Construction of their case. But they no longer refuse to hear any reasonable evidence ten ling to show that persecution was less severe than had once been believed; and they have slowly learned that they can afford to concede the validity of all the secmidary causes assigned by Gibbon, and even of others still more dis- crelitable. The fact is, as the historian himself has again and again admitted, that his account of the secondary causes which contributed to the progress and establishment of Christianity leaves the question as to the natural or supernatural origin of Christianity practically untouched ; that question still continues to be agitated, but the battle is fought on a new ﬁeld and with other weapons than those selected by Gibbon.

1em  GIBBONS, (1648–1721), a celebrated English wood-carver, was born in 1618, according to some authorities of Dutch parents at Rotterdam, and according to others of English parents at London. ﬂy the former he is said to have come to London after the great ﬁre in 1666. He early displayed great cleverness and ingenuity in his art, on the strength of which lie was recommended by Evelyn to Charles II., who employed him in the execution both of statuary and of ornamental carving in wood. In statuary one of his principal works is a life-size bronze statue in the court of Whitehall. representing James II. in the dress of a Roman emperor, and he also designed the base of the statue of Charles I. at Charing Cross. lt is, however, chiefly as an engraver in wood that he has acquired a reputation. He was employed to execute the ornamental carving for tho ‘ chapel at Windsor, the foliage and festoons in the choir of St Paul’s, the baptismal fonts in St James’s, and an immense quantity of ornamental work at Burleigh, (‘hats- worth, and other aristocratic mansions. The finest of all his productions in this style is believed to be the ceilingr which he devised for a room at Petwortli. llis subjects are chiefly birds, flowers, foliage, fruit, and lace, and many of his works, for delicacy and elaboration of details, and truth- fulness of imitation, have never been surpassed. lle, how- ever, sometimes wasted his ingenuity on trifling subjects: many of his flowers used to move on their stems like their natural prototypes when shaken by a breeze. In J7l-t Gibbons was appointed master carver in wood to George 1. He died at London August 3, 1721.  GIBBONS, (–1625), like Johann Sebastian Bach, was the most illustrious of a family of musicians all more or less able. We know of at least three generations of musical Gibbons, for Orlando's father, William Gibbons, having been one of the waits of Cambridge, may be assumed to have acquired some proficiency in the art. His three sons and at least one of his grandsons inherited and further developed his talent. The eldest, Edward, was made bachelor of music at Cambridge, and successively held important musical appointments at the cathedrals of Bristol and Excter; Ellis, the seCond son, was organist of Salisbury Cathedral, and is the composer of two madrigals in the collection known as the The Triumphs 0f Oriana. Orlando Gibbons, the youngest and by far the most celebrated of the brothers, was born at Cambridge in. Where and under whom he studied is not known, but in his twenty-first year he was sufﬁciently advanced and celebrated to receive the important post of organist of the Chapel Iloyal. His ﬁrst published com. position “Fantasies in three parts, composed for viols,” appeared in 1610. It seems to have been the first piece of music printed in England from engraved plates, or “cut in copper, the like not heretofore extant.” In 1622 he was created doctor of music by the university of Oxford. For this occasion he composed an anthem for eight parts, 0 do]; your Howls, still extant. In the following year he became organist of Westminster Abbey. Orlando Gibbons died before the beginning of the civil war, or it may be siqqmsed that, like his eldest brother, he would have been a staunch royalist. In a different sense, however, he died in the cause of his master; for having been summoned to Canterbury to produce a conqmsition written in celebration of Cliarles's marriage, he there fell avictim to small—pox on June 5, 1625. Of his life very little is known, but that little is Well summed up in the article contributed by Mr \V. ll. Husk to Dr Grove’s Dictionary qulusic aml JllllSl'CI'llNN, where a complete list of his compositions is also given. Ilis portrait may be found in llawkins's well-known III-story. The works of Gibbons may be divided into secular and sacred compositions, the latter being by far the most im- portant portion. His vocal pieces, niadrigals, motcts, canons, songs, &c., are admirable specimens of Imrt-writing, and prove him to have been a perfect master of polyplioiious treatment. Many of them are for ﬁve voices, a very com- mon number in those days ; but pieces for four and for six voices also are by no means rare. To the first-named class belong a To Dmm in 1’) minor, two sets of Pratt; and other compositions for church service, also most of the madrigals. We have also some specimens of his instrumental music, such as the six pieces for the virginals published in I’m-(heme, a collection of instrumental music produced by Gibbons in conjunction with Dr llull and llyrd.