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VILLENOCE, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Aube ; lo miles N.E. of Provins. 



VILLENORE, a town of Hindooftan, in the Carnatic ; 

 10 miles W. of Pondicherry. 



VILLENOUVETTE, a town of France, in the de- 

 partment of the Herault, on the Orb, anciently confiderable, 

 and furrounded with walls. It at one time contained three 

 parifties, now only one ; 3 miles N.W. of Beziers. 



VILLENTROIS, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Indre ; 18 miles N.E- of Chatillon-fur-Indre. 



VILLEPEYS, or VlLLEPAIS, a town of France, in the 

 department of the Var, on the coaft of the bay of Frejus ; 

 3 miles S.S.W. of Frejus. 



VILLEPINTE, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Aude ; 6 miles S-E. of Caftelnaudary. 



VILLEPREUX, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Seine and Oife ; 5 miles W. of Verfailles. 



VILLEQUIER, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Lower Seine, on the right bank of the Seine ; 3 

 miles S.W. of Caudebec. 



VILLEQUIERS, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Cher ; 1 8 miles E. of Bourges. 



VILLEREAL, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Lot and Garonne ; 7 miles N. of Monflanquin. 



VILLEREST, a town of France, in the departn-.ent of 

 the Rh6ne and Loire, on the Loire ; 5 miles S. of Roanne. 



VILLERS, a town of Brabant ; 9 miles E. of Nivelle. 



ViLLERS Socage, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Somme ; 7 miles N. of Amiens. 



ViLLERS h Boccage, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Calvados ; 1 2 miles S.W. of Caen. 



ViLLERS fous Chalamont, a town of France, in the de- 

 partment of the Doubs ; 1 2 miles W. of Pontarlier. 



ViLLERS Cotterets, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Aifne ; 12 miles S.W. of SoilTons. 



ViLLERS Farlay, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Jura ; 6 miles N. of Arbois. 



ViLLERS la Montagne, a town of France, in the depart- 

 ment of the Mofelle ; 3 miles S.E. of Longwy. 



ViLLERS _/oaj Perny, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Meurte ; 3 miles N.W. of Pont-a-Mouflbn. 



VILLE RSE YSE L, or Villersacey, a town of France, 

 in the department of the Upper Saone ; 9 miles S. of 

 Lure. 



VILLESHEIM, a town of the duchy of Wurzburg ; 

 5 miles S.E. of Kitzingen. 



VILLETERTRE, a town of France, in the depart- 

 ment of the Oife ; 6 miles S.E. of Chaumont. 



VILLETTE d' Anton, a town of France, in the de- 

 partment of the Ifere, on the Rhone j 12 niiies E. of 

 Lyons. 



Villette d' IJl'ms, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Ifere ; 10 miles N.N.E. of Vien'ne. 



VILLEVIEILLE, a town of France, in the depart- 

 ment of the Higher Alps ; 12 miles S.E. of Brian^on. 



VILLI, Coarfe Hair, in Anatomy, is fometimes ufed in the 

 fame fenfe as fibres, or fibrillje. See Fibre. 



Villi, in Botany. See Villosus. 



VILLIE, in Geography, a town of France, in the de- 

 partment of the Rhone and Loire ; 1 2 miles N. of Ville- 

 franche. 



VILLIERS, George, in Blograt)by, the firft duke of 

 Buckingham, was defcended from an ancient family in Lei- 

 celterfhire, and born at Brookby m that county, A.D. 1592. 

 His attention was direfted by his mother, who undertook 

 the charge of his education, to ornamental rather than folid 

 accompluhitients, which were further improved by a refi- 



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dence of three years in France, whither he was fent at tte 

 age of eighteen. His graceful perfon and gay difpofitioa 

 recommended him at court, to which he was introduced by 

 fir John Graham, a gentleman of the king's privy-chamber. 

 In 1 61 3, James I. conferred upon him the office of his cup- 

 bearer. Upon the fall of the earl of Somerfet, Villiers took 

 his place in the affeftion and confidence of the king, who 

 knighted him in 1615, and made him gentleman of the bed- 

 chamber, with a penfion of looo/. a-year. He foon after 

 became matter of the horfe, and in 1616 was honoured with 

 the garter, created a baron and vifcount, and in the following 

 year advanced to the earldom of Buckingham, and admitted 

 into the privy-council. After his return from Scotland, whi- 

 ther he accompanied the king in 161 7, he was created a mar- 

 quis, and promoted to the dignities of lord high-admiral of 

 England, chief juftice in eyre fouth of the Trent, mafter of the 

 king's-bench office, fteward of Weltminfter, andconftableof 

 Windfor Caflle. He alfo employed his powerful interefl with 

 the king for the advancement of his family and connexions. 

 His charafter was that of an ardent friend and implacable 

 enemy, infolent and arrogant to thofe who oppofed him, 

 and regardlefs of real merit in thofe whom he patronifed. To 

 his pufillanimous fovereign and to prince Charles he mani- 

 fefted his arrogant difpofition ; but in order to engage the 

 prince's attachment, he propofed a vifit of refpeft to his in- 

 tended bride, the infanta of Spain. The king, at firft averfe 

 from this journey, at length granted to his importunity a re- 

 luftant confent. His manners, however, difgufted the Spanifh 

 court, and he returned avowing his enmity to the prime mi- 

 nifler Ohvarez. Such was his powerful influence at home, 

 that he was appointed lord warden of the Cinque Ports. By 

 mifreprefenting the negociations with Spain relating to the 

 propofed marriage, he inflamed the nation againft the Spa- 

 niards, and became popular ; and dreading the return of lord 

 Briftol from his embaffy, and a true ftatement of this bufmefs, 

 he joined the oppofers of the court and promoted popular 

 meafures. Upon the acceflion of Charles his influence was 

 augmented, and he was fent to France, in order to conduct 

 into England the royal bride, Henrietta-Maria. During his 

 vifit to France, he had the affurance to declare his affeftion 

 for Anne of Auftria, queen of Lewis XIII., and to profe- 

 cute his addreffes ; and with this view, he determined to 

 pay her a private vifit. The confequence would probably 

 have been his affaffination ; but forewarned of his danger, he 

 declined the execution of his purpofe ; fwearing, at the fame 

 time, that he would fee and fpeak with that lady in fpite 

 of the ftrength and power of France. To this circumflance 

 lord Clarendon imputes his enmity againfl the French court, 

 and his attempt to alienate the affeftion of Charles from his 

 queen. At length, his inordinate ufe of the power with 

 which he had been entrufted rendered him an objeft of na- 

 tional jealoufy and abhorrence ; and in May 1626, the earl 

 of Briftol, who at his inftigation had been committed to the 

 Tower, and afterwards baniftied from the court, exhibited 

 againft him a charge of high-treafon. He was alfo accufed 

 by the commons of high crimes and mifdemeanours ; but his 

 mafter averted the ftroke that was aimed againft him by the 

 diffolution of parliament. In the war now fubfifting with 

 Spain, he went to the Hague to concert a treaty with the 

 States-general for the recovery of the Palatinate : but his 

 conduft towards France foon produced a war with that 

 country. At his folicitation, France was invaded in 1627 by 

 an expedition under his command ; and he landed on the ifle 

 of Rhe, whence he was obliged to withdraw with great lofs. 

 In order to recover his reputation after this difgrace, he 

 advifed the calling of a new parliament ; which, fo far from 

 anfwering his purpofe, charged him with being the author of 



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