GEN 



its beil interefts, he was the means of introducing them to 

 offices of diftinftion, which they filled with honour to them- 

 fclves, and high advantage to the baft inteiells of the Hate. 

 Gen. Biog. 



GENOUILLAT, in Geography, a town of France, in 

 the department of the Creufe ; nine miles W. of BoufTac. 



GENOUILLE, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Cliaiente ; lo miles W. of Jean d'Angely. 



GENOWI, a town of Africa; fix miles N. of Sen- 

 naar. 



GENSAC, a town of France, in the depai'tmcnt of the 

 Gironde ; nine miles S. E. of Libourne. 

 GENS D'ARMES. See Gendarmes. 

 GENSERIC, in Biography, a famous king of the Van- 

 dals, fucceeded his brother Gonderic in his Spanifli domi- 

 nions in the year 428. He had already fignalized his 

 courage and /kill in war, and was enured to toil and hard- 

 fiiips of every kind. Soon after his fucceffion he invaded 

 Africa, at the head of 50,000 men, and made liimfclf mafter 

 of the greater part of the country on the fea-coaft. The 

 pcrfecution of the Donatifts w-as an event highly favourable 

 to the defigns of Genferic. Seventeen years before he had 

 landed in Africa, a public conference was held at Carthage 

 bv order of the magiftrate, which ended in a moft fevere 

 perfecution. .Under thefe circumftanccs, Gonferic, himfelf 

 a Chriftian, but an enemy of the orthodox faith, avowed 

 liimielf the vindicator of the rights of the Donatifts, who, 

 in their turn, looked up to him as their dehverer, from whom 

 they migh reafonably espeft the repeal of the odious and 

 oppreiTive edifts of the Roman emperors. Genferic obtained 

 the moft fignal victories over his enemies, but notwithftand- 

 ing his fuccefs, he agreed to a treaty with the emperor 

 Vaientinian, whom he confented to leave in pofiTefTion of the 

 three Mauritanias. He delivered to the Romans his own 

 fon Hunneric, as a hoftage for the obfervance of his treaty ; 

 but thev, trufting to his good faitli, fent back the youth. 

 Genferic abufed iliis indulgence by feizing upon the city of 

 Carthage in 439, at a time when the empire was engaged in 

 a war with the Goths. From Carthage he failed with a 

 large fleet, and laided in Sicily. He ravaged almoft the 

 whole ef that ifland, and made a vaft booty, but was unable 

 to effeft the cor.queft of Palermo. The objetf ol this 

 prince was to render himfelf formidable by fea ; and he fuc- 

 ceeded fo completely, that the eaftern and weftern emperors, 

 Theodoiius and Vaientinian, thought it neceflary to join 

 againft him. They fitted out a powerful fleet, with a large 

 army, deftined for the recovery of Africa ; but Genferic 

 deluded them by propofals of accommodation, and the 

 irruption of the Huns obliged Theodofius to recal his 

 forces. V/hen Maximus afcended the weftern throne, lie 

 compelled Endoxi:i, the widow of Vaientinian HI., to 

 mar. y him ; (lie in a (liort t me fecretly apphed for the dan- 

 gerous aid of Genferjc to free her from his tyranny. He, 

 feizing the occafion, appeared at the mouth of the Tiber 

 with a numerous fleet ; and in the conteft Maximus was 

 llain, which afforded Genferic an opportunity of marching 

 to tiie gates of Rome,^ where he was admitted almoft without 

 Qppofition. For fourteen days the city was abandoned to 

 all the licentioufnefs of a barbarian foldiery ; and on his 

 return he carried away an immenfe quantity of trcafure, 

 befides multitudes of captives, chiefly of the female fex, 

 among whom were the emprefs and her two daughters, one 

 of whom he married to his fon Hunneric ; and after the 

 lapfe of feveral years, he reftored the other and hei mother 

 tftt.Ug.ir. native place. Qenferlc. continued to annex to liis 



GEN 



dominion the remaining Roman provinces in Afnca; and 

 then fent a fleet, confifting of fixty gallies, into the Itahan 

 fea, which was deftroyed. But the lofs of his fhips djd 

 not prevent him from renewing his ravages on the coaft of 

 Italy, till his power received a fevere check from the em- 

 peror Majorian, who now began to aft on the offenfire, and 

 formed the fpirited refolution of attacking the Vandals, in 

 Africa. He fitted out a formidable fleet for the purpofe, 

 wliich obliged Genferic to fue for peace. His fuit being 

 rejecled, he fent out a fquadron, which coming unawares 

 upon the Roman navy, in the bay of Carthagena, almoft de- 

 Rroyed it. Peace was now made between the two warriors, 

 the terms of which were obferved till the death of Majo- 

 rian, in 461. After this, Genferic prepared to repeat his 

 aggrefiioiis, and he again ravaged the coafts of Italy and 

 Sicily, and even took pofleflion of Sardinia. He extended 

 his hoftilities to all parts of the Mediterranean, and fre- 

 quently indulged in afts of the moft brutal atrocity. At 

 one time he is reported to have maflacred five hundred noble 

 citizens of Zacynthus, and to have thrown their dead bodies 

 into the fea. Leo, the eaftern emperor, refolvcd to make an 

 effort to free his dominions from this terrible fcourge, and 

 made vaft preparations for the invafion of Africa. The 

 conduft of the expedition was given to Bafilifcus, who 

 might have extinguiftied for ever the kingdom of the Van- 

 dals, had he fcized the moment of confternation, and boldly 

 advanced to the capital. Genferic beheld the danger with 

 firmnefs, and eluded it with his veteran dexterity. He 

 profeffed himfelf ready to fubmit his perfon and dominions 

 to the will of the emperor; but requefted a truce of five- 

 days to regulate the terms of his fubmiffion. Bafilifcus 

 confented to the fatal truce ; and during the fhort interval, 

 the wind became favourable to the defigns of Genferic. 

 He manned his largeft ftiips of war with the braveft of the 

 Vandals and Moors ; and they towed after them many large 

 barks filled with combuftible materials. In the obfcurity of' 

 the night thefe deftruftive vefTels were impelled againft the 

 unguarded and unfufpefting fleet of the Romans, who 

 were foon awakened to a fenfe of their inftant danger. 

 "Their clofe and crowded order," fays the hiftorian,. 

 " affifted the progrefs of the. fire, which was communicated 

 with rapid and irrefiltible violence ; and the ncife of the ■ 

 wind, the crackling of the flames, the diflbnant cries of the 

 foldiers and mariners, who could neither command, nor obey, 

 increafed the horror of the nofturnal tumult." Bafilifcus 

 returned inglorioufly to Conftantinople with the remainder 

 of his fhattered fleet ; and thus the fruits of all this mighty 

 effort were loft. Genferic put to fea, recovered Sardinia, 

 which had been taken from him, reduced Sicily and all the 

 itlands between Italy and Africa, and became a greater 

 terror to the empire than ever. In 476, he made a peace 

 with Odoacer, king of Italy, to whom he reftored Sicily, 

 but on condition of receiving tribute. . The emperor Zeno 

 likewife relinquiflied to him and his fuccefTors all claims to 

 the African provinces. Genferic died in the year 477. In 

 his early youth he had renounced the orthodox communion; 

 and as an apoftate he could neither grant nor expeft a 

 fincere forgivenefs. He was exafperated to find that the 

 Africans, who had fled before him in the field, fti'l prefiimed 

 to difpute his will in fynods and churches ; and his ferocious 

 mind was incapable of fear, or of com.paflion. His catholic 

 fubjecls he oppreffcd with intolerant laws, and arbitrary 

 punilhments. The language of Genferic was furious and 

 formidable ; the knowledge of his intentions might juftify 

 tke mofl unfavourable iuterj»retatioi\ of his adions ; and 

 7. tlic 



