GOV 
GOV'ERNABLENESS, f. The ftatc of being go- 
vernablb. 
GOV'ERNALL, f. [from govern.'^ Governance.— 
He of this gardin Iiad tlie governall. Spcnjer. —The old 
word is governaill, but altered by Spcnler to make it 
rlivme. 
GOV'ERNANCE, f. Government ; rule ; maiiage- 
iiient.—Jonathan took the governance upon him at that 
time, and role up inflead of his brother j udas. i Mac. ix. 
31.—Controul, as that of a guardian : 
What! (hall king Henry be a pupil hill, 
Under the furly Glo’her’s governance? Shahefpcare. 
Behaviour; manners. Obfoktc: ^ 
He liked is to fall into mifchance 
That is regardlefs of his governance. Spenfer. 
GOV'ERNANT, f. \_gouverna71te, Fr.] A lady who 
has the care of young girls of quality. I'he more ufual 
and proper word is governefs. 
GOV^ERNESS, f. \_gouverncreJfe, old French, from 
gove.'\ A female inveded with authority ; . 
The moon, the governefs of floods. 
Pale in her anger, wadies all the air. 
That rheumatic difeafes do abound. Shakefpeare. 
A tutorefs; a woman that has the care of young la¬ 
dies.—His three younger children were taken from the 
governefs in whofe hands he put them. Clarendon. —A tu¬ 
torefs ; an indructrefs ; a diredtrefs.—Great affliction 
that fevere governefs of the life of man brings upon thole 
fouls die feizes on. More. 
GOV'F 2 RNMENT, yi [_gouvcrncment, \'v Form of a 
community with refpedt to the dilpofition of tiie fu- 
preme authority.—Aneftablilhed date of legal authority ; 
There they fiiall tound 
Their government, and their great fenate chufe 
Through the twelve tribes, to rule by laws ordain’d. 
Milton . 
Admlnidration of public affairs: 
Safety and equal government are things 
Which lubjects make as happy as their kings. Waller. 
'Y\\o{<c governments which curb not evils, caufe ; 
And a rich knave’s a libel on our laws. Young. 
Regularity of behaviour. Notin njei 
You needs mud learn, lord, to amend this fault ; 
Though fometimes it Ihews greatnefs, courage, blood. 
Yet oftentimes it doth prefent harlh rage, 
Defect of manners, want of government, 
Pride, haughtinefs, opinion, and difdain. Shakefpeare. 
Manageablenefs ; compliance ; obfequioufnels : 
Thy eyes windows fall, 
Hike death, ivhen he diuts up the day of life ; 
Each part depriv’d of fupple government. 
Shall did'anddaikand cold appear, like death. Shakefp. 
Management of the limbs or body. Obfolete: 
Many a dart they dipt with fierce intent; 
But I them warded all with wary government. Spenfer. 
Tin grammar.] Infiuence with regard to condruCtion. 
The origin of civil government mull have been nearly 
coeval with mankind ; and was, at fird, either patri¬ 
archal or military ; as that of a parent over his family, 
or of a commander over his fellow warriors. Paternal 
authority, and the order of domedic life, I'upplied the 
foundation of civil government. Did mankind Ipring out 
of the earth mature and independent, it would be found 
perhaps impodible to introduce fubjectign and fubordi- 
nation among them ; but the condition of human in¬ 
fancy prepares men for fociety, by combining indivi¬ 
duals into fmall communities, and by placing them from 
ihe very beginning under direction and controul. A fa- 
iiiily contains the rudiments of an empire. The autho- 
VOL.VIU. No.540* 
GOV 741 
rity of one Over many, and the difpofition to govern 
and to be governed, are in this way incidental to the 
very nature, and coeval with the exidence, ot tlie hu¬ 
man I'pecies. Moreover, the conditution ot families 
not only allids tlie formation of eivil government, V-y 
the difpofitions which it generates, but alio furniihes 
the fird deps of the procefs by which empires liave 
been aClually reared. A parent would retain a conl:- 
derable part of his authority after his children were 
grown up, and had formed families of their own. '1 he 
obedience of which they remembered not the beginning, 
would be confidered as natural ; and would Icarcely, 
during the parent’s life, be entirely withdrawn. Here 
then we fee the fecond Itage in the progrefs of dominion. 
The fird was, that of a parent over his young ch.ildrcn; 
this, that of an anccdor prefiding over his adult de- 
feendants. 
Although the original progenitor was the centre of 
union to his poderity, yet it is not probable that the 
ali'ociation would be immediately diifolved by his deatli. 
ConneCfed by habits of intercourfe and affeClion, and 
by fome common rights, neceflities, and interells, they 
would conlider tliemlelves as allied to each other in a 
nearer degree than to the red of tlie fpccies. Almod 
all would bq fenfible of an inclination to continue in 
the fociety in wiiich they had been brought up ; and 
experiencing, as they foon would do, many uiconve- 
niencies from the abfence of that authority wliicii their 
common anceflor exercifed, efpecially in deciding tlieir 
difputes, and direCling their operations in matters in 
which it was neceffary to act in conjunction, they might 
be induced to fuppiy his place by a formal choice ot a 
fuccedbr; or rather might willingly, and almod imper¬ 
ceptibly, transfer their obedience to fome one ot tlie 
family, who by his age or fervices, or by the part he 
polfelfed in tho-direClion of their affairs during the life¬ 
time of the parent, had already taught tliem to refpeCl 
his advice or to attend to his commands ; or ladly, tiie 
profpeef of thefe inconveniencies might prompt the fird 
ancedor to appoint a fuccelfor ; and his poderity, from 
the fame motive, united with an habitual deference to 
the aiicedor’s authority, might receive the appointment 
with lubmiffion. Here then we have a tribe incorpo¬ 
rated under one chief. Such communities might be ia- 
creafed by the accellion of numbers, and fulfil the pur- 
pofes of civil union without any other or more regular 
coi.'t ention, conditution, or form of government, timn 
what we liave deferibed. Every branch that was (lip¬ 
ped off from the primitive dock, and removed to a dif- 
tance from it, w’ould in li.ke manner ta'ke root, and 
grow into a feparate tribe. Two or three of thefe 
tribes might frequently be united into one. Ivlarriage, 
conqued, mutual defence, common didrefs, or otlier 
accidental coalitions, might produce this effect. 
A fecond fource of perfonal authority, which would 
e.ilily extend, and often fuperfede, the patriarclial, is 
tliat which refults from military arrangement. In wars 
either of aggreilion or defence, manifelt nccelTity would 
prompt thole wlio fought on the fame fide to array 
theiiifelves under one leader. And although leader 
was advanced to this eminence for the purpofe only, and 
during tlie operations of a (ingle expedition, yet iiis au¬ 
thority would not always terminate witlt the reafonsfor 
which it was conferred. A warrior who had led forth 
his tribe againd their enemies with repeated fuccefs, 
would procure to himfelf, even in tiie deliberations of 
peace, a powerful apd permanent influence. If this ad¬ 
vantage were added to the autliority of the patriarclial 
chief, or favoured by any previous didindtion of ancef- 
try, it would be no difficult undertaking for the perfon 
who podelfed it to obtain the almod abfolirte direction 
of the affairs of the community; efpecially if he was 
careful to atlbciate to himfelf proper auxiliaries, and 
content to pra6tife the art of gratifying or removing 
thoie who oppofed his pretenfioas. 
But 
