GENTILESCHI (Artemisia), daughter of the preceding, painted also with great success. Her picture of David with Goliah's head is deemed her best performance. She lived chiefly at Naples, in great splendour; and was famous for her amours.

GENTILE'SSE. s. (French.) Complaisance; civility: not used (Hudibras). GEʼNTILISM. s. (gentilisme, Fr.) Heathenism; paganism (Stilling fleet).

GENTILITIOUS. a. (gentilatius, Latin.) 1. Endemial; peculiar to a nation (Brown). 2. Hereditary; entailed on a family (Arbuth not).

GENTI’LITY, s. (gentilité, French.) 1. Good extraction; dignity of birth. 2. Elegance of behaviour; gracefulness of mien; nicety of taste. 3. Gentry; the class of persons well born. 4. Paganism; heathenism (Hooker).

GENTLE. a. (gentilis, Latin.) 1. Well born; well descended; ancient, though not noble (Sidney). 2. Soft; bland; mild; tame; meek; peaceable (Fairfax). 3. Soothing; pacific (Davies).

GENTLE. S. 1. A gentleman; a man of birth (Shakspeare). 2. A particular kind of worm (Walton).

To GENTLE. t. a. To make gentle (Shakspeare).

GENTLEFOLK. s. (gentle and folk.) Persons distinguished by their birth from the vulgar.

GENTLE FLOWER, in botany. See AMARYLLIS.

GENTLES, in angling, the grubs or maggots of the musca vomitoria, or common fleshAy or blow-fly, and of several other insects that feed on putrid animal food. They are a very common and useful bait in general fishing. In London they may be generally had of the tallow-chandlers fit for use, and should be kept in oatmeal and bran, as bran by itself is too dry. Where they cannot be thus obtained, the following, among other methods, may be an easy way of breeding and preserving them. Take a piece of beast's liver, and with a cross stick, hang it in some corner over a pot or barrel, half full of dry clay, and as the gentles grow big they will fall into the barrel and scour themselves, and be always ready for use whensoever you incline to fish; and may be thus created till after Michaelmas. But if you desire to keep gentles to fish with all the year, get a dead cat or kite, and let it be fly-blown, and when the gentles begin to be alive and to stir, bury it and them in soft moist earth, but as free from frost as you can, and these you may dig up at any time when you intend to use them; they will last till March, and about that time turn to flies.

GENTLEMAN, a person of good family, or descended of a family which has long borne arms, the grant of which adds gentility to a man's family.

The word is formed of the French gentilhomme, or rather of gentil, fine, fashionable, or becoming; and the Saxon man, q. d. honestus,

or honesto loco natus: it probably comes originally from the Latin gentilis homo. The word is now applied indiscriminately to every man of an appearance and behaviour above the lower orders of the people.

Mr. Camden observes, that the distinction of a gentleman of coat-armour, or an upstart, and a gentleman of blood, is the bearing of arms from the grandfather; and that he who bears arms from his grandfather, is to all intents and purposes a gentleman of blood; for which cause it is requisite by the statutes of the Bath, that every knight before his admission, proves himself to be so qualified; which done it carries with it, if his merit be equal, a passport also to the order of the garter. Notitia Anglicana, p. 24. See also Doddridge's Honour's Pedigree, p. 147. Smith, De Republ. Angl. & Fortescue, fol. 82.

GENTLEMAN-USHER OF THE BLACK ROD, the chief gentleman-usher to the king: his duty is to bear the rod before the king at the feast of St. George at Windsor; and to his custody all peers questioned for any crime are first committed. His badge is a black rod, with a lion in gold at top.

GENTLEMEN OF THE BED-CHAMBER, persons of the first rank, ten in number; whose office is, each in his turn, to attend a week in the king's bed-chamber.

GENTLEMEN OF THE CHAPEL, officers whose duty and attendance is in the royal chapel, being in number thirty; ten whereof are priests, and the other twenty called clerks of the chapel, who assist in the performance of divine service.

GENTLEMEN PENSIONERS.

See PENGENTLEMAN,

LY. a. (gentleman and like.) Becoming a man of birth (Swift).

GEʼNTLENESS. s. (from gentle.) 1. Dignity of birth; goodness of extraction. 2. Softness of manners; sweetness of disposition; meekness (Milton). 3. Kindness; benevolence: obsolete (Shakspeare).

GEʼNTLESHIP. s. Carriage of a gentle

man.

GENTLEWOMAN. s. 1. A woman of birth above the vulgar; a woman well descended (Bacon). 2. A woman who waits about the person of one of high rank (Shake speare). 3. A word of civility or irony (Dryden).

GENTLY. ad. (from gentle.) 1. Softly; meekly; tenderly; inoffensively; kindly (Locke). 2. Softly; without violence (Grew),

GENTRY. s. (gentlery, gentry, from gene.) 1. Birth; condition (Shakspeare). 2. Class of people above the vulgar (Sidney). 3. A term of civility real or ironical (Prior). 4. Civility; complaisance: obsolete (Shakspeare).

GENTOOS, or GENTUS, in modern history, according to the common acceptation of the term, denote the professors of the religion of the brains or brachmans, who inhabit the country called Hindustan, in the East Inlies, from the word stan, a region, and hind

name, without giving any particular names to the species as was done to the other two. For the characters, &c. of these several genera, see ENHARMONIC, CHROMATIC, and DIA

TONIC.

GEOCENTRIC, is said of a planet or its orbit, to denote its having the earth for its centre. The moon alone is properly geocentric. And yet the motions of all the planets may be considered in respect of the earth, or as they appear from the earth's centre, and thence called their geocentric motions. Hence also the terms geocentric place, latitude, longitude, &c. being the place, latitude, longitude, &c. of a planet as seen from the earth's centre.

GEODÆ'SIA. s. (ytwda.) That part of geometry which contains the doctrine or art of measuring surfaces, and finding the contents of all plane figures (Harris).

GEODETICAL. a. (from geodasia.) Relating to the art of measuring surfaces.

GEOFFRE'A. (Geoffræa, named in honour of Dr. Geoffrey.) The bark so called is the produce of the Geoffroya inermis, of Swatz. Geoffroya inermis, foliolis lanceolatis. Class diadelphia. Order decandria. A native of Jamaica, where it is distinguished by the name of cabbage-bark tree, or worm-bark tree. It has a mucilaginous and sweetish taste, and a disagreeable smell. According to Dr. Wright of Jamaica, it is powerfully medicinal as an anthelmintic. See GEOFFROYA.

GEOFFROYA, in botany, a genus of the class diadelphia, order decandria. Calyx fivecleft; drape ovate; not compressed. Three species; natives of South America and the West Indies: one well known as a tall, spinous tree, with axillary racemes: the other two unarmed, but trees also. Of these the bark of g. inermis, commonly distinguished by the name of bulgo-water tree, or bastardcabbage tree, is used successfully in Jamaica as a vermifuge. It is given in the different forms of powder, decoction, syrup, and extract.

GEOGRAPHER. s. (yn and yeapw.) One who describes the earth according to the position of its different parts (Brown).

GEOGRAPHICAL. a. (geographique, Fr.) Relating to geography.

GEOGRAPHICALLY. ad. In a geographical manner (Broome).

GEOGRAPHY, the science that teaches and explains the nature and properties of the earth, as to its figure, place, magnitude, motions, celestial appearances, &c. with the various lines, real or imaginary, on its surface.

Geography is distinguished from cosmography, as a part from the whole; this latter considering the whole visible world, both heaven and earth. And from topography and chorography, it is distinguished, as the whole from a part.

Golnitz considers geography as either exterior or interior: but Varenius more justly divides it into general and special; or universal and particular.

General or Universal Geography, is that which considers the earth in general, without any regard to particular countries, or the affections common

to the whole globe: as its figure, magnitude, mo tion, land, sea, &c.

Special or Particular Geography, is that which contemplates the constitution of the several particular regions, or countries; their bounds, figure, cli mate, seasons, weather, inhabitants, arts, customs,

language, &c.

Geography must have commenced at very early History of Geography. The study and practice of ages of the world. By the accounts we have remaining, it seems this science was in use among the Babylonians and Egyptians; from whom it passed to the Greeks first of any Europeans, and from these successively to the Romans, the Arabians, and the western nations of Europe. Herodotus says the Greeks first learned the pole, the gnomon, and the twelve divisions of the day, from the Babylonians. But Pliny and Diogenes Laertius assert, that Thales of Miletus, in the sixth cen tury before Christ, first found out the passage of author of two books, the one on the tropic, and the the sun from tropic to tropic, and it is said was the other on the equinox; both probably determined by means of the gnomon; whence he was led to the discovery of the four seasons of the year, which are determined by the equinoxes and solstices; all which however it is likely he learned of the Egyptians, as well as his division of the year into 365 days. This it is said was invented by the second Mercury, surnamed Trismegistus, who, according to Eusebius, lived about 50 years after the Exodus. Pliny expressly says that this discovery

was made by observing when the shadow returned to its marks; a clear proof that it was done by the

gnomon. It is farther saidthat Thales constructed a globe, and represented the land and sea upon a table of brass. Farther that Anaximander, a disciple of Thales, first drew the figure of the earth upon a globe; and that Hecate, Democritus, Eudoxus, and others, formed geographical maps, and brought them into common use in Greece.

Timocharis and Aristillus, who began their observations about 295 B. C., it seems first attempted to fix the latitudes and longitudes of the fixed stars, by considering their distances from the equator, &c. One of their observations gave rise to the discovery of the precession of the equinoxes, 150 years after; who also made use of their mewhich was first remarked by Hipparchus about thod, for delineating the parallels of latitude and the meridians on the surface of the earth; thus laying the foundation of this science as it now ap

pears.

The latitudes and longitudes, thus introduced by Hipparchus, were not however much attended to till Ptolemy's time. Strabo, Vitruvius, and Pliny, have all of them entered into a minute geographical description of the situation of places, according to the length of the shadows of the gnomon, without noticing the longitudes and latitudes.

Maps at first were little more than rude outlines, and topographical sketches of different countries The earliest on record were those of Sesostris, mentioned by Eustathius; who says, that "this Egyptian king, having traversed great part of the earth, recorded his march in maps, and gave copies of them not only to the Egyptians, but to the Scythians, to their great astonishment." Some have imagined with much probability, that the Jews made a map of the Holy Land, when they gave the different portions to the nine tribes at Shiloh: for Joshua tells us that they were sent to walk through the land, and that they described

in seven parts in a book ;and Josephus relates that when Joshua sent out people from the differ ent tribes to measure the land, he gave them, as companions, persons well skilled in geometry, who could not be mistaken in the truth.

The first Grecian map on record was that of Anaximander, mentioned by Strabo, lib. 1, p. 7, supposed to be the one referred to by Hipparchus under the designation of the ancient map. Herodotus minutely describes a map made by Aristago, ras tyrant of Miletus, which will serve to give some idea of the maps of those times. He relates, that Aristagoras shewed it to Cleomenes king of Sparta, to induce him to attack the king of Persia at Susa, in order to restore the lonians to their ancient liberty. It was traced upon brass or copper, and seems to have been a mere itinerary, contain ing the route through the intermediate countries which were to be traversed in that march, with the rivers Halys, the Euphrates, and Tigris, which Herodotus mentions as necessary to be crossed in that expedition. It contained one straight line called the Royal Road or Highway, which took in all the stations or places of encampment from Sardis to Susa; being 111 in the whole journey, and containing 13,500 stadia, or 1687 Roman miles of 5000 feet each.

These itinerary maps of the place of encampment were indispensably necessary in all armies and marches; and indeed war and navigation seem to be the two grand causes of the improvements both in geography and astronomy. Athenæus quotes Bæton as author of a work intitled, The Encampments of Alexander's March; and likewise Amyntas to the same purpose. Pliny observes that Diognetus and Baton were the surveyors of Alexander's marches, and then quotes the exact number of miles according to their mensuration; which he afterwards confirms by the let ters of Alexander himself. The same author also remarks that a copy of this great monarch's sur weys was given by Xenocles his treasurer to Patrocles the geographer, who was admiral of the facets of Seleucus and Antiochus. His book on geography is often quoted both by Strabo and Pliny; and it seems that this author furnished Eratosthenes with the principal materials for constructing his map of the oriental part of the world.

Eratosthenes first attempted to reduce geography to a regular system, and introduced a regular parallel of latitude, which began at the straits of Gibraltar, passed eastwards through the isle of Rhodes, and so on to the mountains of India, noting all the intermediate places through which it passed. In drawing this line, he was not regulated by the same latitude, but by observing where the longest day was 14 hours and a half, which Hipparchus afterwards determined was the latitude of 36 degrees.

This first parallel through Rhodes was ever after considered with a degree of preference, in con structing all the ancient maps; and the longitude of the then known world was often attempted to be measured in stadia and miles, according to the extent of that line, by many succeeding geographers.

Eratosthenes soon after attempted not only to draw other parallels of latitude, but also to trace a meridian at right angles to these, passing through Rhodes and Alexandria, down to Syene and Meroë; and at length he undertook the arduous task of determining the circumference of the globe, by an

actual measurement of a segment of one of its great circles. To find the magnitude of the earth, is indeed a problem which has engaged the attention of astronomers and geographers ever since the spherical figure of it was known. It seems Anaximander was the first among the Greeks who wrote upon this subject. Archytas of Tarentum, a Pythagorean, famous for his skill in mathematics and mechanics, also made some attempts in this way.

As to the methods of measuring the circumference of the earth, it would seem, from what Aris, totle says in his treatise De Cœlo, that they were much the same as those used by the moderns, deficient only in the accuracy of the instruments, That philosopher there says, that different stars pass through our zenith, according as our situation is more or less northerly; and that in the southern parts of the earth stars come above our horizon, which are no longer visible if we go northward, Hence it appears that there are two ways of mea. suring the circumference of the earth; one by observing stars which pass through the zenith of one place, and do not pass through that of another; the other, by observing some stars which come above the horizon of one place, and are observed at the same time to be in the horizon of another, The former of these methods, which is the best, was followed by Eratosthenes at Alexandria in Egypt 250 years before Christ. See DEGREE. In the time of Pompey the Great, Posidonius determined the measure of the circumference of the earth by the second method above hinted by Aristotle, viz. the horizontal observations. Knowing that the star called Canopus was but just visible in the horizon of Rhodes, and at Alexandria finding its meridian height was the 48th part of a great circle in the heavens, or 74 degrees, answering to the like quantity of a circle on the earth: then, supposing these two places under the same meridian, and the distance between them 5000 stadia, the circumference of the earth will be 240,000 stadia, which is the first measure of Posidonius. But, according to Strabo, Posidonius made the measure of the earth to be 180,000 stadia, at the rate of 500 stadia to a degree. The reason of this difference is thought to be, that Eratosthenes measured the distance between Rhodes and Alexandria, and found it only 3750 stadia: taking this for a 48th part of the earth's circumference, which is the measure of Posidonius, the whole circumference will be 180,000 stadia, This nieasure was received by Marinus of Tyre, and is usually ascribed to Ptolemy. But this measurement is subject to great uncertainty, both on açcount of the great refraction of the stars near the horizon, the difficulty of measuring the distance at sea between Rhodes and Alexandria, and by supposing those places under the same meridian, when they are really very different.

Several geographers afterwards made use of the different heights of the pole in distant places un der the same meridian, to find the dimensions of the earth. About the year 800, the khalif Almamun had the distance measured between two places that were two degrees asunder, and under the same neridian in the plains of Sinjar near the Red Sea: and the result was, that the degree at one time was found equal to 56 miles, and at another 564 or 564 miles.

The next attempt to find out the cireumference of the earth was in 1525 by Fernelius, a leamed philosopher of France, For this purpose, he took