or GREATHEED, ROBERT, a learned bishop of Lincoln, was born at Stow in Lincolnshire, or, according to others, at Stradbrook in Suffolk, towards the close of the twelfth century. His parents were so poor, that when a boy he was obliged to perform the meanest offices, and even to beg his bread, until the mayor of Lincoln, struck with his appearance and the quickness of his answers to certain questions, took him into his family, and put him to school. Here his ardent love of learning, and admirable capacity for acquiring knowledge, soon appeared, and procured him many patrons, by whose assistance he was enabled to prosecute his studies, first at Cambridge, afterwards at Oxford, and lastly at Paris. In these three seats of learning he spent many years in the indefatigable pursuit of knowledge, and became one of the best and most universal scholars of the age. He was a great master not only of the French and Latin, but also of the Greek and Hebrew languages, which was a very rare accomplishment in those times. We are also assured by Roger Bacon, who was intimately acquainted with him, that he spent much of his time for nearly forty years in the study of geometry, astronomy, optics, and other branches of physical and mathematical learning, in all of which he very much excelled. But theology was his favourite study, in which he read lectures at Oxford with great approbation. In the mean while he had obtained several preferments in the church, and was at length elected and consecrated Bishop of Lincoln in the year 1235. In this station he soon became celebrated for the purity of his manners, the popularity of his preaching, the vigour of his discipline, and the boldness with which he reproved the vices and opposed the arbitrary mandates of the court of Rome. Of his independence in this last respect it may be proper to give one example. Pope Innocent IV. had granted to one of his own nephews, named Frederick, who was but a child, an appointment to the first canon's place in the church of Lincoln which should become vacant; and he sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Innocent, then papal legate in England, a bull commanding them to see the provision made effectual, which bull they transmitted to the Bishop of Lincoln. But that brave and virtuous prelate boldly refused to give effect to this unreasonable mandate, and sent an answer to the papal bull containing very severe reproofs against his holiness for abusing his power. The bishop did not long survive this noble stand against the corruption and tyranny of the church of Rome, for he fell sick at his castle of Bugden that same year; and when he became sensible that his end was drawing near, he called his clergy into his apartment, and made a long discourse to them, to prove that the reigning pope, Innocent IV. was antichrist. With this exertion his strength and spirits were so much exhausted, that he soon afterwards expired, on the 9th of October 1235.

GROVE, in Gardening, a small wood impervious to the rays of the sun. Groves have in all ages been held in great veneration. The prosenche, and high places of the Jews, whither they resorted for the purposes of devotion, were probably situated in groves (see Joshua, xxiv. 26). The prosenche in Alexandria, mentioned by Philo, had groves about them; for he complains that the Alexandrians, in a tumult against the Jews, cut down the trees of their prosenche. The ancient Romans had groves near several of their temples, which were consecrated to some god, and, as Cicero alleges, called luci, by antiphrasis, a non lucendo, as being shady and dark. The veneration which the ancient Druids had for groves is well known. Modern groves are not only ornaments to gardens, but also afford shelter from the heat of the sun.

Groves are of two sorts, either open or close. Open groves are those which have large shady trees, standing at such distances that their branches approach so near to each other as to prevent the rays of the sun from penetrating through them. Close groves have frequently large trees standing in them; but the ground under these is filled with shrubs or underwood, and the walks are private and screened from winds; by which means they are rendered agreeable for walking, at times when the air is either too hot or too cold in the more exposed parts of the garden. These are often contrived so as to bound the open groves, and frequently to hide the walls or other enclosures of the garden; and when they are properly laid out, with dry walks winding through them, and on the sides of these sweet-smelling shrubs and flowers irregularly planted, they have a charming effect.

GROVE, Henry, a learned Presbyterian divine, was born at Taunton in Somersetshire in 1683. Having obtained a sufficient stock of classical literature, he passed through a course of academical learning, under the reverend Mr Warren of Taunton, who had a flourishing academy. He then removed to London, and studied some time under the reverend Mr Rowe, to whom he was nearly related. Here he contracted with several persons of merit, and particularly with Dr Watts, a friendship which continued till his death, though they were of different opinions in several points warmly controverted amongst divines. After two years spent under Mr Rowe, he returned to the country, where he began to preach with great reputation. An exact judgment, a lively imagination, and a rational and amiable representation of Christianity, delivered in an agreeable and well-governed voice, soon rendered him generally admired; and the spirit of devotion which prevailed in his sermons procured him the esteem and friendship of Mrs Singer, afterwards Mrs Rowe, which she expressed in a fine ode on death, addressed to Mr Grove. Soon after he began to preach, he married; and on the death of Mr Warren, he was chosen to succeed him in the academy at Taunton. As this obliged him to reside there, he preached for eighteen years to two small congregations in the neighbourhood; and though his salary from both fell short of twenty pounds a year, and he had a growing family, he performed his duty cheerfully. In 1708, he published a piece entitled The Regulations of Diversions, drawn up for the use of his pupils. About the same time, he entered into a private dispute by letter with Dr Samuel Clarke; but as they were not able to convince each other, the debate was dropped with expressions of mutual esteem. He next wrote several papers printed in the Spectator (numbers 588, 601, 626, 635), the last of which was republished, by the direction of Dr Gibson, bishop of London, in the Evidences of the Christian Religion, by Mr Addison. In 1725, Mr James, his colleague in the academy, having died, he succeeded that person in his pastoral charge at Fulwood, near Taunton, and engaged his nephew to undertake the other duties of Mr James as tutor; and in this situation Mr Grove continued till his death, which happened in the year 1738. His great concern with his pupils was to inspire and cherish in them a prevailing love of truth, virtue, liberty, and genuine religion, without violent attachments or prejudices in favour of any party of Christians. He represented truth and virtue in a most engaging light; and though his income, both as a tutor and a minister, was insufficient to support his family without encroaching on his paternal estate, he knew not how to refuse the call of charity. Besides the pieces above mentioned, he wrote, 1. An Essay towards the Demonstration of the Soul's Immortality; 2. An Essay on the Terms of Christian Communion; 3. The Evidence of our Saviour's Resurrection considered; 4. Some Thoughts concerning the Proof of a Future State from Reason; 5. A Discourse concerning the Nature and Design of the Lord's Supper; 6. Wisdom the first spring of Action in the Deity; 7. A Discourse on Saving Faith; 8. Miscellanies in prose and verse; 9. Sermons. After his decease, his posthumous works were published by subscription, in four volumes octavo.