OIRARD
569
GIRARD
requires to be read with care. lie left Ireland in
IISO, and two years later accoMiiianieil Arclibishop
Baldwin in his journeys through Wales, preacliint; the
crusade. Here, according to his own account (Itin-
erariiun Cambriae), his eloquence met with such a
response that Wales was denuded of its fighting men.
He went to I'rance, but was recalled to England in
1190, where he informs us he was offered the Bishopric
of Bangor and, in 1191, that of Llandaff.
On the death of Peter de Leia, 119S, the chapter of St. David's again nominated Giraldus for the bishop- ric; but Hubert, Ai-chbishop of Canterbury, refused confirmation. Representatives of the canons followed Richard to France, but before they could interview him he died; his successor, King John, received them kindly, and granted them permission to hold an elec- tion. They were unanimous in their selection of Giraldus; and, as Hubert still refused to confirm the election, Giraldus started for Rome, where he had an interview with Innocent III. The archbishop, how- ever, had anticipated him, and, as the pope was not convinced that St. David's was independent of Can- terbury, the mission of Giraldus proved a failure. It was in connexion with this that he wrote his book "De jure Menevensis Ecclesia;". Giraldus returned, and was supported by the cliieftains of Wales, while King John warmly espoused the cause of the Arch- bishop of Canterbury. After a long struggle the chapter of St. David's deserted Giraldus, and having been obliged to escape secretly from Wales he fled to Rome. Pope Innocent III annulled both elections, and Geoffrey Henlaw was appointed to the See of St. David's, despite the strenuous exertions of Giraldus, who afterwards was reconciled with the king, and re- ceived from him a small pension. At the next election in St. David's, 1214, his name was passed over in si- lence. He was alive after 1216, as it is evident from the way in which he speaks of John that that king was already dead.
De Barry was a writer of remarkable brilliancy and force, a narrator rather than a historian, full of self- confiilence, and at times courage, and on the whole neither the model of perfection which he proclaims himself to be, nor the despicable character which he is oftentimes painted. His works are pulilished in the Rolls Series; and in the prefaces to the volumes may be sought indications as to probable dates of composi- tion and publication. Appended is a list of de Barry's writings: "Topographia Hibemica"; "Expugnatio Hibernica"; "Itinerarium Cambrise"; "Gemma Ecclesiastica"; "De Instructione Principum"; "De Rebus a se gestis"; "Vita S. Davidis II episcopi Menevensis" (which Brewer considers as, more prob- ably, the work of Giraldus); "Descriptio Cambriae" (published as the last) ; " Vita Galfridi Arch. Ebora- censis"; "Symbolum Electorum"; " Invectionuni Libellus"; "Speculum Ecclesiie"; "VitaS.Remigii"; "Vita S. Hugonis"; "Vita S. Davidis archiepiscopi Menevensis"; "Vita S. Ethelberti"; "Epistola ad Stephanum Langton"; "De Giraldo Archidiacono Menevensi"; "De Libris a .se scriptis"; "Catalogus brevier librorum"; "Retractationes"; "De jure Menevensis Ecclesiae " . See introduction to his works l)y the editors, Brewer and Diniock.
The works of Giraldus dealing especially with Ire- land: the "Topography", and "Historj^ of the Con- quest ' ', though long regarded as possessing consider- able authorit}', did not escape hostile criticism. In "Cambrensis Eversus" (1062), under the pseudonym of Gratianus Lucius, Dr. Lynch, of whose personal history little is known, produced a work which, though controversial in character, entitles the author to repute rather as a painstaking chronicler than as a controver- sialist of a high order. After criticizing the "Topo- graphy" adversely, and showing that the title of the second book, the "Conquest of Ireland", is a mis- nomer, the writer of "Cambrensis Eversus" disproves
de Barry's title of historian, and meets his charges
against the Irisli people. Giraldus is impeached with
ignorance of the language, .and imfamiliarit y with the
country; he is said to have embodied in his works
unauthenticated narratives, with little regard for
chronology; his own admission thai he had "followed
the popular ruinoius of the land" is extended in
meaning, and perhaps unduly insisted upon.
Nor is the "Cambrensis Eversus" merely a collec- tion of arbitrary accusations and unsubstantial re- joinders, made with a view to effect the discredit of de Barry as a writer of history. What might be urged as the greatest imperfection of LymOi 's pi .lemie, its too great wealth of detail, had not esc:ipril (he at- tention of the able author, who excusi's ihi'diliuseness to which he is compelled by asseveral ing his determi- nation to follow Giraldus closely to the end. What^ ever may be said as to the ability with which Lynch discharged his task of controversialist, there can be no denial of the thoroughness and, above all, the sincer- ity of his methods. He does not pick out the weak points in his opponent's armour, and never shirks the issue; but grapples with every difficulty, as the order of his opponent suggests.
Perhaps the most serious accusation levelled against Giraldus, next to the indictment of bias and dishon- esty, is that wherein he is impeached of being ad- dicted to the cult of the superstitious and the practice of witchcraft. If this be true, and Merlin would seem to have exerciseil a considerable sway over the mind of de Barry, then it would be vain to seek in the writings of the latter the reflex of that calm discrinunation and sober balance of judgment which slmuUl characterize the historian. Fuially, it may be said that the stu- dent of Irish history, by reading the works of Giraldus in the light of "Cambrensis Eversus", cannot fail to derive a helpful knowledge of the period which they embrace.
Giraldus, De Rebus a se ffestis^ and De jure Menevensis EcclesiiF: Brewer's Introduction to vol. I of the edition of works of Giraldus in the Rolls Series; life of Giraldus in Itinera- rium CiimhriiF, tr. HoAiiE (London, 1S06); Wharton, Anglia .S'arrrt, II. 1^74; Lynch, Cambrensis Eversus^ ed. Kelly (3 vols., Dublin, 1848-51). JaMES MacCaFFREY.
Girard, Jean-Baptiste, known as Pere Girard, a Swiss pedagogue, b. at Fribourg, 17 December, 1765; d. there, March, 1850. At sixteen he entered the novitiate of the Franciscans at Lucerne; after spend- ing some time teaching in the colleges of the order, he went to Wiirzburg for his philosophical and theological studies, and was there ordained to the priesthood. Returning to Fribourg in 1789, he spent ten years in missionary work and in teaching philosophy to the young men of his order. His admiration for Kantian ideas, although restricted, was the occasion of sus- picion of his orthodoxy. LTpon the invitation of Stapfer, minister of arts and sciences, Girard wrote a plan for education in Switzerland and was called to Berne where he remained four years. In 1804 he was recallei.1 to Fribourg, and took up work in the primary schools.
As director of the schools in Fribourg (1807-1823), Girard made education compulsory, organized the school administration. Insisted on the adoption of good textbooks and methods, and introduced the monitorial system, avoiding the abuse of mere mem- ory exerci.se and making every study converge to the child's complete education. These reforms, though crowned with success, were the occasion for bitter opposition from those who did not realize the impor- tance of education, or adhered to the old routine methods. In 1809 Girard was sent to Yverdun to make a report to the Government on Pestalozzi's insti- tution. He had met the latter in Berne and professed the greatest admiration for his ability as an educator, while differing from him on several important points, especially on the value of the monitorial system. This
