sb. and a. Also 6 vitz-, 7 vize-gerent. [ad. med.L. vicegerent-, vicegerens, f. L. vicem (acc.) stead, place, office, etc., and gerens, pres. pple. of gerĕre to carry, hold. So F. vicegérent (also -gérant), It., Sp., Pg. vicegerente. The hyphen, formerly not uncommon, is now rarely used in this and the preceding words.]
A. sb. 1. A person appointed by a king or other ruler to act in his place or exercise certain of his administrative functions.
1536. Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), II. 26. Thomas Crumwell … keper of the privey Seale of our said soueraigne Lorde the king and vitzgerent to the same for … all his Jurisdiction ecclesiasticall within this Realme. Ibid (1538), 151. I Thomas lorde Crumwell,… Vice-gerent to the kynges said highnes.
1545. Act 37 Hen. VIII., c. 17. Censures ecclesiasticall made by your Highnes and your vicegerent, officialls, commissaries, and Judges and visitators.
1593. R. Harvey, Philad., 1. Mordred Arthurs kinsman being appointed Vicegerent in his royalty, gaue great giftes … to Cerdrick a Saxon.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Ivstine, VI. 30. Lysander whome Agesilaus appointed his Vize-gerent the time of his absence.
1651. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., II. xv. (1739), 79. It hath therefore been the ancient course of Kings of this Nation, to constitute Vice-gerents in their absence.
1733. Swift, On Poetry, Wks. 1755, IV. I. 198. Now sing the minister of state…. Thou great vicegerent of the king [etc.].
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., lvii. V. 671. He was trusted by the sultan as the faithful vicegerent of his power.
1838. Thirlwall, Greece, II. xiv. 194. His vicegerent was at first willing to resign his authority.
1878. Stubbs, Const. Hist., III. xviii. 95. He intended … Gloucester to act as his vicegerent in England.
b. In general sense: One who takes the place of another in the discharge of some office or duties.
1549. Coverdale, etc., Erasm. Par. Tim. i. 3 b. I left the there euen as my selfe, to haue the autoritie is a notable vicegerent in so excellent and so paynefull an office.
1641. Baker, Chron., Eliz., 24. The Governours of Ireland … were at first called Iustices,… afterwards, Lievtenants, and their Vice-gerents were called Deputies.
1683. Brit. Spec., 114. [His] Vice-gerent was the Vicar General of Britain, honored with the Title Spectabilis.
1773. Observ. State Poor, 47. The humanity and generosity of some of these parochial vice-gerents, the farmers or managers of workhouses.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xvii. (1787), II. 38. These prerogatives were reserved to the præfects…: their vicegerents were confined to the trifling weight of a few ounces.
1851. Hussey, Papal Power, iii. 130. For what respect will be thought due to the vicegerents of the holy apostle St. Peter if what they ordain … be undone.
1868. M. Pattison, Academ. Org., iv. 109. There is in all cases, a vice-gerent, who in the absence of the head exercises his powers.
c. A ruler or commander of a country, etc., in virtue of deputed power.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 482/1. Herewith he [Richard I.] dothe commaunde them also to obey Robert Earle of Leycester, whome he appointed … as his Lieutenant or vicegerent of those parties during his absence.
1589. Greene, Tullies Love, Wks. (Grosart), VII. 117. The Romanes had made mee Vicegerente of their forces.
c. 1610. Women Saints, 151. Aspasius the vicegerent of Rome.
1786. Burke, Art. agst. W. Hastings, Wks. 1842, II. 208. The said Mogul has been obliged to declare the head of the Mahratta state to be vicegerent of the Mogul empire.
2. Applied to rulers and magistrates as representatives of the Deity.
Frequent in the 17th century.
1547–64. Baldwin, Mor. Philos. (Palfr.), 74. Princes, being by God put in authority, are His vice-gerents, and should therefore require obedience.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., IV. xx. (1634), 735. If they [the Magistrates] remember that they bee the vicegerents of God.
1595. W. C[lerke], Polimanteia, C iv b. This likewise is the cause why the Prince is tearmed Gods Vicegerent vpon earth.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., v. Wks. 1851, III. 114. We acknowledge that the civill magistrate weares an autority of Gods giving, and ought to be obey’d as his vicegerent.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., To Rdr. God is infinitely merciful; and his Vicegerent is only not so, because he is not Infinite.
1700. Astry, trans. Saavedra-Faxardo, I. 230. The same has place in Princes, who are God’s Vicegerents in Temporals.
1710. Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, ii. 120. All Governours of Nations being Gods Vicegerents, they are bound in all things to order their Government so as will best agree with the will of him.
1840. Thackeray, Paris Sk.-bk. (ed. 2), II. 274. ‘Dieu seul est grand,’ said courtly Massillon; but next to him, as the prelate thought, was certainly Louis, his vicegerent here upon earth.
b. Applied to priests, and spec. to the Pope, as representatives of God or Christ.
1572. R. T., Discourse, 49. Hee onely is Antichrist that fayneth himself to do all that Christ can doo, to bee his vicegerent in earth, to sit in his place.
1593. in J. Morris, Troubles Cath. Forefathers, Ser. III. (1877), 130. Unto all which things the jurisdiction and authority of the Pope, Christ’s Vicar and Vicegerent, did extend.
1660. Milton, Free Commw., Wks. 1851, V. 432. All Protestants hold that Christ in his Church hath left no Vicegerent of his Power.
1678. Marvell, Growth Popery, Wks. 1875, IV. 255. The Pope … does persecute those to the death who dare worship the Author of their Religion instead of his pretended Vicegerent.
1737. Challoner, Cath. Chr. Instr. (1753), 81. The Priest that officiates in the Mass officiates as Christ’s Vicegerent.
1841. Cdl. Wiseman, in E. Purcell, Life A. P. de Lisle (1900), I. xiii. 285. Let me know that the Vicegerent of Xt. approves of my course,… and I shall not care for all the world.
1873. H. Rogers, Orig. Bible, ii. (1875), 78. Moses … did not affect to be, like … the Pope, the visible representative and vicegerent of God.
transf. 1624. Gataker, Transubst., 96. They say it to Christ, whose deputie and vicegerent the Image there is.
c. Similarly applied to man in general or in some special respect; also (b) to nature, the sun, conscience, etc.
(a) 1601. Sir W. Cornwallis, Disc. Seneca (1631), Mm viij. That this confusion is incident to our liues, is our owne fault, since the disorders of a state belongeth to … the Gouernors of a state; so this to man who is Vicegerent of the earth.
1626. Jackson, Creed, VIII. x. 93. Our first parents being Gods vicegerents here on earth, Lords of all his visible creatures.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 344. Indifferently bent to the Continuance of it, or change; as God, and his Vice-gerents, her Parents shall think fit.
1845. Encycl. Metrop., II. 561. [A Deity who] communicates to men a knowledge … of his purposes that they may be his vicegerents in executing them.
1861. J. A. Alexander, Gosp. Jesus Christ, xxxix. 521. A proof of man’s original formation in God’s image, and his original vestiture with delegated power as God’s vicegerent.
(b) 1646. H. P., Medit. Seige, 76. Nature (God’s great vicegerent).
1676. Sir M. Hale, Contempl., II. 82. God Almighty hath substituted the Soul of Man, as his Deputy or Vicegerent in that Province which is committed to him.
1681. Flavel, Meth. Grace, xxxiii. 556. Conscience,… that noble power, God’s vicegerent in the soul.
1794. G. Adams, Nat. & Exp. Philos. (1806), II. xxi. 415. When the sun is said to rule the day,… what else can be understood but that he acts as a vicegerent.
1821. Shelley, Hellas, Prol. 142. Thou Destiny;… Go, thou Vicegerent of my will, no less Than of the Father’s.
1835. Miss Sedgwick, Linwoods, iv. Let man beware how he wilfully or carelessly perverts and blinds God’s vicegerent, conscience.
1860. Pusey, Min. Proph., 192. They dethroned righteousness, the representative and vicegerent of God, and made it rest on the ground.
1881. C. A. Young, Sun, i. (1882), 12. It has been reserved for more modern times … to show clearly just how … the sun himself [is] the symbol and vicegerent of the Deity.
d. Applied to persons as representing some other supernatural or spiritual power.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., I. i. 222. Great Deputie, the Welkins Vicegerent, and sole dominator of Nauar.
1615. Heywood, Foure Prentises, I. xviii. Joves great Vice-gerent over all the world.
1701. De Foe, Trueborn Eng., I. 17. The List of his [the Devil’s] Vice-gerents and Commanders Outdoes your Cæsars or your Alexanders.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XI. 310. Now in the time’s full process forth she brings Jove’s dread vicegerents, in two future kings.
1763. J. Brown, Poetry & Music, v. 61. Apollo, the God of Music, was their Author [of oracles]; The Pythia or Priestess was his Vicegerent.
1786. trans. Beckford’s Vathek (1868), 104. Merciful Prophet! stretch forth thy propitious arms towards thy Vicegerent!
3. A thing that takes the place of another.
1583. Melbancke, Philotimus, Cc ij. If my lasie leggs … should deny to make this voiage, my hearte would … substitute my handes to be their vicegerentes.
1871. Earle, Philol. Eng. Tongue, 390. The pronouns are, as their name signifies, words which are the vicegerents of nouns.
4. A vicarious bearer of sorrow. rare–1.
1594. Southwell, M. Magd. Funeral Teares (1823), 73. All creatures … leaving me as the vicegerent of all their sorrow.
B. adj. (or attrib.). 1. Taking the place, or performing the functions, of another.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 853. The Scripture teacheth that Christ ascended into heauen, and hath established a vicegerent power, to wit, the holie Ghost.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 56. But whom send I to judge them? whom but thee Vicegerent Son.
1712. Blackmore, Creation, 355. Next Man arose at thy creating word, Of thy terrestrial realms Vicegerent Lord.
1749. Deity, 17. But Conscience, fair vicegerent light within, Asserts its author.
2. Characterized by deputed or vicarious power.
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 609. Under his great Vice-gerent Reign abide [ye],… For ever happie.
1847. H. Bushnell, Chr. Nurt., II. v. (1861), 208. The vicegerent office to be maintained, and the gracious ends to be secured, make it indispensable that parents should themselves be living in the Spirit.
Hence Vicegerentship.
1600. O. E. (M. Sutcliffe), Repl. Libel, I. vi. 157. Let this Noddy … shew foorth the popes commission eyther for his vicegerentship, or for his pretended apostolicke office.
1646. Gillespie, Malè Audis, 10. The capacity of a Vicegerent, which he hath by his Vicegerentship, is primarily the capacity of him whose Vicegerent he is. Ibid., 35. The two fold Vicegerentship of God and of Christ.
