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army in 1509, lb that he was obliged to make his efcape to 

 Rome. Here he fortunately became known to cardinal 

 Giovanni de Medici, by whom, when pope Leo X., he was 

 honourably provided for in his court. At the termination 

 of this pontificate, he pafled feme time at Naples ; but upon 

 the accefiion of Clement VII. he returned to Rome, and was 

 promoted to the chair of eloquence, with the title of pro- 

 thonotary and private chamberlain, to which was added a 

 canonry, and fome other benefice in Belluno. Having em- 

 ployed himfelf in Latin poetry, he relinquifhed the compofi- 

 tion of elegies and amatory pieces, by which he had acquired 

 reputation, upon taking holy orders. To him Leo X. com- 

 mitted the inftruftion of his two nephews, Ippolito and 

 AlelTandro de Medici, and he accompanied them to Florence, 

 where he rclldcd in the year 1527, when they were expelled 

 from that city. After (haring their misfortunes, he attended 

 them to Florence in 1530. Upon their death, he with- 

 drew tirlt to Belluno, and then to Padua, where he clofed 

 his life in 1558, at the age of eighty-one years. 



The work by which he is principally known, is his treatife 

 " De Infelicitate Literatorum," firfl. printed at Venice in 

 1620, and often reprinted. Another of his publications was 

 intitled " Hieroglyphica, five de facris iEgyptiorum aliarum- 

 que Gentium literis Commentariorjim, Lib. LVIII.;" Bafil, 

 1566. Some of his other performances were, " De Ful- 

 minum Significationibus," Roms, 15 17; "Pro Sacerdo- 

 tum Barbis defenfio," 153 1 ; " Cailigationes Virgilianx 

 leftionis," firft, printed in R. Stephens's edition of Virgil, 

 Paris, 1532, and fmce annexed to various other editions ; 

 and " Antiquitates Bellunenfes." He alio publidied two 

 volumes of his Latin poems. Moreri. Tirabofchi. Gen. 

 Biog. 

 VALERIUS FLACCUS. See Flaccu.s. 

 Valekius Maximus, a writer whofe hiftory is little 

 known. The work which has been afcribed to him, and 

 entitled " De Diclis et Faftis Memorabihbus Antiquorum, 

 Lib. IX." appears to have been written in the reign of Ti- 

 berius, probably after the death of Sejanus, and dedicated 

 with high eulogy to Tiberius. It is cited by Phny the elder, 

 Plutarch, and A. Gellius ; and it was much read and quoted 

 at the revival of literature in Europe. One of the early edi- 

 tions, which were numerous, is fuppofed to have been prior 

 to 1460; of the later editions, the mod efteemed are the 

 " Variorum," Liigd.-Bat. 1670 ; the " Delphin," Paris, 

 1679; " Torrenii," Lugd.-Bat. 1726; and " Kappii," 

 Lipf. 1782. 



Valerius Poplicola, Publius, an eminent Roman, and 

 one of the founders of the republican government, diftin- 

 guifhed by his fimphcity, eloquence, and hberahty. In a 

 contention about the confulate, at the expulfion of the Tar- 

 quinian family, he was elefted to fupply the place of Colla- 

 tinus, v/ho was removed from office, and lived on terms of 

 the utmoft harmony with his colleague, the celebrated Junius 

 Brutus. In the fubfequent battle with the allies of Tar- 

 quin, in which Brutus was flain, Valerius gained a viftory, 

 for which he obtained a triumph, B.C. 507. Delaying the 

 eleftion of a new conful, and having built a houfe on the 

 Palatine hill, that overlooked the forum, he excited the fufpi- 

 cion of the people ; but as foon as he underilood the ground 

 of their jealoufy, he ordered the houfe to be levelled in the 

 night, and gave orders for fupply ing the vacancy in the con- 

 fulate. The father of Lucretia was chofen, but by his 

 death foon after his eleftion, Valerius was again the fole chief 

 magiftrate. In the exercile of his ofEce he enafted feveral 

 laws, abridging the confular authority, and mehorating the 

 condition of the people ; and hence obtamed the name of 

 Poplicola, or the people's friend. Ac a proof of his inte- . 



grity and difintereftednefs, he removed the public trcafury 

 from his own houfe to the temple of Saturn, thus committinc- 

 it to the charge of two fenators appointed by the people. 

 Upon an eleftion of conful, his popularity occafioned his 

 being chofen a fecond time. When, in the following year, 

 Porlena, king of Clufium, in Tufcany, attempted the re- 

 ftoration of Tarquin, and by an army which he marched to 

 Rome reduced the city to great difficulties, Poplicola 

 agreed to refign fome of their conquells as the price of 

 peace ; and his own daughter Valeria was one of the hof- 

 tages. In a war with the Sabinea, Poplicola was nominated 

 for the fourth time a conful ; and by his military iliill ob- 

 tained a complete viftory over the. enemy, and recovered the 

 town of Fidena. For this fuccefs he obtained a triumph, 

 and foon after died, having eftablifhed the charafter of one 

 of the greateft men and mod virtuous citizens of Rome. 

 Although he had occupied many lucrative pofts, he did not 

 amafs money fufficient to defray the expence of his funeral, 

 which was paid by the public ; and in honour of his memory, 

 as in the cafe of Brutus, the matrons of Rome wore mourn- 

 ing for a year. His principles were tranfmitted to his fa- 

 mily from one generation to another, fo that the Valerii were 

 affertors of the rights of the people. Livy. Dionyfius 

 Hal. Anc. Un. Hift. Gen. Biog. 



Valeuius, Lucas, an eminent mathematician, acquired 

 great celebrity at Rome as profefibr of geometry, and was 

 honoured by Gahleo with the appellation of the Archimedes 

 of his time. He died in this city in 1618. He profecuted the 

 difcovery of the centres of gravity of folids, and (hewed how 

 to determine them in all the conoids and fpheroids, and their 

 refpedlive fegments formed by planes parallel to the bafes. 

 The refult of his invefligation was pubhftied in 1604, in a 

 work entitled " De Centre Gravitatis Solidorum." He alfo 

 propofed a quadrature of the parabola different from that of 

 Archimedes. His method was pubhlhed in 1606, and an- 

 nexed to the fore-mentioned treatife. Montucla. 



VALES REALES, or Royal Bonds, in Commerce, are 

 a kind of paper currency, which was firft iffued by the 

 Spanifh government in the year 1800, for the following 

 fums : 



600 dollai-3 = 903 J reals 10 maravedis vellon. 

 300 ditto = 45 17 ditto 22 ditto. 

 150 ditto = 2258 ditto 28 ditto. 



Thefe bonds are transferrable only by indorfement : they 

 bear an intereft of 4 per cent, per annum, and were made a 

 legal tender for their full amount, with any intereft that 

 might be due upon them ; but, from various caufes, they 

 have experienced a confiderable depreciation. Kelly's Un. 

 Cambift. 



VALESIANS, Valesiani, in Eccleftafual Hipry, an- 

 cient feftaries, fo called from one Valefius, a perfon un- 

 known to Epiphanius, who, however, makes mention of this 

 fe£l, Hser. 58. though he owns he knew but very little of 

 them ; only this, that they admitted none into their iociety 

 but eunuchs; at laft, if any were admitted before caftration, 

 they obhged them not to eat any meat till the operation 

 was performed. For then, being no longer fubjefl to the 

 motions of the flefti, they allowed them to eat any kind of 

 meats. Whifton fays of them, that they fprung up about 

 the year 240, and that they rejefted the law and the 

 prophets. 



VALESIUS, in Biography. See Valois. 



VALESTRA, in Geography, a town of Italy, in the 

 department of the Panaro ; 12 miles S.W. of Modena. 



VALET, or V.^lect, a French term, anciently written 

 varlet. 



In 



