lished in 1855. In 1846 he was sent abroad to collect materials for an improved system of instruction in the physical sciences. Señor Gil y Zarate is a member of the Academy of Madrid, and one of the royal secretaries, and wears the crosses of Carlos III. and of Isabel the Catholic—F. M. W.
GILBART, James William, F.R.S., the first general manager of the first joint-stock bank established in London, author of many valuable works on banking, and a variety of essays on different subjects, and member of the council of the Statistical Society. He was born in 1794 in London, but his family originally belonged to Cornwall. He commenced his career in 1813, as junior clerk in a London bank, where he remained till 1825. At this time he energetically promoted the movement for establishing literary and scientific institutions for the education of the middle and working classes. His leisure moments he devoted to contributing to periodicals. He was next employed in a large establishment near Birmingham, but soon returned to London, and in 1827 published his "Practical Treatise on Banking," a work which has passed through several editions, the last dedicated to Lord Monteagle. He was shortly afterwards appointed manager of the Kilkenny branch of the Provincial Bank of Ireland, and in 1829 promoted to a larger branch at Waterford. At the latter town he established a literary and scientific institution, and delivered lectures on ancient commerce, philosophy of language, and other subjects. In 1833, when a committee was formed for establishing a joint-stock bank in the metropolis, Gilbart was invited to London, and in due course installed as manager of the London and Westminster Bank. The difficulties of this position were enormous—a new principle of banking had to be recommended to the public, and a new establishment developed against the most overwhelming opposition. The energy and ability of Gilbart finally triumphed, and the London and Westminster is now one of the most prosperous joint-stock companies in the kingdom. In 1837 he was examined as a witness before the committee of the house of commons upon joint-stock banks, and in the same year he published his "History of Banking in America." In 1838 he rendered very valuable service to the committee appointed to promote the passing of such laws as might be beneficial to joint-stock banks. In 1840, when a select committee of the house of commons was appointed "to inquire into the effects produced on the circulation of the country by the various joint-stock banks issuing notes payable on demand," Gilbart was specially requested to represent the joint-stock banks, and the evidence he gave was invaluable. He was instrumental in obtaining for the London and Westminster, and other joint-stock banks, the power of sueing and being sued in the name of the public officer, and also of accepting bills at less than six months' date, which was legalized by Sir Robert Peel's act in 1844. The joint-stock banks in general, feeling sensible of these and other valuable services rendered by Gilbart, presented him with a very valuable service of plate in 1846. He was one of the most energetic in getting the joint-stock banks admitted into the "clearing house" in 1854. His latest work, "Logic of Banking," was published in 1859. In January, 1860, he was allowed to retire on a pension of £1500 per annum, the various officers of the bank presenting him with a handsome testimonial of plate; and he was shortly afterwards elected a director of the bank. He died in 1863.—W. H. P. G.
GILBERT, Balthasar, was born in 1662 at Aix in Provence. He became professor of philosophy at the collége de Beauvais when he was twenty-four, and professor of rhetoric at the Collége Mazarin four years afterwards. He held the latter office with honour for more than fifty years, successful in his teachings, and beloved by his scholars. In 1738 he succeeded Pourchet as syndic of the university; and in this capacity he made a requisition in the general assembly of the university in 1739, by which he formed an opposition to the revocation of the appeal which the university had made from the bull Unigenitus to a future council. For this step he was banished to Auxerre, where he died at the bishop's house in 1741. His principal work is entitled "Jugement des Savans sur les Auteurs qui ont traité de la Rhétorique."—W. J. P.
GILBERT, Davies, a Cornish gentleman of good estate, distinguished as one of the promoters of scientific pursuits at the time of the revival of science in England in the beginning of the nineteenth century. He was born in 1767, the son of Edward Giddy and Catherine Davies, but assumed the name of Gilbert in 1817 after his wife's father. He was member of parliament for Helston in 1804 and for Bodmin from 1806 to 1832. For three years he was president of the Royal Society, succeeding Sir Humphrey Davy, and retiring to make way for the duke of Sussex. One of his highest claims to public gratitude is the discrimination which had led him to bring forth young Davy from his obscurity in Penzance, and to foster his talents. Such services he rendered also to other struggling men of science. He became member of several learned societies, and in 1832 received from the university of Oxford the degree of doctor of civil law. In 1811, when an active member of parliament, he published an argumentative pamphlet entitled "A Plain Statement of the Bullion Question," which excited some attention. He edited a Collection of Ancient Christmas Carols, 8vo, 1823; also Mount Calvary, a Cornish poem, done into English in 1682, which appeared in 1826, and was followed in the ensuing year by a similar republication entitled the Creation of the World, &c. His most extensive work, however, was the "Parochial History of Cornwall, founded on the MS. Histories of Hals and Tonkin," 4 vols. 8vo, 1837-38. Mr. Gilbert died at Eastbourne on 24th December, 1839. His personal appearance drew from Southey the remark that "his face ought to be perpetuated in marble for the honour of mathematics."—R. H.
GILBERT, Sir Humphrey, a distinguished Englishman, descended from an ancient Norman family, was born in 1539 at Dartmouth in Devonshire. His mother, left early a widow, afterwards married Walter Raleigh, Esq. One of her sons by this marriage was Sir Walter Raleigh. Shortly after completing his studies at the university of Oxford (whither he had gone from Eton), Humphrey Gilbert was presented at court, and the favourable reception he met with from the queen, joined to his own inclination, determined his adopting the military profession. He distinguished himself in several expeditions, both in the Irish wars and in the Low Countries, receiving from the queen in 1570, in recognition of the former of these services, the honour of knighthood, together with a post of distinction in the government of Munster. Elizabeth also gave him one of her maids of honour, a rich heiress, in marriage, and bestowed on him other marks of her regard. Gilbert was a member of the parliament which assembled in 1571, his speech in which (on a question of prerogative), quoted by Hume, is indicative of the chivalrous loyalty which formed an eminent characteristic of the age. It is as a navigator and projector, however, that Sir Humphrey Gilbert best deserves to be remembered. In 1576, upon his return from five years' service in the Low Countries, he published a treatise in favour of the existence of a north-west passage to Cathay and the Indies, upon the feasibility of which he strongly insisted, supporting his views by scientific reasoning of no ordinary merit. This treatise had perhaps some share in determining Frobisher's celebrated voyage in that year. Gilbert, however, was desirous of making the attempt in person, and associating with it a plan of permanent colonization. Two years later, in 1578, he obtained from the queen letters patent giving him authority to "discover and take possession of any remote heathen and barbarous lands not being actually possessed by any christian prince or people." In his first attempt to act upon the conditions of this extensive grant, Gilbert was aided by his half-brother Raleigh both in purse and person. A considerable squadron was got together, but at the moment of sailing (and from various causes), dissension broke out among the adventurers who were associated in the enterprise, and many of them deserted the cause. Gilbert and Raleigh, however, put to sea, but were obliged to return with considerable loss, due in part to a violent storm, and still more to a conflict with a Spanish squadron which they encountered, and in the engagement with which they were worsted, losing one of their ships. This was in 1579. Gilbert, however, notwithstanding that he had sunk the better part of his fortune, persevered in his efforts, and in 1583 succeeded in getting together the materials for another attempt. Raleigh was too fully occupied in court intrigue to take any personal share in this later expedition, but he contributed liberally towards the expense of its equipment, the largest vessel among the five of which it consisted being fitted out at his cost, and bearing his name. Two hundred and sixty men in all were embarked in the expedition. The queen bestowed her accustomed favour on the enterprise, sending to Gilbert, by the hands of Raleigh, a jewel (consisting of a golden anchor, with a pearl at the beak), which he afterwards wore on his breast. But the expedition, ill-fated, and disastrous in its result, was
