V E R 



V E R 



gard to La Fontaine, what Campiftron is with regard 

 to Racine, a feeble but natural imitator." His poems 

 were coUefted in 2 vols. i2mo. 1750. Moreri. Gen. 

 Biog. 



VERGILIA, MuRCiA, in Ancient Geography, a town in 

 the S.W. part of Hifpania Citerior. 



VERGILIiE, a conftellation, whofe appearance denotes 

 the approach of the fpring. 



According to the poets, the Vergilix were the daughters 

 of Atlas ; and by the Greeks, were called Pleiades : but the 

 Romans named them Vergiliae. 



VERGILIO, PoLYDORO, in Biography, an hiftorian, was 

 born at Urbino in the 15th century, and became firft known 

 to the learned by a Latin coUeftion of proverbs, preceding 

 that of Erafmus and the occafion of fome bickering between 

 them. It was firft printed in 1498, and frequently repub- 

 lilhed. In the following year appeared his work " De Rerum 

 Inventoribus," a very learned performance, but deftitute of 

 found criticifm, and exhibiting many evidences of the credulity 

 of the author. About the commencement of the following 

 century, pope Alexander VI. deputed him on a commiffion 

 to England, for the purpofe of collefting the papal tribute 

 called Peter-pence. As he was admired in this country for 

 his learning and Latin ftyle, he was promoted to the arch- 

 deaconry of Wells, and engaged by Henry VII. to write 

 a hiftory of England. This work was begun in 1505, and 

 printed at Bafil in 1548, with a dedication to Henry VIII. 

 Enjoying in this country the preferments of prebend and arch- 

 deacon, he wifhed to continuein it, notwithftanding the changes 

 of religion that had occurred, and the ceffation of his office as 

 coUeftor of a tax that no longer fubfifted ; more efpecially 

 as he evinced himfelf, by his approbation of the marriage 

 of the clergy and his condemnation of the worfhip of images, 

 to be no ftrift Catliolic. He had likewife introduced into 

 his treatife " De Inventoribus," fome paflages which the Tn. 

 quifition expunged, and reflefted on the pride of the clergy, 

 by fuggefting that St. Peter would not fuffer Cornehus the 

 centurion to kifs his feet. He ventured, however, in 1550, 

 being in advanced life, to return to his own country for 

 the benefit of a warmer climate. His Enghfh benefices were 

 continued till his death, which happened at Urbino about 

 the year 1555. Of his hiftory of England, contained in 

 twenty -fix books, and extending to the reign of Henry VIII. 

 it is fufficient to obferve, that its ftyle is clear and elegant, 

 but that the matter of it has been cenfured by various 

 writers. Sir Henry Savile fays, that as Polydore was an 

 Italian, little acquainted with public bufinefs, pofleffing no 

 great degree of genius or judgment, and for the moft part 

 taking falfehood inftead of truth, he has left us a hiftory 

 full of errors, as well as poorly and jejunely written. Our 

 antiquaries alfo have feverely treated him, on account of the 

 contempt which he has exprefled for the fables of Geoffrey 

 of Monmouth, and other legendary narrations. He has 

 been reprefented on the one hand as a columniator of our 

 country and an enemy to its glory ; whilft, on the other 

 hand, the French and Scotch have accufed him of par- 

 tiality to England in thofe inftances with regard to which 

 their tranfaftions have been blended with its hiftory. Be- 

 fides, it is faid that he deftroyed many MSS. with which 

 he was intrufted, in order to prevent a deteftion of his 

 errors ; but Tirabofchi confiders this as a tale which no 

 man of fenfe can credit. By others it has been reported, 

 that he fent off' a whole fhip-load of MSS. to Rome. Both 

 thefe ftories are deftitute of proof. Polydore alfo pub- 

 lifhed, in 1526, a book " De Prodigiis," in which he 

 ftrongly contends againft the divinations of the ancients. 

 Voifius. Tirabofchi. Nicolfon's Hift. Lib. Gen. Biog. 

 Vol. XXXVI. 



VERGINE, in Geography, a mountain of Naples, in La- 

 vora ; 7 miles E. of Nola. 



VERGIVIUS OcEANUS, in Ancient Geography, z n-^me 

 given by Ptolemy to that part of the fea which bathed the 

 fouthern coaft of Hibernia, and the weftern provinces of the 

 ifle of Albion. It is now called St. George's channel and 

 the Irifh fea. 



VERGNE, Louis-Elizabeth de la, Comte de 

 Trejfan, in Biography, a French mifcellaneous writer, was 

 born of a noble family at Mans in 1 705. Introduced at 

 Paris, when young, to an acquaintance with Fontenelle, Vol- 

 taire, and others, he imbibed a tafte for pohte literature. 

 But devoted alfo to mihtary fervice in common with other 

 perfons of his rank, he attended Louis XIV. in the cam- 

 paigns of Flanders, on occafion of the war in 1741, and 

 became his aid-de-camp at the battle of Fontenoy. Having 

 rifen to the rank of lieutenant-general, he withdrew upon 

 the peace to the court of king Staniflaus at Luneville, which 

 he contributed to adorn and enliven by his agreeable and 

 fprightly talents. The king's Jefuit-confeffor, dreading 

 his influence, accufed him of the crime of philofophy. When 

 Staniflaus preferred this charge againfl him, he replied, 

 " I requeft your majefty to recoUeft, that there were 3000 

 monks at the proceffion of the League, and not one philo- 

 fopher." After the death of Staniflaus, the count lived in 

 folitude, and employed himfelf as an author. In his youth 

 he had penned fome epigrams, which are thought to have 

 prevented his obtaining admiffion into the French academy 

 till his 75th year, an honour of which he was ambitious, 

 and which gratified him much, though he did not long live 

 to enjoy it ; for he died of the- gout, to which he had been 

 much addifted, in the year 1782, at the age of 77. His 

 love and talent for poetry "'pre rptainpH to the clofe of life. 

 Several "f h'S works, which were numerous, are romances, 

 or compofitions of that clafs, either original or altered from 

 thofe of other authors. A pofthumous work of different 

 charafter is entitled " An Eflay on the Eleftric Fluid, con- 

 fidered as an Univerfal Agent," in 2 vols. Bvo. A colleftion 

 of his works was publifhed in 1 731, in 12 vols. 8vo. Nouv. 

 Dia. Hift. 



VERGOBRETS, a name given to magiftrates in cer- 

 tain provinces of Gaul, who were like the archons of 

 Athens, but only with an annual power. 



VERGORAZ, in Geography, a tovsm of Dalmatia, fitu- 

 ated at the foot of fome mountains which feparate the do- 

 minions of Venice (now Italy) from thofe of the grand 

 fignior. It was formerly rich and flourifhing, but ia now a 

 poor place ; 20 miles E. of Narenta. 



VERGUNNI, in Ancient Geography, a people of the 

 Maritime Alps, S. of the Veamini. 



VERGUTTUM, in Geography, a town of Hindooftan, 

 in the circar of Cicacole ; 20 miles N.N.W. of Cicacole. 



VERGY, a town of France, in the department of the 

 Coted'Or ; 10 miles S.S.W. of Dijon. 



VERHEYEN, Philip,, in Biography, an eminent ana- 

 tomift and phyfician, was born in 1648 at Vefbrouck, in the 

 country of Waes, and having been noticed by the redlor of 

 the parifh, was inftrufted by him in the rudiments of Latin, 

 and in his 24th year, fent to commence a courfe of claffical 

 education at-Louvain. His diligence amply compenfated 

 for lofs of time ; and having afTumed the clerical habit, he 

 devoted himfelf to the ftudy of theology. But his views 

 were changed by an amputation of his leg, occafioned by an 

 inflammation ; and he fubftituted medical purfuits for thofe 

 of divinity. Thefe he followed at Louvain and Leyden, 

 and taking his degrees at the former place, he there fixed 

 his refidence. In 16S9 he was nominated profeffor of 

 c G anatomy 



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