y o t 
mony, though, according to him, they used it with such 
intelligence and discretion, as never to injure the poetry by 
lengthening, shortening, or repeating words and syllables 
at their pleasure, nor by that most absurd of all customs, 
singing different words to several different airs at the same 
time. 
This author’s remarks, however, on the little attention 
that was paid by the composers of his time to prosody, merit 
some respect. 
VOSTERMAN (John), was born at Rommel in 1643. He 
was the son of a portrait-painter, who taught him the first rudi¬ 
ments of design, but afterwards he received the instructions 
of Zachtleven. He became renowned for his ingenuity and 
his vanity. At Paris he assumed the style and title of baron, 
but soon found his honours were too dear to be supported. 
He returned to his native country, and was employed by 
the marquis de Bethema to paint views on the Rhine, and 
also as a collector 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 Windsor; but was not much employed, and 
being extravagant, soon got into confinement, from which 
he was released by a contribution from his countrymen. 
He accompanied Sir W. Soames on his mission to Con¬ 
stantinople, intending to take views of all the principal places 
by the way; but Sir W. dying on the road, his plan was 
broken up, and it is not known exactly what became of him 
afterwards. The scenery of his pictures is generally taken 
from the borders of the Rhine, and painted with chaste and 
agreeable colour, and admirable aerial perspective; and 
his figures and small boats are touched with spirit and 
neatness. 
VOSTITZA, a district of the Morea, in Achaia, extend¬ 
ing along the coast of the gulf of Lepanto; 25 miles east of 
Patras, and 40 north-west of Corinth. 
VO'TARESS, s. A woman devoted to any worship or 
state. 
His mother was a votaress of my order; 
And, in the spiced Indian air by night, 
Full often she hath gossip’d by my side. Shakspeare. 
VO'TARIST, s. [devotus , Lat.] One devoted to any 
person or thing; one given up by a vow to any service or 
worship; votary. 
Earth, yield me roots! What is here? 
Gold! yellow, glittering, precious gold ! 
No, gods, I am no idle votarist. Shakspeare. 
VOTARY, s. One devoted, as by a vow, to any par¬ 
ticular service; worship, study, or state of life. 
Wherefore waste I time to counsel thee ? 
Thou art a votary to fond desire. Shakspeare. 
VO'TARY, adj. Consequent to a vow.—Superstition is 
now so well advanced, that men of the first blood are as 
firm as butchers by occupation; and votary resolution is 
made equipollent to custom, even in matter of blood. 
Bacon. 
VOTE, s. [ votum, Lat.] Suffrage; voice given and 
numbered. 
He that joins instruction with delight, 
Profit with pleasure, carries all the votes. Roscommon. 
United voice of persons in public prayer. Not now in 
use. —.And here may be taken in those interchangeable 
votes of priest and people, which are interposed, “O Lord, 
arise, help us, and deliver us for thy Name’s sake ! O God, 
we have heard with our ears,’’ &c., and therefore now, 
“ Arise, O Lord, help us, and deliver us for thine honour.” 
Bp. Prideaux. 
To VOTE, v. a. To choose by suffrage; to determine 
by suffrage.—You are not only in the eye and ear of your 
master; but you are also a favourite, the favourite of the 
time, and so are in his bosom also; the world hath also voted 
you, and doth so esteem of you. Bacon. —To give by 
vote.—The parliament voted them one hundred thousand 
pounds by way of recompence for their sufferings. Swift. 
VOTER, s. One who has, the right of giving his voice 
V 0 U 503 
or suffrage.—Elections growing chargeable, the voters, that 
s, the bulk of the common people, have been universally 
seduced into bribery, perjury, drunkeness, malice, and 
slander. Swift. 
VOTERSAY, a small island of the Hebrides, in the sound 
of Harris. 
VOTIAKS, a half civilized tribe of Finish descent, who 
are scattered through the provinces of Viatka, Orenburg, 
and Kazan, or that part of Russia in Europe which adjoins 
Russia in Asia. 
VOTIVE, adj. [yotivus, Latin.] Given by vow; ob¬ 
served in consequence of a vow.'— Votive abstinence some 
constitutions may endure. Feltham. 
To VOUCH, v. a. [voucher , Norman French.] To call 
to witness; to obtest.—Some vouch great names, because 
they think they deserve; but I, because I need such. South. 
—To attest; to warrant; to declare; to maintain by re¬ 
peated affirmations.—They made him ashamed to vouch 
the truth of the relation, and afterwards to credit it. Atter- 
bury. 
To VOUCH, v. n. To bear witness; to appear as a 
witness; to give testimony.—He declares he will not believe 
her, until the elector of Hanover shall vouch for the truth of 
what she hath so solemnly affirmed. Swift. 
VOUCH, s. Warrant; attestation.—What praise couldst 
thou bestow on a deserving woman indeed ? one that, in the 
authority of her merit, did justly put on the vouch of very 
malice itself? Shakspeare. 
VOUCHER, s. One who gives witness to any thing.— 
All the great writers of that age stand up together as vou¬ 
chers for one another’s reputation. Spectator .—Testimony. 
—The stamp is a mark, and a public voucher, that a piece 
of such denomination is of such a weight, and of such a fine¬ 
ness, i. e. has so much silver in it. Locke. 
To VOUCHSA'FE, v. a. To permit any thing to be 
done without danger.—-To condescend to grant.—He grew 
content to mark their speeches, and marvel at such wit in 
shepherds, after to like their company, and lastly to vouch¬ 
safe conference. Sidney. 
To VOUCHSA'FE, v. n. To deign; to condescend ; 
to yield. 
Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman, 
Of these supposed crimes to give me leave 
By circumstance but to acquit myself. Shakspeare. 
VOUCHSA'FEMENT, s. Grant; condescension.—The 
infinite superiority of God’s nature, places a vast disparity 
betwixt his greatest communicated vouchsafements, and his 
boundless, and therefore, to his creatures, incommunicable 
perfections. Boyle 
VOVES, a town of France, department of the Eure and 
Loire, with 1000 inhabitants; 15 miles south-east of Char¬ 
tres. 
VOUET (Simon), an eminent painter of the French 
school, born at Paris in 1582, was the son of Lawrence Vouet, 
a painter of little celebrity. When he was about twenty 
years old, he accompanied the baron de Sansy to Constanti¬ 
nople, where he painted from recollection the picture of the 
grand seignior. On his return he staid at Rome, and ob¬ 
tained the patronage of pope Urban VIII. and his nephew 
the cardinal, by whom he was employed in St. Peter’s, and 
the Barberini palace. Here he resided 14 years, and was 
elected head of the academy of St. Luke in 1624. 
Louis XIII. appointed him, on his return to Paris in 1627, 
his principal painter; and employed him munificently in 
most of his palaces. He also painted pictures for many 
churches in Paris. He died there in 1641. 
Vouet at first was careful and rich in his designs and his 
execution; but as his engagements increased in number, he 
adopted a style flimsy and even careless; fluttered in the parts 
and had no grandeur in the conception. He is the father of 
the French school before the revolution, and corrupted the 
art by its delusive facility. He was the teacher of Le Brun, 
Mignard, and others, but had more honour in having trained 
Le Seuer to the practice of art; who, nevertheless, had the 
sense 
