GAILLARD, GABRIEL HENRI, D. celebrated modern French historian, was bore in 1726. After receiving a good education, lie was admitted advocate at an early ago, but he soon left the bar in order to devote himself eutirrly to literature. In 1745, wheu he was only nineteen years old, he wrote a treatise on rhetoric for the use of young ladies. In 1757 he published the ' History of Mary of Burgundy, daughter of Charles the Bold and wife of the emperor Maximilian 1. a work which had great success. In 1766 was published his History of Francis L of France.' The subject is well treated, though GaillarC presented it in a rather uninviting form for the generality of readers having divided the history of that celebrated reign into separate parts such as civil, political, military, ecclesiastical, and literary history, the private life of the king, &c. He adopted the same plan in his ' History of Charlemagne,' 1782, in 4 vole. 4to. Besides the objection to hi: mode of dividing the subject-matter, it was further objected to the History of Charlemagne' that Gaillard had sunk the biography of his hero between two long dissertations on the first and second race, of the French kings. The beat work of Gaillard ie his 'History of the
Rivalry between France and England,' of which the first three volumes appeared in 1771, the four following in 1774, and the four concluding volumes in 1777. This work embraces not only the political and military relations between the two countries, but also the internal history of both, so arranged as to present a constant parallelism. His 'History of the Rivalry between France and Spain,' 8 vols. 12mo, a work highly appreciated in France, is written on the same plan. Gaillard was the author of the Historical Dictionary' in the 'Ency clopddie Mahodique,' 6 vols. 4to, and many other minor works, the most valuable of which are a 'Life of Malesherbes,' his personal friend, voL 8vo ; and 'Observations on the History of France,' by Velly, Villaret, and Garnier, 4 vols. 12mo, 1806. Gaillard died in 1808, in consequence of his severe application. His moral character stood very high.