But while Berthelot thus deprived the world of what were long regarded as genuine Latin versions of Jaber’s works, he also gave it something in their place, for among the Paris MSS. he found a mutilated treatise, hitherto unpublished, entitled Liber de Septuaginta (Johannis), translatus a Magistro Renaldo Cremonensi, which he considered the only known Latin work that can be regarded as a translation from the Arabic Jaber. The latter states in the Arabic works referred to above that under that title he collected 70 of the 500 little treatises or tracts of which he was the author, and the titles of those tracts enumerated in the Kitāb-al-Fihrist as forming the chapters of the Liber de Septuaginta correspond in general with those of the Latin work, which further is written in a style similar to that of the Arabic Jaber and contains the same doctrines. Hence Berthelot felt justified in assigning it to Jaber, although no Arabic original is known.
The evidence collected by Berthelot has an important bearing on the history of chemistry. Most of the chemical knowledge attributed to the Arabs has been attributed to them on the strength of the reputed Latin writings of Geber. If, therefore, these are original works rather than translations, and contain facts and doctrines which are not to be found in the Arabian Jaber, it follows that, on the one hand, the chemical knowledge of the Arabs has been overestimated and, on the other, that more progress was made in the middle ages than has generally been supposed.
See M. P. E. Berthelot’s works on the history of alchemy and especially his Chimie au moyen âge (3 vols., Paris, 1893), the third volume of which contains a French translation of Jaber’s works together with the Arabic text.
GEBHARD TRUCHSESS VON WALDBURG (1547–1601),
elector and archbishop of Cologne, was the second son of William,
count of Waldburg, and nephew of Otto, cardinal bishop of
Augsburg (1514–1573). Belonging thus to an old and
distinguished Swabian family, he was born on the 10th of November
1547, and after studying at the universities of Ingolstadt, Perugia,
Louvain and elsewhere began his ecclesiastical career at
Augsburg. Subsequently he held other positions at Strassburg,
Cologne and Augsburg, and in December 1577 was chosen elector
of Cologne after a spirited contest. Gebhard is chiefly noted for
his conversion to the reformed doctrines, and for his marriage
with Agnes, countess of Mansfeld, which was connected with this
step. After living in concubinage with Agnes he decided, perhaps
under compulsion, to marry her, doubtless intending at the same
time to resign his see. Other counsels, however, prevailed.
Instigated by some Protestant supporters he declared he would
retain the electorate, and in December 1582 he formally announced
his conversion to the reformed faith. The marriage with Agnes
was celebrated in the following February, and Gebhard remained
in possession of the see. This affair created a great stir in
Germany, and the clause concerning ecclesiastical reservation in
the religious peace of Augsburg was interpreted in one way by
his friends, and in another way by his foes; the former holding
that he could retain his office, the latter that he must resign.
Anticipating events Gebhard had collected some troops, and had
taken measures to convert his subjects to Protestantism. In
April 1583 he was deposed and excommunicated by Pope Gregory
XIII.; a Bavarian prince, Ernest, bishop of Liége, Freising and
Hildesheim, was chosen elector, and war broke out between the
rivals. The cautious Lutheran princes of Germany, especially
Augustus I., elector of Saxony, were not enthusiastic in support of
Gebhard, whose friendly relations with the Calvinists were not to
their liking; and although Henry of Navarre, afterwards Henry
IV. of France, tried to form a coalition to aid the deposed elector,
the only assistance which he obtained came from John Casimir,
administrator of the Palatinate of the Rhine. The inhabitants of
the electorate were about equally divided on the question, and
Ernest, supported by Spanish troops, was too strong for Gebhard.
John Casimir, who acted as commander-in-chief, returned to the
Palatinate in October 1583, and early in the following year
Gebhard was driven from Bonn and took refuge in the Netherlands.
The electorate was soon completely in the possession of
Ernest, and the defeat of Gebhard was a serious blow to Protestantism,
and marks a stage in the history of the Reformation.
Living in the Netherlands he became very intimate with
Elizabeth’s
envoy, Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, but he failed to
get assistance for renewing the war either from the English queen
or in any other quarter. In 1589 Gebhard took up his residence at
Strassburg, where he had held the office of dean of the cathedral
since 1574. Before his arrival some trouble had arisen in the
chapter owing to the fact that three excommunicated canons
persisted in retaining their offices. He joined this party, which
was strongly supported in the city, took part in a double election
to the bishopric in 1592, and in spite of some opposition retained
his office until his death at Strassburg on the 31st of May 1601.
Gebhard was a drunken and licentious man, who owes his prominence rather to his surroundings than to his abilities.
See M. Lossen, Der kölnische Krieg (Gotha, 1882), and the article on Gebhard in band viii. of the Allgemeine deutsche Biographie (Leipzig, 1878); J. H. Hennes, Der Kampf um das Erzstift Köln (Cologne, 1878); L. Ennen, Geschichte der Stadt Köln (Cologne, 1863–1880); and Nuntiaturberichte aus Deutschland. Der Kampf um Köln, edited by J. Hansen (Berlin, 1892).
GEBWEILER (Fr. Guebwiller), a town of Germany in the imperial province of Alsace-Lorraine, at the foot of the Vosges, on the Lauch, 13 m. S. of Colmar, on the railway Bollweiler-Lautenbach. Pop. (1905) 13,259. Among the principal buildings are the Roman Catholic church of St Leodgar, dating from the 12th century, the Evangelical church, the synagogue, the town-house, and the old Dominican convent now used as a market and
concert hall. The chief industries are spinning and dyeing, and
the manufacture of cloth and of machinery; quarrying is carried
on and the town is celebrated for its white wines.
Gebweiler is mentioned as early as 774. It belonged to the religious foundation of Murbach, and in 1759 the abbots chose it for their residence. In 1789, at the outbreak of the Revolution, the monastic buildings were laid in ruins, and, though the archives were rescued and removed to Colmar, the library perished.
GECKO,[1] the common name applied to all the species of the Geckones, one of the three sub-orders of the Lacertilia. The geckoes are small creatures, seldom exceeding 8 in. in length including the tail. With the head considerably flattened, the body short and thick, the legs not high enough to prevent the body dragging somewhat on the ground, the eyes large and almost destitute of eyelids, and the tail short and in some cases nearly as thick as the body, the geckoes altogether lack the litheness and grace characteristic of most lizards. Their colours also are dull, and to the weird and forbidding aspect thus produced the general prejudice against those creatures in the countries where they occur, which has led to their being classed with toads and snakes, is no doubt to be attributed. Their bite was supposed to be venomous, and their saliva to produce painful cutaneous eruptions; even their touch was thought sufficient to convey a dangerous taint. It is needless to say that in this instance the popular mind was misled by appearances. The geckoes are not only harmless, but are exceedingly useful creatures, feeding on insects, which, owing to the great width of their oesophagus, they are enabled to swallow whole, and in pursuit of which they do not hesitate to enter human dwellings, where they are often killed on
- ↑ The Malay name gē-koq imitates the animal’s cry.
