OR A DICTIONARY OF ARTS, SCIENCES, AND POLITE LITERATURE: COMPILED FROM THE BEST AUTHORITIES BY EDWARD AUGUSTUS KENDAL. Imbellished with Copper Plates designed and engraved by EMINENT ARTISTS. SECOND EDITION.--Corrected and much enlargei. TRAN VOL. III. LONDON: J. HARRIS, SCATCHERD AND LETTERMAN, PEACOCK Genius, in antient superstition, a spirit who presided over the affairs of nations or individuals. It appears that, primitively, only one genius was spoken of, and this was called the Son of God, and to him was attributed the production of all things, and the administration of events : the genius, therefore, represented the creative power and the providence of the Deity. In time, each nation pretended to have a God or providence attentive to its peculiar prosperity, and hostile to the pretensions of others. Here we easily see one great opening to polytheism. Another was, that each individual begun to have his separate providence. It has ever been a prevailing idea with the professors of various religions, that the Deity transacts all the affairs of this world, and even created it, by commission ; and the commissioners were genii. GENTLEMAN, in law, all above the rank of yeo. men; in heraldry, those who were freemen, and therefore bore arms; in common speech, every well-bred man. Genus, in natural history, a subdivision of any class or order of things, whether of the apimal, ve VOL. IIL. |
