G R £ 
969 
proof of the abilities of the arcliite(fi:. We cannot 
fuppofe, from any analogy with other remains of the 
proficiency in the arts to which the ancients Itad attained, 
that the grand idea of durability was ever made fecon- 
dary to a happy defign or a more beautiful elevation 
produced independently of a folid foundation. Before 
ornament they confidered ufe; and thofe who enjoyed 
celebrity in their profeflion, could not obtain it from 
fuperior tafte, whilft their works evinced any ignorance 
of geometrical elements. Witli that mixture of regret 
and latisfaCtion with which we can at prefent furvey the 
Grecian architeftuie, wonderful it is that any remains 
fnould have been preferved to modern days by the ex¬ 
cellence only of their primary conftrudlion, nor otlier- 
wife could the power have been continued to us of in- 
fpefting what from its perfedt conformation has ever 
refilled the rage of barbarians, and would have fcarcely 
yielded to gradual decay. 
Painting may be confidered as lofi to Greece. In moll: 
of their churches are portraits of the Panageia of Ma¬ 
donna, and of the equefirians St. George and Deme¬ 
trius, which are neatly pencilled upon a ground of gold 
in a haid fiyle, like the ancient illuminated milfals.- 
Of perfpeclive, hifiory, or landfcape, they have not 
even ihe remotefi idea. 
When mufic was expelled from public worfiiip, and 
held'to be profane in fociety, it foon became filent, 
and confequently forgotieii. The dronilh chaunt, un- 
afiified by infirumental mufic, has high antiquity only 
to recommend it ; for the dulleft ears would be dif- 
gulled by fuch a grating monotony. What airs arc 
now in popular ufe are borrowed from the Venetian ma¬ 
nners, and, limple or rude as they may be, are too com- 
plicaied for the imitation of the uneducated modern 
Greeks, who can never learn the fecond part of any 
tune. This obfervation refers only to the vulgar ; thole 
of education admire and perform Italian mulic. Hence 
it w'ill be feen that upon the findlion of the religion 
and munificence of a country, tlie arts mufi depend. 
The love of fcience may prevail in the minds of indi¬ 
viduals, even when it is proferibed by the laws ; but 
tlie arts live and flourifii only under the foftering in¬ 
fluence of avowed and munificent patronage. In Italy, 
with all thefe circumftances long in their favour, whilit 
archifefture, painting, fculpture, and mufic, were hal- 
low'ed by their appropriation to the popular religion, 
we can immediately trace their revival and gradual 
perfetlion ; and in Greece their rapid decline may be 
attributed to the contrary caufe, as lingularly efficient ; 
for debafed as the modern Greeks are, under the op- 
prefiive government of the Turks, no one who has been 
converfant with them can fuppole that, had the political 
character and fortune of their nation been more propi¬ 
tious in modern days, nature fiiould oppole any pre¬ 
vention to their maintaining and improving their origi¬ 
nal excellence. Pafi and prefent obfervation and expe¬ 
rience proclaim the contrary faft. 
India and Egypt, for many preceding ages, had cul¬ 
tivated the arts ; but thefe countries were only the cra¬ 
dle of knowledge ; when tranfmitted to the genial cli¬ 
mate of Greece, fofiered by her political freedom, and 
animated by'her vivacity and enterprife, it quickly at¬ 
tained the fublimell heights, and invefied the human 
cliaratler with a dignity before unknown. By what gra¬ 
dations their ancient fimplicity, temperance, modefiy, 
and good faith, lunk away, and how the decay of their 
virtues involved the ruin of their genius, the preceding 
hifiory will (hew ; let the philanthropill, perufing the 
inltruCtive lefibn, weep over the fall of human great- 
nefs; or rather let him collect from the fatal example, 
new incitements to energy and perfeverance in the caufe 
of private and of public virtue.—See Mitford’s and 
Gillies’s Hifiories of Greece; Stewart and Revett’s 
Athens; Harvvood’s Antiquities j Dallaway’s Confian. 
tinople, &c. &c. 
VoL. VIII. No. 559, 
G R E 
GREE'DILY, adv. Eagerly; ravenoufly; voraci- 
oufiy ; with keen appetite or defire.—(he en¬ 
gorg’d without refiraiut. Milton. 
Ev’n deadly plants, and herbs of pois’nous juice 
Wild hunger feeks ; and to prolong our breath, 
We greedily devour our certain dctrili. Drydcn. 
With avidity of fpirit.—Unto his reficew ran, and gree¬ 
dily him fpedd. Spcii/ir. 
GREE'DINESS, y; Ravenoufnefs; voracity; hun¬ 
ger; eagernefs of appetite or defire.—-Fox in ftealth, 
wolf in greedinefs. Skakefpeare. 
I with the fame greedinefs did feek. 
As watec when I thirfi, to fwallow Greek. Denham. 
GREE'DY, adj. [[jjr.xbij. Sax. graadig, Dan. grc~ 
tig, Dutch.] Ravenous; voncioiis; hungry.—As a 
lion Iliat is grectry of his prey. Pf xvii. 12.—Be not un- 
fatiable in any dainty thing, nor too greedj' upon meats. 
Ecc/y. xxxvii. 29.—Eager; vehemently delirous. It is 
now commonly taken in an ill fenje. —The w'ays of every one 
that is greedy of gain. Prov. 
Greedy to know, as is the mind of man. 
Their caufe of deatli, fwift to the fire Ihe ran. Fairfax, 
Stern look’d the fiend,-^isfrufirate of his will. 
Not half fuffic’d, and greedy yet to kill. D’yden. 
GREEK, adj. Belonging to Greece, pertaining to 
the cufiom or language of the Grecians.—Technical 
v/ords mean fuch particular words a.^ relate to any art 
or fcience, from tlie Greek word Chef erf ‘ Id. 
GREEK, f. [from the adj.'] A native 01 Greece; 
the language of the ancient Grecians—Did Cicero fay 
any thing? Ay, he (poke Greek. Shakfpeare. —When 
thiou taught’ll; Cambridge,-and king Edward, Greek, 
Milton. 
GREEK BIBLE. See Bible, vol. iii. p. ii. 
GREEK CHURCH, or Eastern Ch u rch, fo called 
in contradiftinblion to the Romifii or Latin Church, 
which fee. This lafi is likewife diflinguiPned by the 
epithet of Wefern Church, as having been under the 
uncontrolable fupremacy of the popes, in the wefi- 
ern empire. The difeipline of the Greek ch.urch is un¬ 
der the direbtion of four of their highefi dignitaries, 
who are denominated ^‘Patriarchs ■,'' and tltcle hold a 
diHinbl jiirifdidbion, appended to tlieir titles, over Con- 
ftantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jeruialeni; with 
their refpeclive dependencies. Tlie patriarch of Con- 
ftantinople is nominated by the twelve bilhops who rc- 
fide the neareft to that capita! ; and tliis patriarch has 
the privilege of nominating the other three ; but the 
choice or fiat is in the grand fignior, who in trutjr bar¬ 
ters thefe dignities to the h.ighefi bidder. The bifiiops 
are always chofen from among the monks, whofe order, 
being more wealthy than the fecular clergy, can 
better alford to pay f^or promotion. Thefe monks are 
under obligations fimilar to thofe of tlic mendicants in 
the churcli of Rome : but, by their rules, they are not 
allowed to fay mafs: they are however lefs idle and 
iifelefs than the Romifii friars ; for they cultivate their 
own grounds, and work at fome handicraft bufinefs. 
The firft order in the Greek church is that of reader, or 
anagnoftis ; the next, that of pfaltis or chantci', from 
whicli there is an immediate tranfition to thole of fub- 
deacon and deacon; the candidate for tliis order mull 
marry, and is direfted to chuit a chafe and beautiful vir~ 
gin ; for the Greek canons obferve that lie who, as a 
minifter of the altar, mufi hold communion with angels, 
mufi not profane his perfon by a commerce with vice 
and uglinefs. With refpebl to thefe qualities, how¬ 
ever, he is not allowed to depend folely on his own 
judgment, but is obliged to appear before the bilhop 
witli his miftrefs, and with great humility to alk him, 
whether he thinks her chafte, beautiful, and a virgin } 
If the prelate approve his choice, he fmiles, kifl'es her 
11 O cheek. 
