V 1 D 



V I D 



have confirmed. The candid Tirabofchi is contented with 

 faying of him, that his quahtics, if not fufficient to rank 

 him in the number of firlt-rate poets, at leait give him a 

 title to be placed much above the vulgar tribe of old verfi- 

 fiers. Rofcoe's Life of Leo X. Gen. Biog. 



VIDAME, VicE-noMiNus, was anciently ufed for the 

 bilhop's deputy in temporals ; as comes, or vice-comes, was 

 the king's. 



The word, according to Nicod, comes from vlcar'ius ; or 

 according to Pafquier, from vke-dominus ; Jom fignifying 

 dominus, or lord. See DoM. 



The original inftitution of vidames was for the defence of 

 the temporalities of bidioprics, while the bifliops them- 

 felves were taken up in prayer and other fpiritual funAions. 

 They alfo led the bilhop's forces when they were obliged 

 to go to war, either to defend their temporalities, or for the 

 arrier-ban. 



They alfo managed, and pleaded, their caufe in courts of 

 juftice ; diftributed jullice among their tenants ; and pre- 

 vented any body's pillaging, or damaging, the houfcs of 

 deceafed bifhops, &c. In efFeft, they reprefented the 

 bifliop, confidered as a temporal lord. 



In fome ancient charters, the vidames are called advocates, 

 or advowees. 



ViDAME continued to be a title of fignory, or lordfhip ; 

 attributed to feveral gentlemen in France : as the vidame of 

 Chartres, of Amiens, &c. 



The ancient vidames, Pafquier fays, were the biihops' 

 temporal judges ; and they had the fame privileges as the 

 vifcounts. 



By degrees, the vidames converted their office into a fee ; 

 and the bifhops their vidames, or judges, into vaffals ; as 

 kings did their counts, dukes, &c. Accordingly, the vi- 

 dame of Chartres, &c. held lands of the bifhops of tliofe 

 places. See Vai.vasor. 



VIDDIN, in Geography, a town of European Turkey, 

 in Bulgaria, on the Danube, the fee of a Greek archbifhop ; 

 356 miles N.W. of Conllantinople. N. lat. 44"^ 25'. E. 

 long. 22^ 26'. 



VIDE, in Fr. Mufic, is equivalent to open, in Englifh : 

 as corde a vide, an open firing, on inflruments with a neck, 

 fuch as a violin or violoncello ; or the found produced by the 

 whole length of a firing from the nut to the bridge, with- 

 out the prefTure of a linger. 



The found of open firings is not only more grave or 

 lower in tone than when preffed by the finger, but more 

 fonorous and full ; which arifes from the foftnefs of the 

 finger which impedes its vibrations : on which account good 

 players on the violin avoid ufing open firings as much as pof- 

 fible, in order to prefervc an equality of tone. But to 

 do this, the performer mud know all thcjhifis, and be well 

 acquainted with the finger-board. See Suit r and Fingeu- 



BOAtlD. 



VIDEO, Monte, in Geography. (See Montevii)j;o. ) 

 This, fays Mr. Mawe, is a tolerably well-built town, fituated 

 on a gentle elevation, at the extremity of a fmall peiiiniula, 

 and is walled entirely round. Its population amounts to be- 

 tween 15,000 and 20,000 fouls. The harbour is the bed in 

 the Rio de la Plata, and has a very foft bottom of deep 

 mud, but cannot be called a good one for veflels above 

 300 or 400 tons. Tin- houfes are generally of one flory, 

 paved with brick, and furniflied witli few convenieiicics. In 

 the fquare is a cathedral, and oppofite to it an edifice, 

 divided into a town-houfe, or cabildo, and a prilon. The 

 llrccts are unpavfil, and the well that fupplics the town with 

 water is at the diftance of two miles. Provifions arc abundant 

 and cheap, particularly beef. The inhabitants, cfpegially 



the Creolians, are humane and well-difpofed, when not ac- 

 tuated by political or religious prejudices. Their habits, 

 like thofe of their brethren in Old Spain, proceed from the 

 oppofite extremes of indolence and temperance. The ladies 

 are generally affable and polite, and in their perfons neat and 

 clean. Abroad they ufually appear in black, rnd always 

 covered with a large veil, or mantle ; and at 'nafs they 

 always appear in black filk, bordered with deep fringes. 

 The chief trade of Monte-Video confifls in hides, tallovr, 

 and dried beef; the two former being exported to Europe, 

 and the latter to the Weft Indies, efpecially to the Havannah. 

 Coarfe copper from Chili, in fquare cakes, is fomctimes 

 fliipped here, and an herb called " metta," from Paraguay, 

 the infufion of which is ufed as tea in England. The cli- 

 mate is humid; in the winter months (June, July, and Au- 

 gufl) the weather is occafionally boiflerous, and the air 

 piercing. In fummer, the feivnity of the atmofphcre is often 

 interrupted by tremendous thunder-florms and lightning, and 

 alfo deluges of rain, which fomctimes dellroy the harveft. 

 The heat is troublefome, and the mofquitocs are pecu- 

 harly injurious. The town ftands on a bafis of granite : and 

 the high mount on the oppofite fide of the bay, on which is 

 a light-houfe, and which gives name to the town, is princi- 

 pally compofed of clay-flatc in laminae, perpendicular to the 

 horizon. The vicinity of Monte-Video is agreeably diverfi- 

 fied with low gently fioping hills, and long valleys watered 

 by beautiful rivulets, but traces of cultivation are rarely 

 obfrrvcd. 



VIDEROE, oneof the Faroer iflands. N. lat. 61° 59'. 



VIDICINORUM Oppidum, in Jncient Geography, a 

 town of Italy, in Picenum, deftroyed by the Romans. 



VIDIGAL, in Geography, a town of Portugal, in the 

 province of Algarve ; i 8 miles N. of Sagres. 



VIDIGUEIRA, a fmall market-town of Portugal, in 

 Alentejo ; 1 2 miles N.E. of Beja, and 5 leagues from Serpa, 

 in a very charming country. On one fide is a fertile plain, on 

 the other, clofe to the town, rife mountains, interfefted with 

 valleys, that are adorned with quintas and orange-gardens, 

 with a large Gotliic church on the fore -ground. The place 

 is fmall, having little more than 2000 inhabitants. Its 

 oranges are fmall, but well-flnvoured, and the bed in the 

 country, as is alfo the wine, from the neighbouring Villa de 

 Trades, much celebrated at Lifboii. 



VIDIMARUM, in Botany, the name of the tree which 

 bears the febeflens, a medicinal plum, of Afia and ^gypt. 



VIDIMUS, in Laiu, the fame with innole/cimus ; being 

 letters patent of a charter of feoffment, or fome other in- 

 ftrument, not of record. 



VIDINI, in Ancient Geography, a people of European 

 Sarmalia. Ammian. MarccU. 



VIDOTARA, a bay on the northern fide of Great 

 Britain, near the mouth of the river which runs by Aire. 



VIDOURLE,in Geography, VLt'wctoi France, which runs 

 into the lake of Than, near Aignes Mortcs. 



VIDRA, a town of Spain, in Catalonia ; 12 miles N. 

 of Viquf. 



VIDROPUSK, a town of Ruflia, in the governmcut 

 of Tver ; I 2 miles N. of Torxok. 



VIDRUS, in Ancient Geography, a river of Germany; 

 its mouth, according to Ptolemy, being between Marmanis 

 Port us :ind the mouth of the river Amafius. 



VIDUA, a river on the northern coad of Hibernia. 

 Ptol. 



VIDUCASSES, the name of a people who occupied a 

 part of that country which is now the dioccfe of Bayeux. 

 The capital of liicfe people was near the river Orne, a little 

 above Caen, probably Vic ux. 



vipu- 



