GEN 
yar fa nobil in there auen enrage, tliat thai diflribut the 
inaift part of the butine andefpulze amag the pepil tliat 
hed yfit them maift vailzeantly contrar tliere enemeis, 
ande thai that var lafehe couuardis gat nothing. Of 
this fort began the fyrft nobilnes ande gentreis in the 
varld, for thai tliat var vailzeant, thai var reput for 
nobilis, ande gentil men, ande thai that var vicius Sc 
couuardis, var reput for vilainis and carlis.” 
“ When Adam dug and Eve fpan. 
Where was then the Gentleman ?” 
Lat. Primus majorum quis qitis fuit ilk tuorum. 
Aid pajlorfiit, aid illud quod dicere nolo. 
This proverb inculcates that merit, and not birth, 
makes the gentleman; and that though our fathers 
might have inherited that claim from a noble anceftry, 
yet if we degenerate, we can have no real right or pre- 
t^nfion to it, whatever law or cutlom may determine in 
our favour. 
“ Jack will never make a Gentleman.” —This pro¬ 
verb is intended to tliew that every one will not make a 
gentleman, though commonly called fo ; fince from the 
preceding proverb, it is apparent that there is fome- 
thing more required of a gentle and philanthropic qua¬ 
lity or difpofition, than is always found either in high 
Of low life, in noble anceftry, or mean original:—“ You 
cannot make a filken purfe of a fow’s ear.” -Ex quovis 
ligno Mercurius non Jit, fay the Latins. 
GENTLEMAN-USH'ER, f. One who holds a pofi: 
at court to uflier others to the prefence.—His longue 
goes always before his wit, like gentkman-ujher, but fome- 
■what fader. Ovcrbnry. 
GEN'TLEMANLIKE, or Gen'tlemanly, adj. 
Becoming a man of birth.—He holdeth himfelf a gentle¬ 
man, and fcornetli to work, which, he faith, is the life 
of a peafant or churl; but enureth himfelf to his wea¬ 
pon, and to the ^endemanly trade of dealing. Spenfer .— 
You have trained me up like a peaiant, hiding from me 
all gentlemanlike qualities. Shakefpeare. 
GEN'TLEMANSHIP,yi Elegance of manners.—His 
fine gcnllemanjhip did him no good. Marquis of Halifax. 
GEN'TLENESS, y. ILignity of birth; goodnefs of 
extraftion. Sottnefs of manners, fweetnefs of difpofi¬ 
tion; meeknels; tendernefs.—Maliers mud correft their 
{&x'va.ms, with, gentknefs, prudence, and mercy. Rogers .— 
Women ought not to think gentknjs of heart delpicable 
in a man. Clarijfa. 
Still die retains 
Her maiden gentknefs, and oft at eve 
Vifits tlie herds. Milton. 
Kindnels; benevolence. Qbfokte. —The gentlcnej's of all 
the gods go with thee. ShakeJ'peare. 
The moral quality of gentknefs is forcibly inculcated 
In the following padage from Holland’s Difeourfes :— 
“ Gentlenets is the exprefiion of humility and ineeknefs 
in our converfe with mankind. This virtue is vifible in 
the difccurfe of thofe who podefs it. It preferves them 
from all harfh and fevere expredions, and from every 
degree of cenforioufnets and uncharitablenels. A man 
of gentle fpirit will always fpeak to his neighbour, and 
ot liim, with the utmod candour. He will never men¬ 
tion the faults of any one but when it is neceflary. Even 
then, w liether the perfon in fault be prefent or abfent, 
he will treat him v/ith tucii tendernefs, as to give no real 
caufe of offence. He is always defirous to pleafe, 'when 
he can do it confidently witJi integrity, and with the 
general good ot mankind. He is always willing to be 
pleated, and to put the bed condrudtion upon the en¬ 
deavours which are ufed for this purpoie. Hence, thofe 
who willi to ferve him, however unfuccefsful their en¬ 
deavours may be, or liow'ever unhappily they be ex- 
preffed, in his opinion, confer an obligation upon him. 
Thofe, allb, who defire and defign to hurt or difoblige 
him, will find that even his anger, or refentrnent, is 
tempered with and that he will proceed to n» 
VoL. VIII, No.507. 
GEN 337 
greater extremities than reafon and benevolence will juf- 
tify. In fome, this gentlenefs appears to be a kind of 
natural gift, fo as to render them almod incapable of 
any behaviour, or any language, inconfident with it. In 
others, it is acquired by refleition and exercife. The 
former is generally more graceful and amiable, the lat¬ 
ter is, at leatt, equally meritorious; the former will 
find a furer way to the hearts of men, the latter will 
bring the underdanding and judgment over to its fide, 
and caufe them to applaud the victory which a man has 
gained over himfelf. The fincere expreflions of it, whe¬ 
ther from nature or iiabit, deferve approbation and love ; 
but the counterfeit is not of the lead value. There is 
no condition of life, in which this amiable difpofition 
may not be exercifed. Where is the man wlio has It 
not in his power to hurt any of his fellow-men ? He may, 
therefore, exprefs the gentlenefs of his heart, by deadily 
and uniformly abdaining from that condudt which will 
have this efteft. But he may difeover the goodnefs of 
his heart towards thofe, alfo, whom he is not capable 
of hurting, by his care not to difpleafe or grieve them 
unnecelTaiily, and by his condant attention to that line 
of behaviour by which Ire may pleafe and gratify them. 
In this way, may a child, a fervant, or a fubject, diow 
himfelf gentle towards a father, a mader, or a gover¬ 
nor ; and, in like manner, any other inferior towards his 
fuperior, 
“ But the higher fituations of life afford tire mod am¬ 
ple field for the cultivation and exercife of this branch 
of benevolence. It is one of the offices of charity which 
appears with the greated beauty in thofe who have it 
mod in their power to adl contrary to it. The father of 
a family, whole heart is poffelfed with this virtue, will 
exercife his authority deadily, but with tendernefs. He 
will not fail to notice the faults of his children, and will 
take every method, which his prudence can fugged, to 
prevent the repetition of them; but he will very care¬ 
fully obferve the apodolic injundtion, not to provoke 
his children to wrath, or to difeover any bitternefs to 
them. If he ever treat them with any feverity, as looip 
as they diall appear to be humbled by it, he will encou¬ 
rage them by his returning kindnefs, and convince them 
that he does a violence to his own heart, when he ufes- 
any other language, or adopts any other behaviour,^ to 
them, tlian what is mod kind and afiedtionate. The geu- 
tlenefs of a mader to his fervants will, in like manner, 
diredt to that behaviour which will make a date ot-fub. 
jedlion the eafied to them, and the remembrance of their 
dependance the lead irkfome to their minds. To make 
them a jud return for their ferviccs, according to mu¬ 
tual agreement, and to add a proper acknowledgment 
for any extraordinary labour, is no more than common 
equity. Nor will a gentle nature fail to pay a certain 
attention which., particularly inficknefs, domedieshave 
a right to require. Their faults diould be blamed in a 
manner fitted to encourage their return to their duty, 
and to make their fubjedtion fit as eafy upon their minds 
as is confident with the nature and defign of the relation 
between mailers and fervants. The elfeft of gentlenefs 
in higher governors is eafily conceived, and, after what 
has been oblcrved, needs not to be deferibed. Its in¬ 
fluence on the intercourfe between equals and friends, 
and the pleafing diredtion which it will give to all their 
endeavours to ferve and pleafe one anotlier, are fuffi- 
ciently obvious.” 
GEN'TLESHIP, y. Carriage of a gentleman. Obfokte. 
—Some in France, which will needs be gentlemen, have 
more gentkfiip in their liat than in their head. Afcham. 
GENTLEWOMAN, y. A woman of birth above the 
vulgar; a woman well defeended.—The gentlewomen of 
Rome did not fuft'er their infants to be lb long Iwathed 
as poorer people. Abbot. —A woman who v/aits about 
the perfon of one of high rank : 
The late queen’s gentlewoman, a knight’s.daughter. 
To be ]yr midrefs’ siillrefs ! ShakeJ'peare. 
4 ,R- a vvor4 
