V E R 



V E R 



diffimilar in difpofition : Tartini was fo liiimble and timid, 

 that he was never happy but in obfcurity ; while Veracini 

 was fo fooliflily vain-glorious as frequently to boail that 

 there was but one God, and one Veractm. 



Being at Lucca at the time of La Feita della Croce, which 

 is celebrated every year on the 14th of September, when it 

 is cuftomary for the principal profeffors of Italy, vocal and 

 jnftrumental, to meet, Veracini entered his name for a folo 

 concerto ; but when he went into the choir, in order to take 

 pofleflion of the principal place, he found it already occu- 

 pied by Padre Girolamo Laurenti, of Bologna ; who not 

 knowing him, as he had been fome years in Poland, aflced 

 him where he was si'oing ? Veracini anfwered to the place of 

 firft violin. Laurenti then told him, that he had been al- 

 ways engaged to fill that poft himfelf ; but that if he wilhed 

 to play a concerto, either at vefpcrs, or during high mafs, 

 he (hould have a place afllgned him. Veracini, with great 

 contempt and indignation, turned his back on him, and 

 went to the lowed; place in the orcheftra. In the aft or 

 part of the fervice in which Laurenti performed his con- 

 certo, Veracini did not play a note, but liftened with great 

 attention. And being called upon, would not play a con- 

 certo, but defired the hoary old father would let him play a 

 folo at the bottom of the choir, defiring Lanzctti, the 

 violoncellift of Turin, to accompany him ; when he played 

 in fuch a manner as to extort an e iiiva.' in the public 

 church. And whenever he was about to make a clofe, he 

 turned to Laurenti, and called out : " Cofi fi fuona per fare 

 il primo violino :" " this is the way to play the firft fiddle." 

 Many filly ftories of this kind are handed about Italy con- 

 cerning the caprice and arrogance of this performer, who 

 was ufually qualified with the title of Capo pazzo. 



Veracini would give leflbns to no one except a nephew, 

 who died young. The only matter he had himfelf in his 

 youth, was his uncle, Antonio Veracini, of Florence ; but 

 by travelling all over Europe lie formed a llyle of playing 

 peculiar to himfelf. Befides being in the fervice of the 

 king of Poland, he was a confiderable time at different 

 courts of Germany, and twice in England, where, during 

 the time of Fariiielli, he compofed feveral operas : among 

 which was " Adriano," in London , in the winter of 1 7 3 5 and 

 1736, which had a run of twelve nights; and in 1744, 

 " L'Errore di Salomone," in which Monticelli performed. 



Veracini's firft arrival in England was in the year 1 7 14, 

 when in the advertifements of the time for the opera of 

 Dorinda, it is faid that " Signor Veracini, lately arrived, 

 will perform fymp ■ onies ;" and the fame year, with the 

 operas of Crefo, A; minio, and Ernehnda, folos on the violin 

 were frequently performed by Veracini. 



We faw and heard him perform in the year 1745, at 

 Hickford's room, where, though in years, he led the band 

 at a benefit concert for Jozzi, the fecond finger, at the 

 opera, in fuch a bold and mafterly manner as we had never 

 heard before. Soon after this, in returning to the conti- 

 nent, Veracini was Ihipwrecked, and loft his two famous 

 Steiner violins, thought to have been the beft in the world, 

 and all his effefts. He ufed to call one of his violins 

 St. Peter, and the other St. Paul. 



As a compofer he had certainly a great fhare of whim 

 and caprice, but he built his freaks on a good foundation, 

 being an excellent contrapuntift. The peculiarities in his 

 performance were Us bow-hand, his (hake, his learned ar- 

 peggios, and a tuue fo loud and clear, that it could be dif- 

 tinftly heard through the moft numerous band of a church 

 or theatre. 



Veracini and Vivaldi had the honour of being thought 

 rr.ad for attempting in their works and performance what 

 many a fober geniieman has fince done uncenfured ; but 



both thefe muficians, happening to be gifted with more 

 fancy and more hand than thcif neighbours, were thought 

 infane ; as friar Bacon, for fuperior icience, was thought a 

 magician, and Galileo a heretic. 



VERA-CRUZ, in Geography, a fea-port of Mexico, in 

 the province of Tlafcala, with a lecure harbour, defended by 

 a fort, upon a rock of a neighbouring ifland, called St. 

 John d'Alva, in the gulf of Mexico. This is fortified with 

 300 pieces of cannon ; and fignals are made from a high 

 tower. This is a place of very great extent, and perhaps 

 one of the moft confiderable in Spanifti America for trade, 

 it being the natural centre of, the American treafure, and 

 the magazine of all the merchandize feiit from New Spain, 

 or of that tranfported hither from Europe. It receives a 

 prodigious quantity of Eaft India goods over land irom 

 Acapulco, brought from the Phihppine ifles. Upon the 

 annual arrival of the flota here from Old Spain, a fair is 

 opened, which lafts many weeks, when this place may be 

 faid to be immenfely rich. Its fituation is unhealthy, from 

 the bogs round it, and the barrennefs of the foil. It parts 

 the fea in a femicircle, and is inclofed with a fingle wall or 

 parapet, fix feet high and three broad, furmounted by a 

 wooden palhfade much decayed. The wall is flanked with 

 fix feeble baftions, on fquare towers twelve feet high. On 

 the Ihore to the S.E. and N.W. are two redoubts, with 

 fome cannon to defend the port. The houfes are well built 

 with ftone and lime, and have wooden balconies. The 

 ftreets are wide, well paved with pebbles, and kept in ex- 

 cellent order. The churches are much decorated with fil- 

 ver ; and in the dwelhng-houfes, the chief luxury confifts of 

 porcelain and other Chinefe articles. The principal in- 

 habitants are merchants ; but European commerce is moftly 

 carried on at Xalapa. The population is about 7000 or 

 8000 : the inhabitants are generally proud, indolent, and 

 devout ; but commerce is well underftood, and here are 

 feven or eight houfes, each worth a million of dollars. The 

 women are rarely handfome, and live in retirement ; the only 

 araufements being a coffce-houfe and proceffjons, or reli- 

 gious mafquerades, the penitents whipping themfelves with 

 much bloodflied. A charity of 6000 dollars to marry four 

 poor girls has, as is ufual in fuch cafes, reverted to the 

 rich. The harbour of Vera-Cruz might offer anchorage to 

 40 or even 60 (hips of war in four to ten fathoms ; but the 

 northerly winds are terrible, and often drive veflels on fliore. 

 In the rainy feafon the marfties on the fouth are haunted by 

 caymans, or alhgators, from feven to eight feet in length, 

 but innocent. The fea-fowl are innumerable, and the mof- 

 quitoes very troublefome. The north winds are faid to be 

 fo violent, that the ladies are excufed from going to mafs ; 

 and thefe gales fometimes load the walls with fand. In the 

 rainy feafon the water regularly falls in the night. Earth- 

 quakes are frequent. Vera-Cruz having- been taken and 

 plundered feveral times by the Buccaneers, the Spaniards 

 have built forts, and placed centinels along the coaft : their 

 ordinary garrifon ronfifting only of 60 horfe and two com- 

 panies of foot ; 180 miles E.S.E. of Mexico. N. lat. 19° 5'. 

 W. long. 97° 26'. 



Veba-Cruz, a port in the bay of St. Phihp and St, 

 Jago, in Terra Auftrahs del Efpiritu Santo, difcovered by 

 Quiros in 1606, and, according to him, capable of contain- 

 ing loco fhips, with clear foundings of black fand, and 

 water from three feet to 40 fathoms. 



Vera-Cruz, Old, a fea-port of Mexico, in the province 

 of Tlafcala. This is the port where Cortez landed in 1518; 

 15 miles N. of Vera-Cruz. This is fituated infalubrioufly ; 

 and the river is full of caymans, fo ftrong as to draw an ox 

 under water. They are fond of the flefh of dogs. N. lat. 

 10° zd. W. long. 97° 40'. 



VERACUN- 



