Gavanti, Barthei.emi, an Italian ecclesuistic, was boru at ^lonza in 15(J9, and died at Milan in lGt)8. He was consultor of the Congregation of Kites and general of the Barnabites (q. v.). His most important ■work, Thesaurus Sacroruiu liituum, is a commentary on the rubrics of the Jlissal and the Roman Breviary, more learned than critical. The best edition of the Thi'saunis is that containing the observations of 3Ie- r iti (Turin, 1706,-40, 4 vols. 4to) ; another, in 2 vols. ful., was published at Venice in 17G2. Gavanti wrote also Prttxis visitationi-t fpiscojuilis et synodi diacesume celebrandx (Rome, 1G28, 4to), and Mdnuale Eplscopo- rnm (Paris, 1647, 4to). — Hoefer, Noitv. Biog. Generale, xix, 735. (J.W. M.)
Gay, Ebenezer, D.D., a Unitarian clergyman, was born in Dedham, Mass., Aug. 15, 1696. He grad- uated at Harvard College in 1714; was admitted into the ministry in 1718, and installed as pastor of the chureli in lliiigham, which positidn he held till his death. While quite a 3^oung man he gained a high reputation for scholarship, and he received man}' testi- monials of public respect, both in his earlier and later days. He was opposed to all creeds and confessions of faith considered as binding, and is often mentioned as the father of American Unitarianism. He had no sympathy with the "great revival" of 1740. His name is signed to a paper entitled "The Sentiments and liesolutions of an Association of Ministers, convened at Weymouth January 15, 1745," in which they bear testimony against Whitetield's "enthusiastic spii'it." In 17.S1 he delivered a sermon on his eighty-fifth birth- day, which was published under the title of " The Old Man's Calendar." It has passed through several edi- tions in this country, been reprinted in England, and translated into the Dutch language and published in Holland. He died March 8, 1787. He printed a num- ber of occasional sermons. — Sprague, Annals, viii, 1.
Gay de Vernon, Leonard, a French priest and politician, was born at St. Leonard (Limousin) in 1748. >\"hen the French Revolution broke out ho was curate of Conipeignac, a town near Limoges. Siding at once with the psofile, he was the first to place the Domine S'dviimfac gintein before the Domine salvum fuc rer/em, and, in consequence, was appointed constitutional bish- op of Haute-Vienne, March 13, 1791. Sent as deputy to tlie Legislature, he sided with Torne, metropolitan of Cher, in demanding that tiie clergy should be per- mitted to laj' aside their peculiar dress. Having been re-elected to the Convention, he joined the extreme Itepiililicans, and from the midst of " La Montagne" cast Ills vote for the death of Louis XVI, and caused the arrest of some of the (Jirondists. In the Council of Five Hundred, of which he was a member, he inain- t lined the same opinions. The Director}-, to get rid of him, appointed him, June 9, 1798, on a commercial
mission to Tripoli, in Syria. He afterwards became general secretary of the Roman republic at Rome, but was deposed by Barras, and even forbidden to enter Franr''. He nevertheless secretly came back, and re- mained hidden in the department of Doubs until June 18, 1799, wlicn a change of government enabled liim to oljtain the repeal of the sentence of exile. About 1802 he founded a school in Paris, in connection with several other learned men, but was again exiled in consequence of the law of Jan. 12, 1816. In 1819 he finally obtained leave to return, and died at Vernon, near Limoges, Oct. 20, 1822. See Mahul, Ann. necro- lofjique (1822. p. 99) ; Thiers, Hist, de la Revolution. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale. xix, 756.
Gayley, Samuel JIaxwell, a Presbyterian min.. ister, was born in Co. Tyrone, Ireland, June 4, 1802. He came to this country in 1823, studied in Philadel- piiia, and was licensed to preach in 1828. In 1832 he was installed pastor in Wilmington, Del., where he also established the Wilmington Classical Institute, which he conducted with great success until July 4, 1854, when his house was burnt to the ground. In Oct., 1854, he removed to Media, Pa., and established the I Media Classical Ins itute, which he conducted success- j fully until his death, Dec. 19, 1862. As an educator of : }'outh Mr. Gayley did a great work. He was most I thorough and conscientious in his instructions, aiming to make solid thinkers rather than conceited coxcombs. ] He had more than one thousand youths under his care. They were from twenty different states, and from Can- ada, Cuba, Ireland, England, Mexico, Poland, Barba- does, India. — Wilson, Presbyterian Historical Almanac, 1864.
Ga'za (Heb. Azzah , flT", strong, q. d. fortress or Valentia, or fem. of goat , Sept. and other Greek writ- ers I\'(^'a, sometimes confounded with Gazara [q. v.] ; "Azzah" in Deut. ii, 23), a city remarkable for its early importance and continuous existence, lying along the Jlediterranean sea-coast, in latitude 31° 29 , longitude 34° 29' (Robinson), on the great thorough- fare between the head of the Persian Gulf and Hebron, as well as between Egypt and Palestine, of which it was indeed the frontier town (Arrian, Exp. Alex, ii, 26). It is chiefly noted as having been one of the cit- ies of the Philistine pentarchy (Josh, xv, 47). It is mentioned in Gen. x, 19 as one of the border-cities of the Canaanites. Its earliest inhabitants of whom we find any mention, though probably not the aborigines, are the Avim, who appear to have lived in a semi-no- mad state, roving over the neighboring plain and des- ert. They were attacked and driven northward by "the Caphtorim, who came forth out of Caphtor, and they dwelt in their stead" (Deut. ii, 23, with Josh, xiii, 2, 3 ; see Keil's note on the latter passage). The Caph- torim and Philistines were identical, or at least differ- ent families of the same tribe who afterwards amalga- mated and formed the powerful nation of whom we read so much in the Bible (comp. Deut. ii, 23; Amos ix, 7; Gen. x, 14 ; Jer. xlvii, 4). See CAPHTOiii.^r ; Philistines. The time of the conquest of Gaza by the Philistines is not known. It must have Ijeen long before Al)raham's time, for they were then (irmly es- tablished in the country, and possessed of great power (Gen. xxi, 32). Gaza was from the first their princi- pal stronghold. Joshua smote tlie Canaanites as far Gaza (Josh, x, 41\ but spared the Anakim (giants) that dwelt there (Josh, xi, 21, 22). In the division of the land, Gaza fell to the lot of Judali (.Josh, xv, 47), and was taken b}' him with the coast thereof (Judg. i, 18), but its inhabitants ("Gazites," Judg. xvi, 2; " (Jazathites," Josh. xiii. 3) were not exter- minated (Judg. iii, 3). (Jaza was one of the five Phil- istine cities which gave each a golden emerod as a trespass-offering to the Lord (1 Sam. vi, 17). Gaza is celebrated for the exploit recorded of Samson (Judg. xvi, 1-3), who "took the doors of the gate of the city,