duate course, and finally the coveted fellowship in his twenty-second year. In 1787 he graduated as M.A., and took deacon's and priest's orders. From the first he was a man of singularly earnest and fervent piety, and as a tutor in college he was in the habit of devoting one day in the week to the religious instruction of his pupils. Graves soon became one of the most popular preachers of his day; a thing to be expected from his success in history, oratory, and poetry, for he had carried off medals in every department in the celebrated Historical Society. To refute the charges so constantly brought against christianity by the infidel writers of the day, Mr. Graves published in 1798 his "Essay on the Character of the Apostles and Evangelists, designed to prove that they were not enthusiasts." The year after he attained to the position of senior fellow, and took his degree of D.D. Dr. Graves had long desired an opportunity to exercise the parochial functions of his sacred office, and this was afforded him in 1801 by a prebendal stall given to him in Christ Church, to which was attached the small city parish of St. Michaels. Notwithstanding his numerous collegiate engagements, Dr. Graves was now assiduous and earnest in his parochial work, and was a special favourite with children and the poor. During this time he was preparing his "Lectures on the Pentateuch," which he delivered as Donellan lecturer in 1797-1801, and published in 1807. This work at once took a high place, which it has ever since retained, and has deservedly become a textbook for divinity students in the English, Irish, and American universities. The writer does not suffer himself to be led away to skirmish on weak or doubtful points; he takes firm positions, elucidates and defends great principles, and brings forward positive arguments instead of dwelling on minute objections. The work is at once learned and elegant, replete with close reasoning, yet in style flowing and impressive. Three lectures were added to the second edition in 1815 and to all subsequent ones, the latest being 1846. The government conferred on Dr. Graves in 1809 the living of Ratheny, and in 1813 the deanery of Ardagh, less lucrative than the fellowship that he then resigned; but the university appointed him to the high office of professor of divinity, the duties of which he discharged with zeal and ability, introducing annual examinations in divinity. In 1819 Dr. Graves published his "Scriptural Proofs of the Trinity," which was followed in 1825 by his last work, "Calvinistic Predestination repugnant to the general tenor of Scripture." While on a tour in England in 1827 he was attacked with paralysis, when he received kind attention from Southey. He recovered sufficiently to return home, where he languished till 29th March, 1829. Dr. Graves was a man of sound judgment, well-trained intellect, and fertile imagination; his eloquence was copious; his manner earnest, affectionate, and awakening; he was as noted for his simplicity as for his learning—for his benevolence as for his pastoral piety.—J. F. W.
GRAVES, Robert James, M.D., F.R.S., the second son of the Rev. Richard Graves, D.D., dean of Ardagh, was born in Dublin on the 27th of March, 1797. Mr. Graves' college course was marked with brilliant success, and he finally obtained the gold medal, which highest undergraduate prize was likewise awarded to each of his two brothers on the termination of their studies. Having obtained his medical degree. Dr. Graves spent several years in visiting the great capitals of Europe, and in forming friendships with the leading physicians and physiologists of France, Germany, Italy, and the north of Europe. On his return to Dublin in 1821 he was appointed physician to the Meath hospital, and became one of the founders of the Park Street School of Medicine. In 1827 he was elected king's professor of the institutes of medicine. He contributed papers to the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy and to the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal. He assisted in the establishment of the Dublin Journal of Medical Science, and was for many years the most valuable contributor to it. It is, however, in his great work on "Clinical Medicine," that he has erected an imperishable monument to his memory. In it his many and remarkable original views and valuable additions to practical medicine will be found collected. "To the labours of Graves," observes his former pupil and colleague. Dr. Stokes, "we must award the highest place, as combining in a philosophical eclecticism the lights of the past with those of the present. For his mind, while it mastered the discoveries of modern investigation, remained imbued with the old strength and breadth of view so characteristic of the fathers of British medicine. And thus he had the rare privilege of leading the advance of the present school of medicine, while he never ceased to venerate and to be guided by the wisdom, the mode of thinking, and the labours of the past." Dr. Graves died on the 20th of March, 1853.—W. D. M.
GRAVINA, Domenico da, took his name from his birthplace in Terra di Bari, Naples. He was continually involved in the wars which distracted his country. His connection with public affairs gives value to the history of his own times from 1332 to 1350, which he composed, but of which the beginning and end are unhappily wanting. The existing portion was first printed by Muratori in his Collection.—C. G. R.
GRAVINA, Federico, Duke of, a Spanish admiral, born in 1756. His first service was against the Algerians, and at a very early age he was intrusted with the command of two ships for that expedition. He was in command of the troops who were landed at Toulon in 1793, and was wounded shortly afterwards. In 1805 he received the rank of captain-general of the Spanish fleet, and the command of the squadron destined to co-operate with the French Admiral Villeneuve against the English under Nelson. After an indecisive action with Sir R. Calder, the allied fleets on the 21st October fell in with the British fleet off Trafalgar, where, at a critical moment of the engagement, both Gravina and the second in command. Admiral Escano, were shot down by bullets. Gravina survived the action, but died of his wounds, February, 1806.—F. M. W.
GRAVINA, Giovanni Vincenzo, a distinguished jurist, born at Rogiano, a small town near Cosenza in Calabria, January, 1664; died in Rome, 6th January, 1718. For his early education he was indebted to his uncle, Gregorio Caroprese. At the age of sixteen he was sent to study civil and canon law with the first advocate of Naples, Serafino Biscardi. Gravina is said to have taken as his fundamental books the Bible, the Code of civil law, the works of Plato and of Cicero, and the poems of Homer. Some years later he proceeded to Rome, and was mainly instrumental in founding the Accademia degli Arcadi, from which he withdrew in consequence of a dispute with Crescimbeni. He filled successively the chairs of civil and canon law in the collegio della Sapienza; yet, though both acute and erudite in his expositions, his classes were not largely frequented. In 1714 he revisited Calabria to attend the deathbed of his uncle Gregorio. Two years later he returned to Rome, and was preparing to remove to Turin—invited thither to assume the professorship of law and prefecture of the university by Victor Amadeus II. of Savoy—when he was attacked by a painful disorder, which terminated fatally. Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina was an erudite and luminous writer; his principal work, the "Originum Juris Civilis, libri tres," established his reputation as a jurist. Nor were his literary labours devoted exclusively to legal science; he wrote "Delia Ragion Poetica," and several tragedies. His name is, however, most generally remembered as associated with that of Pietro Trapassi, commonly called Metastasio. Passing along one of the streets of Rome, Gravina heard the boy improvise, accosted him, was pleased with his answers, adopted him as a son, brought him up under his own roof, and finally bequeathed to him the whole of his Roman property.—C. G. R.
GRAVINA, Pietro, canon of Naples, and belonging to the celebrated Capuan family of the Conti di Gravina; born in Palermo in 1453; died in Naples in 1528; having long lived at the court of that city. He is known as a copious author of Latin poems and letters published in 1532. His epigrams were commended by Sannazzaro. He has also left a fragment of an epic poem upon Gonsalvo di Cordova.—W. M. R.
* GRAY, Asa, a celebrated botanist, was born at Utica, New York, in November, 1810. He devoted himself entirely to the study of botany under the direction of Dr. Torrey. He soon attained an important position, and he now occupies the highest place among American botanists, and is professor of botany at Harvard university. He has published "Elements of Botany;" a "Botanical Text-book;" "Flora of North America;" "Manual of Botany for the northern United States;" "Genera Boreali-Americana Illustrata;" besides many memoirs on botanical subjects, as well as popular elementary works. He is the botanical editor of Silliman's American Journal. A genus of melanthaceæ has been called Asagræa.—J. H. B.
* GRAY, George Robert, a distinguished naturalist, and senior assistant in the zoological department at the British Museum, was born at Chelsea in 1808. He is the son of Mr. Samuel Frederick Gray, a well-known writer on chemistry,
