Page:Imperialdictiona02eadi Brandeis.pdf/624

GEN was fitted out by Leo, emperor of the East, and the command was given to Basiliscus. Genseric expressed great alarm, and a desire to treat with his enemy. A fatal truce of five days was granted, during which the Vandals fell upon the fleet of Basiliscus in the night, and almost entirely destroyed it. After this failure peace was made. Genseric again became master of the sea, continued his ancient habits of plunder, and finally added Sicily to his conquests. He died in 477. He completely realizes the character of barbarian, as we often find it exhibited in later Roman history. He was a man of great genius and great bravery, with some great virtues and with enormous vices, chiefly of the cruel and rapacious kind. We should recollect though, that the stories of his blood-thirstiness have been transmitted to us chiefly by Roman catholic historians, who mortally hated him for his Arian heresies.—W. H. W.  GENSONNÉ,, was born at Bordeaux, 10th August, 1758, and guillotined at Paris, 31st October, 1793. When the Revolution broke out, he was practising as a lawyer in his native town. Elected to the legislative assembly, he allied himself with Verginaud and Guadet, and thus originated the famous party of the Girondists. Less eloquent than his colleagues, he was a better man of business, and more trusted by the assembly, if not so much admired. It was on his proposal that war was declared against Germany. He disgraced himself by promulgating the maxim, that in revolutionary times suspicion by itself can justify a conviction. He also voted for the execution of the king, though strongly in favour of an appeal to the primary assemblies; but when Louis XVI. was put to death, Gensonné, like the rest of his party, was shocked into moderation. It was too late. In the subsequent struggle with the "Mountain," Gensonné displayed admirable courage and coolness, often overwhelming a noisy opponent by his keen and trenchant sarcasms. Thus, when he was demanding the punishment of the September assassins, a voice cried, "They have saved the country!" "Yes," answered Gensonné, "as the geese saved the capitol!" Tried and condemned with his friends, Gensonné was still calm and brave. At the memorable supper of the Girondists, on the eve of their execution, when many were talking wildly, sceptically, defiantly, Gensonné, grave and earnest, spoke solemnly of the existence of God and of the immortality of the soul. When they led him to the scaffold, he desired that a lock of his black hair should be sent to his wife, whose address he named, and then, without further speech, calmly met his fate.—W. J. P.  GENT,, a printer and collector of antiquities, born at York about 1691. From his autobiography, printed in 1832, we learn that he was for some time in the employment of Henry Woodfall, sen., who about 1723 engaged him "to finish the part that he had of a learned dictionary." Southey says of this autobiography, "that it contains much information relating to the state of the press and the trade of literature." Gent soon returned to York, and there published several archæological works, particularly the "Ancient and modern History of York," 1730. He died in 1778.—J. S., G.  GENTIL,, an accomplished French officer who served with distinction in India, was born at Bagnols, 25th June, 1726, and died there 15th February, 1799. Gentil, who had arrived in India in 1752, entered upon his experience of eastern service in the campaign of the Carnatic of the following year, and subsequently served for a while with better fortune under Bussy-Castelnau. The days of French rule in India, however, were nearly numbered, and Gentil, after witnessing the occupation of Bengal by the English, shared in the successive events of the final struggle for supreme dominion, which was so gloriously concluded in favour of the English at the taking of Pondicherry, January, 1761. The career of Gentil in India subsequent to that event was one of extraordinary adventure; he carried his arms and address into the service of various native princes, Meer Caussim, nabob of Bengal; Sujah ad Dowlah, nabob of Oude; and the Great Mogul; for whom in succession he acted as generalissimo with an ardour drawn from hatred to the English. His last post in the peninsula was that of French resident in Oude, from which at the dictation of the English, he was expelled by the successor of Sujah ad Dowlah. On his return to France in 1778, Gentil wrote several works relating to India, to one of which George Foster was much indebted in his journey from Bengal to St. Petersburg.—J. S., G.  GENTILE DA FABRIANO. See.  GENTILESCHI,, called Gentileschi after an uncle, was born at Pisa, July 9th, 1563, and having learned the rudiments of painting from his uncle, Baccio, and his brother, Aurelio Lomi, was sent by his father to study in Rome. Here he settled, and executed several works in fresco and in oil. He became the companion of Agostino Tassi, and added figures to some of his landscapes, especially those painted by Tassi in the papal palace of Monte-Cavallo. In 1621 Gentileschi left Rome with the Genoese ambassador, and executed several works in Genoa, where he dwelt some years. He then visited Paris, from whence he was invited by Charles I. or by Vandyck, to England. This was in 1634, and notwithstanding his great age, he continued to work for Charles, chiefly at Greenwich, until his death in 1646. He painted also for the nobility. Some of his oil pictures, now much darkened—formerly at Greenwich—are still preserved at Marlborough house. They are on canvas and attached to the ceiling of the hall. In style, Gentileschi had much of the Bolognese school, something of the Tenebrosi, and much also of the Machinists; he was strong in his shadows and positive in his colour, and produced forcible effects. There is a "Joseph flying from Potiphar's wife," by him, at Hampton Court. Vandyck painted his portrait.—Orazio's daughter was born at Rome in 1590, and became a distinguished painter, especially of portraits. She married a Neapolitan in 1615, and settled afterwards in Naples, where she resided many years. Her husband was Pier Antonio Schiattesi, but they appear to have disagreed and lived apart. She always signed her maiden name Gentileschi. In a letter from Naples of 1637, she speaks of the approaching marriage of her daughter. She was still living there in 1652. Artemisia likewise visited this country, but remained here only a short time. There is a "Judith with the head of Holophernes" by her in the gallery of the Uffizi at Florence; and there are two specimens at Hampton Court, including her own portrait. Graham in his English School says, that Artemisia was as famous all over Europe for her amours as for her painting. The Lettere Pittoriche contains six of her letters, written from Naples between 1630 and 1637.—(Morrona, Pisa Illustrata.)—R. N. W.  GENTILI,, a distinguished missionary preacher, was born at Rome in the year 1801. His father, a Neapolitan by descent, followed the profession of an attorney. After completing his studies at the Roman university called the Sapienza, the young Gentili began to practise as an advocate; subsequently he took up and laid down in succession the callings of teacher and farmer. When in his twenty-seventh year, he became attached to a young English lady whose parents resided at Rome. His hopes were blighted; and weaned by this bitter disappointment from the love of the world, he began to turn his thoughts steadily towards the divine service. In 1830 he came in contact with one of the master-minds of this century, the Abate Rosmini, founder of the Institute of Charity, who was then at Rome upon the affairs of his new order. The meeting determined the after course of Gentili's life. Having been ordained priest in September, 1830, Gentili joined Rosmini at his monastery of Monte Calvario, near Domo d'Ossola, in August the following year. Four years afterwards he was selected by Rosmini as the head of a small colony of the Institute which was to be sent to England and established at the college of Prior Park, He arrived in England in June, 1835, and soon after was made president of Prior Park. In this post, however, he did not very well succeed, apparently because in his zeal there was some lack of prudence, and Bishop Baines thought it expedient to remove him. After a visit to Rome in 1839, he returned to England in 1840, to take charge of the mission of Grace Dieu in Leicestershire. After a time his striking talent and success as a preacher led to his being appointed itinerant missionary. He commenced this new career, in company with Father Furlong, in 1845. After giving missions, attended always by an extraordinary concourse of people, in all the large towns of England and Ireland, Gentili, while on a visit to Ireland in 1848, was seized with a feverish attack, and died on the 25th September in that year. His life has been well written by Father Pagani, himself a member of the order.—T. A.  GENTILIS,, an eminent publicist, born at Castello di San Genesio in the Marca d'Ancona in 1551; died at Oxford in 1611. His father, Matteo, with his family, having embraced protestantism, were obliged to quit their native country. Albericus repaired to England and was well received. In 1582 through the influence of Dudley, earl of Leicester, he was appointed by Queen Elizabeth regius professor of civil law at the university of Oxford. He held the office for twenty years <section end="624Zcontin" />