V o s 



V O T 



for the love of God, at leaft for the honour of the chapter : 

 he replied, " I wifh you would inftruft me how to compel 

 the farmers to pay what they owe me ; that is the fervice I 

 defire of you at prefent." Thus difpofed, he left the world 

 in February, 1688, at the age of feventy. His very va- 

 luable hbrary was purchafed by the univerfity of Leyden. 

 Of his numerous publications the moft important are the 

 following : " Periplus Scylacis Caryandenfis, et Anonymi 

 Periplus ponti Euxini," Gr. et Lat. cum notis, Amft. 1639, 

 4to. " Juftini Hifloria cum Notis," Leyd. 1640 ; " Ignatii 

 Epiftols et Barnabi Epiftola," Amft. 1646, 4to. ; " Differ- 

 tatio de vera .^tate Mundi ;" " Pomponius Mela de Situ 

 Orbis," Hagae, Com. 1658 and 1659; " De Septuaginta 

 Interpretibus eorumque Tranflatione et Chronologia Difler- 

 tationes," 1661, in which he attempted to eftablifh the pre- 

 ference of the chronology of the Septuagint to that of the 

 Hebrew text ; which he defended in other tradls ; " De Poe- 

 matum Cantu et Viribus Rhythmi," Oxon. 1675 ; " De Sy- 

 billinis aliifque qua Chrifti natalem prxceffere Oracuhs," ib. 

 1679 ' " Variarum Obfervationum Liber," Lond. 1685, 

 4to. ; " CatuUi Opera cum Comment," ib. 1684. Moreri. 

 He was an enthufiaftic and redoubted champion for the 

 mufic of the ancient Greeks, and from his Mle Lat'tnite and 

 prejudices in its favour, is more frequently quoted by im- 

 plicit believers in its perfeflion, than any other modern who 

 has treated the fubjeft. 



Voffius, in his celebrated book " De Poematum Cantu 

 et Virib. Rhythmi," publifhed iSf^, Oxon., feems more 

 ready to grant every poffible and impolTible excellence to 

 the Greek muficians, than, when ahve, they could have been 

 to a(k. None of the poetical fables, or mythological allego- 

 ries, relative to the power and excellence of their mufic, put 

 the leaft violence upon his credulity. A rehgious bigot, 

 who infifts upon our fwaUowing imphcitly every thing, 

 however hard of digeftion, is lefs likely to make converts to 

 his opinions, than he who puts our faith to few trials ; and 

 Voffius overcharged his creed fo much, that it is of no au- 

 thority. 



He does not attribute the efficacy of the Greek and 

 Roman mufic to the richnefs of its harmony, or the ele- 

 gance, the fpirit, or pathos of its melody, but wholly to the 

 force of rhythm. "As long," fays he, p. 75, " as mufic 

 flouriihed in this rhythmical form, fo long flourifhed that 

 power which was fo adapted to excite and calm the paf- 

 fions." According to this opinion there was no occafion 

 for mellifluous founds, or lengthened tones ; a drum, cym- 

 bal, or the violent ftrokes of the Curetes and Salii on their 

 fhields, as they would have marked the time more articu- 

 lately, fo they would have produced more miraculous 

 effefts than the fweeteft voice, or moft poh(hed inftrument. 

 In another place he tells us, that " to build cities, furround 

 them with walls, to aflemble or difmifs the people, to cele- 

 brate the praifes of gods and men, to govern fleets and 

 armies, to accompany all the funftions and ceremonies of 

 peace and war, and to temper the human paffions, were the 

 original offices of mufic : in (hort, ancient Greece may be 

 faid to have been wholly governed by the lyre." 



It appears from this paflage, and from the tenor of his 

 whole book, that this author will not allow us to doubt of 

 a fingle circumftance, be it ever fo marvellous, relative to the 

 perfeftion and power of ancient mufic ; the probable and 

 the improbable are equaUy articles of his behef ; fo that 

 with fuch a lively faith, it is eafy to imagine that he ranks 

 it among mortal fins to doubt of the ancients having in- 

 vented and praclifed counterpoint ; and he confequently 

 fpeaks with the higheft indignation againft the moderns, for 

 daring to deny that they were in poffeffion of a Cmultaneous 



harmony, though, according to him, they ufed it with fuch 

 intelhgence and difcretion, as never to injure the poetry by 

 lengthening, fhortening, or repeating words and fyllables at 

 their pleafure, nor by that moft abfurd of all cuftoms, 

 finging different words to feveral diff^erent airs at the fame 

 time. 



This author's remarks, however, on the little attention 

 that was paid by the compofers of his time to profody, 

 merit fome refpeft. See Rhythm. 



VOSTANI, in Geography, the middle divifion of 

 Egypt. 



VOSTERMAN, John, in Biography, was born at Bom- 

 mel in 1 643, the fon of a portrait-painter, who taught him the 

 firft rudiments of defign, but afterwards he received the in- 

 ftruftions of Zachtleven. He became renowned for his inge- 

 nuity and his vanity. At Pai-is he afliimed the ftyle and 

 title of baron, but foon found his honours were too dear to 

 be fupported. He returned to his native country, and was 

 employed by the marquis de Bethema to paint views on the 

 Rhine, and alfo as a coUeftor of works of art. He came to 

 England in the time of Charles II. and was engaged by the 

 king to paint a view of Windfor ; but was not much em- 

 ployed, and being extravagant, foon got into confinement, 

 from which he was relealed by a contribution from his 

 countrymen. 



He accompanied fir W. Soameson his miffion to Conftan- 

 tinople, intending to take views of all the principal places 

 by the way ; but fir W. dying on the road, his plan was 

 broken up, and it is not known exaftlv what became of 

 him afterwards. The fcenery of his piftures is generally 

 taken from the borders of the Rhine, and painted with 

 chafte and agreeable colour, and admirable aerial perfpec- 

 tive ; and his figures and fmall boats are touched with 

 fpirit and neatnefs. 



VOSTISSA, in Geography, a town and port of the 

 Morea, containing 800 houfes, churches, and public edi- 

 fices. This town was almoft entirely deftroyed by an 

 earthquake, which took place on the 23d of Auguft, 1817, 

 and 65 of the inhabitants periflied in the ruins. Four villages 

 in the neighbourhood were alfo deftroyed, and the cape at 

 the mouth of the river Gaidouroupniati fell into the fea, 

 after throwing up a thick fmoke. The fea, which at iirft 

 receded to a confiderable diftance, leaving the veflels in the 

 harbour aground, returned with great violence, inundating 

 the land to the extent of half a league. 



VOTE, or Voice. See Suffrage, and Voice. 



In the houfe of peers, they give their votes or fuffrages, 

 beginning at the puifne, or loweft baron, and fo to the 

 reft, feriatim, every one anfwering apart, content, or not 

 content. 



In the houfe of commons, they vote by yeas and noes, 

 promifcuoudy. See Parliament. 



Votes of the houfe of commons firft began to be 

 printed by a refolution of the lail parliament of Charles II. 

 at Oxford, in 1681. 



VOTGINSKOI, in Geography, a town of Ruffia, in 

 the province of Uft;iug, on the Sula ; 40 miles S. of Uft 

 Sifolk. 



VOTIAKS, or Votes, a tribe or nation of Finns, 

 fituated in Ruffia, upon the river Vistka, in the govern- 

 ments of Viretka and Ufa. They call themfelves Ud or 

 Udi (feeming to be the fame with the Ruffian Vote), alfo 

 Mord, i. e. Man or Udmord. As they hve in a great de- 

 gree fecluded from other people, their language continues to 

 be a pure Finnifh dialed. They alfo ftill retain their old 

 diftribution into ftems, and give their villages additional 

 names accordingly ; their noble famihes, however, are partly 



extinft 



