in a general sense, signifies a right to command, and make one's self obeyed. In which sense we say, the royal authority, the episcopal authority, the authority of a father, &c. It denotes also the testimony of an author, some aphorism or sentence of an eminent person quoted in a discourse by way of proof.

Authority is represented, in painting, like a grave matron sitting in a chair of state, richly clothed in a garment embroidered with gold, holding in her right hand a sword, and in her left a sceptre. By her side is a double trophy of books and arms.

AUTOCHTHONES, an appellation assumed by some nations, importing that they sprung, or were produced, from the same soil which they still inhabited. In this sense, Autochthones amounts to the same with Aborigines. The Athenians valued themselves on their being Autochthones, self-born, or γῆς γένος, earth-born; it being the prevailing opinion among the ancients, that, in the beginning, the earth, by some prolific power, produced men, as it still does plants. The proper Autochthones were those primitive men who had no other parent beside the earth. But the name was also assumed by the descendants of these men, provided they never changed their ancient state, nor suffered other nations to mix with them. In this sense it was that the Greeks, and especially the Athenians, pretended to be Autochthones; and as a badge thereof, wore a golden grasshopper woven in their hair, an insect supposed to have the same origin.

The same people also applied the name to some of their ambassadors, who were vested with a full power of determining matters according to their own discretion. These were denominated Ἀλεξάνδρου ἀποστόλοι, and resembled our plenipotentiaries.