in ancient poetry, is only a diminutive of the word ἰδιός, and properly signifies any poem of moderate extent, without considering the subject. But as the collection of Theocritus's poems were called idyllia, and the pastoral pieces being by far the best in that collection, the term idyllion seems to be now appropriated to pastoral pieces.

JEARS or GEERS, in the sea-language, an assemblage of tackles, by which the lower yards of a ship are hoisted along the mast to their usual station, or lowered from thence as occasion requires; the former of which operations is called swaying, and the latter striking.

JEBUSÆI, one of the seven ancient people of Canaan, descendents of Jebusi, Canaan's son; so warlike and brave, as to have stood their ground, especially in Jebus, afterwards called Jerusalem, down to the time of David. Judges i. 21. 1 Sam. v. 6.