V I T 



rifes in the province of Ulliug, and runs into the Dwina, 

 near Sol Vitchegociflc. 



VITE, TiMOTEO DELLA, DA Urbino, in Biography, 

 was born at Urbino in 1470. After having fome time 

 fludied the art of painting at Bologna, under Francefco 

 Francia, lie returned, when about 26 years old, to his native 

 country ; and thence went to Rome, to his countryman and 

 relation Raffaelle. He there engaged himfelf to affift that 

 renowned artift, and prepared for him the Sibyls in the 

 church of La Pace, and was permitted by his mafter to 

 retain the cartoons. He did not remain long at Rome, but 

 returned to Urbino ; and there, in conjunftion with Giro- 

 lamo Genga, executed feveral large works for the cathedral, 

 and other public places. 



He. brought to Rome a ftyle which was dry and laboured, 

 as of the preceding century, as may be feen in his Madonnas 

 at the palace Bonavcntura, in the Capitol at Urbino, and 

 at Pefaro in the Difcovery of the Crofs. Under Raffaelle 

 he improved his ftyle, and acquired much of his grace, at- 

 titudes, and colour ; though he always remained a timid in- 

 ventor, and had a certain weaknefs of pencil, and was more 

 exaft tlian grand. The Conception at the OiTervanti in 

 Urbino, and the Noh me Tangere in the church of S. An- 

 gelo at Cagli, arc perhaps the bell remains of Timoteo. 

 He died in 1524, aged 54. 



VITEGRA, in Geography, a river of Ruffia, which runs 

 into lake Onezdvoi, near the town of Vitegra. — Alfo, a 

 town of Ruffia, in the government of Olonetz, at the fouth 

 end of lake Onezflcoi ; 88 miles E. of Olonetz. N. lat. 

 60° 55'. E. long. 35=44'. • 



VITELLIA, in Ancient Geography, a town of Italy, in 

 Latium, in the country of the .ffiqui ; it took its name from 

 the family of Vitellius. 



ViTELLiA Fia, one of the roads of Italy, which led from 

 the Janiculum to the fea. 



VITELLIANI, ill ylmiguiiy, a kind of tablet or pocket- 

 book, in which people anciently ufed to write down their 

 ingenious, humorous, and even wanton fancies and imper- 

 tinences ; the fame with what, in Englifli, we may call a 

 triflc-bool. See Martial, lib. xiv. cpig. 8. 



Some will have them to take their name from ■vittlliis, a 

 yolk of an egg ; becaufe the leaves were rubbed with it. 

 Others derive the name from one Vitellius, their inventor. 



VITELLIO, or ViTEi.LO, in Biography, a Polidi 

 mathematician, flouriflied about the end of the r3th cen- 

 tury, as we may infer from the dedication of his work on 

 Optics to the pope's penitentiary, William de Morbeta, 

 who lived about the year 1296. His work, though now of 

 little value, was probably in ellimation at the early period 

 in which it was written, as it contained a colleftion of ma- 

 terials fnrniflied by Euclid, Archimedes, Ptolemy, and 

 Alhazen. It was publiHied together with that of Alhazen 

 under the following title : " Optica: Thefaurus, Alhayc iii 

 Arabis LibriVII. nunc primumediti. Item Vitellonis, Tlui- 

 ringo-poloiii, Libri X. omnes inftaurati, Figuris illuilrati 

 et aufti, adj^Ais etiam in Alhazenum Commentariis, A. 

 Frcderico Rifnero," Bafilix, 1572. fol. Monlucla Hid. 

 Math. 



VITELLIUS, AuLUs, Roman emperor, was born 

 A.D. 16, and refidcd in his youth at Capresp, the infamous 

 abode of Tiberius. To Caligula he recommended himfelf 

 by his fl<ill as a charioteer; and by his pafTion for play, to 

 Clnudius, who made him conful A.D. 48. He likewife 

 prcfided at the games, in which Nero expofed himfelf as a 

 mulician. At this time Vitellius difgraced iiimfelf by his 

 jcrvility and meanncfs ; but in the port of governor of 

 Africa, he obtained fome credit. At length, however, he was 



Vol. XXXVII. 



V I T 



reduced to indigence by his licentioufnef?, and was thus led 

 to praftife fraud, with regard to the offerings and ornamenU 

 of the temples, by fubftituting bafe metal for real filver and 

 gold. On the acceffion of Galba to the empire, A.D. 6d, 

 Vitellius was appointed to the command of the legions in 

 Lower Germany ; Galba affigning as a reafon for this pre- 

 ferment, that a man addifted to gluttony was not R> be 

 feared. The German legions were much difaffcclcd to 

 Galba ; but Vitellius had contrived to recommend himfelf 

 to favour. When the day (wz. January itt) arrived, on 

 which the troops were required to renew their oath of 

 fidelity to their emperors, thofe commanded by Vitellius 

 performed the ceremony reludtantly, and with ill will ; but 

 m the army of Upper Germany, two legions openly re- 

 nounced allegiance to Galba. When this event was com- 

 municated to the Lower army, Valens, one of the general 

 officers, came to Cologne, and faluted Vitellius as emperor, 

 who was alfo recognized under this appellation in other pro- 

 vinces of the empire. At Rome, however, Otho was in- 

 veflcd with the imperial dignity, on the murder of Galba ; 

 and the two competitors began with negociation, and pro- 

 ceeded to attempts againll each other's life. When Otho 

 put an end to his own life, after the defeat of liis troops, 

 Vitellius was recognized without oppofition at Rome, in 

 April, A.D. 69. One of the firft afts, after receiving the 

 news of Ihs acceffion, was that of conferring knighthood on 

 a vile freedman, named Afiaticus. Although he treated 

 the general officers of Otho's party with a clemency that 

 did him honour, he incurred reproach by the execution of 

 feveral of the inferior officers, and by ordering the death of 

 Dolabella, on a falfe accufation. However, Ihipid infenfl- 

 bility was his predominant foible, rather than a revengeful 

 fpirit ; and this was the cfFeft of his infatiable and fhameful 

 gluttony. His extravagance in indulging his appetite for 

 coftly diflies, covered with all the varieties which he could 

 procure, had no bounds. He is faid to have confecrated a 

 filver difh, which on account of its fize he called the buckler 

 of Minerva, and to have filled it folely with the livers of a 

 fmall and delicate filh, the brains of peacocks and pheafants, 

 the tongues of flamingoes, and the roes of lampreys. The 

 expellees of his table, during eight months of his reign, 

 have been eflimated at five millions flerling ; but Tacitus 

 ilates this fum as ttic coll of all his profufions. 



Oil his way to Rome, he vifited the field of battle on 

 which Otho had been defeated ; and when he faw it ftrewed 

 with dead and mangled bodies, he did not manifell the leaft 

 emotion ; and when fome of his attendants complained of 

 the lleiich arifing from the uniiiterred carcafes, he had the 

 fool-liardinefs to utter this obfervation, " A dead enemy 

 fmells well, cfpccially a dead citizen." He entered Rome 

 with great pomp, at the head of troops that maffacred a 

 number of the populace who went out to meet him, and 

 pronounced a panegyric on himfelf, which was applauded 

 by the fervilc crowd. He afterwards affefted popularity, 

 but his charaftcr was fo devoid of every virtue, that no .lil 

 he performi'd could be thought of any value. " Every evil 

 which Rome had fufTcred under the worll emperors fivmed 

 to be its dediny in the reign of Vitellius." 'Uit a dt- 

 iiverance was preparing for the feemingly devoted city. 

 Tiie Eaflern army was approaching, and Vefpafian was 

 proclaimed emperor. Vitellius was roufed from iiis le- 

 thargy, but it was too late ; and after the Jefedlion of fome 

 of Ins troops, and the defeat of others, lie .v^ain funk into 

 his ftupefying luxury. Defpairing of redrels, 'le deter- 

 mined to abdicate ; and with this view iiegociiilf! with 

 Flavins Sabinus, brother of Vefpafian, who was prcf;ft of 

 Rome. The populace, however, whofe cprapaifion waa 

 M u excited 



