GERARDO di Cremona was born, according to Pipini's Chronicle, at Cremona in 1114. In pursuing the study of philosophy he went to Toledo, where he studied under Moorish teachers. He acquired a good knowledge of Arabic, and translated into Latin various works on astronomy, medicine, and mathematics, the best of which is that of Ptolemy's great work, Μαθηματικὴ σύνταξις, Μεγαλή σύνταξις. His chronicler, Pipini, does not give any further account of Gerardo, except that he returned to his native city, where he died in 1187.—A. C. M.
GERARDO di Sabbionetta: so called from the little borough, near Cremona, where he was born in the first half of the thirteenth century. His parentage is the subject of conjectures which it would be useless to detail. He studied Latin, Greek, and Arabic; and having acquired as much knowledge of those languages as was afforded by the imperfect teaching of the age, he availed himself of it in the cultivation of medical and astronomical studies. He translated into Latin the works of Avicenna and of Almansor, and attained great celebrity both as a physician and an astrologer. He was highly trusted, and often consulted as an expounder of hidden things and a foreteller of future events by Eccellino da Romano, Pelavicino, and other powerful lords; he was spoken of with admiration by his contemporary and fellow-astrologer, Guido Bonatti of Forli, and was held in esteem by the Emperor Frederick II. himself, as appears from the commission given by the latter to Gerardo to translate the works of Avicenna. Flavio Biondo, Ghilini, Sarti, and other historians of science and literature, give some interesting details respecting the man and his times.—A. S., O.
GERAUD, Pierre Hercule Joseph François, born at Caylar in 1812; died in 1844. Geraud was expelled from the college of Rodez for satirical poems against the masters, and then placed in an attorney's office. He wrote some patriotic songs which were praised by Béranger, who got him employment as a clerk. Guizot afterwards found occupation for him in editing some volumes of the Documens inedits. Geraud's character as a historian was very high when his studies were interrupted by pulmonary disease, which ended in death.—J. A., D.
GERBAIS, Jean, an eminent French divine, was born at Rupois, in the diocese of Rheims, in 1629. He studied at Paris, and became doctor of theology in 1661. After holding various important ecclesiastical and academical appointments, he was made principal of the college of Rheims in Paris. Gervais wrote with elegance and force both in Latin and French, but his works relate principally to questions of ecclesiastical discipline, and are of little general interest. He died in 1699.—J. B. J.
GERBER, Ernst Ludwig, author of a greatly-esteemed biographical dictionary of musicians, was born at Sondershausen, in the principality of Schwartzburg, September 29, 1746; and died there June 30, 1819. He was the son of a musician, Heinrich Nicolaus Gerber, who was born in 1702; was a pupil of J. S. Bach; was a skilful organist, and excelled also on the harp; wrote very extensively for both these instruments, composed likewise some motets and harmonized a large collection of chorals; was appointed organist to the prince of Schwartzburg, at Sondershausen, in 1731, which office he held till his death by apoplexy, August 6, 1775. E. L. Gerber was designed by his father for the church: but having a great distaste for theology, he was allowed to change the pursuit of this profession for that of jurisprudence, to study which he went to the university of Leipsic in 1765. With an early fondness for music, the occupation of his father afforded him easy opportunity for the cultivation of his taste. He took advantage, while at the university, of the proficiency he had thus acquired to write the music of a ballet, in order that he might obtain free admission to the theatre, and to be engaged as violoncellist in the opera and concert orchestra. In this capacity he made the friendship of J. A. Hiller, the director of the concerts, by whose advice he benefited greatly in his favourite musical studies. After a few years, he returned to Sondershausen to assist his father, upon whose death he was appointed his successor, and he turned his attention to the literature of his art, and occupied his leisure in making additions to Walther's celebrated Musical Lexicon. He sent his MS. to his friend Hiller to read, who, being greatly interested by it, showed it to Breitkopf, the great Leipsic publisher, who offered to print the work if the author would extend it so as to be complete in itself, independent of the book of Walther. Gerber gladly undertook the commission, to enable him to fulfil which, the publisher sent him a large number of valuable reference books, and these were the only recompense he received for his pains. They formed a nucleus of the extensive library of works upon music, which it became as much the pride as the pleasure of Gerber to accumulate, and which was purchased from him in its entirety for the Conservatorium of Vienna, under the provision that he was to retain it during his life. The "Historisch-biographisches Lexicon der Tonkünstler" appeared in two successive volumes in 1790 and 1792. With great merits this book has great defects, such as inaccuracies of dates and names, and omissions of important articles; and the author at once began to busy himself upon another work, which should supply what was here wanting. In 1810 the first volume of the "Neues Historisch-biographisches Lexicon der Tonkünstler" was at length issued; and it was succeeded by the three other volumes in 1812, 1813, and 1814. This is a book of great authority in its account of the musicians of Germany, particularly of those of the half century preceding its production; but it is far less complete in respect to those of other countries. Gerber contributed essays to the German musical periodicals, and he published some unimportant instrumental music.—G. A. M.
GERBERGE, Queen of France, was born in the year 913; she was a daughter of Henry the Fowler, emperor of Germany. Her first husband, Giselbert, duke of Lorraine, died soon after the marriage, and she was soon afterwards united to Louis d'Outremer, king of France. Her brother, Otho the Great, received the imperial crown at Rome; her sister, Hedwige, was the wife of Hugh the Great, and mother of Hugh Capet. Another brother was St. Bruno, archbishop of Cologne, and duke of Lorraine. By Louis, who died in 954, she had five sons, the eldest of whom, Lothaire, was crowned king of France; but, as he was a minor, the government of the kingdom was carried on by Gerberge, as regent. Aided by the counsels of St. Bruno, she fulfilled her difficult duties with ability. She died in the year 970.—T. A.
GERBERON, Gabriel, a French benedictine, one of the most ardent and intrepid defenders of jansenism in the controversy which embroiled the French church in the seventeenth century, was born at St. Calais, Maine, 12th August, 1628, and died at St. Denis, 29th March, 1711. An injunction on the part of the church to abate somewhat of his zeal in this controversy, was followed by persecution on the part of the king, which obliged Gerberon to take refuge in Flanders. After much wandering he was sent back to France by the bishop of Malines, and was confined at Amiens, and afterwards at Vincennes, where, wearied out by the unceasing persecutions of his enemies, he went through a certain form of retractation, which procured his release. Gerberon's works, relating to jansenism are exceedingly numerous.—J. S., G.
GERBERT, Martin, Prince-abbot of the convent of benedictines, and of the congregation of St. Blaise in the Black Forest, was born in 1720 at Horb, a small town in Wurtemberg. He was educated by the jesuits at Friburg in Brisgau, and subsequently studied theology and philosophy at St. Blaise. He entered the order in 1736, and eight years afterwards was appointed professor of theology. In 1764 he was chosen prince-abbot. He united to extensive learning the most elevated mind, and simple and amiable character. Having frequently in his youth had opportunities of hearing excellent music in the chapel of the duke of Wurtemberg at Ludwigsburg, and even of occasionally singing himself, he imbibed that affection for music to which we are indebted for his learned and toilsome researches into the history of that art. With a view to render these researches more profound and useful, he undertook to travel for three years in France, Germany, and Italy, and was enabled, through his authority in the church, to discover the most secret treasures of musical literature, by obtaining admittance into the libraries of the convents, and thus collecting from the fountainhead the materials for his history of church music. At Bologna he became intimate with the Abbé Martini. They agreed to communicate to each other their different knowledge, and that Martini should write the history of music in general, while Gerbert confined himself exclusively to that of the church. The number of seventeen thousand authors that Martini had collected, certainly astonished Gerbert, but he says that he acquainted him with a still greater number existing in the German libraries. In 1762 he announced his intention of writing a history of church music, by a printed prospectus, and soliciting any information that could be given on the subject. This prospectus is to be found in the critical letters of Marpurg.
