Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/307

Rh ern Magic " (1874). He has translated into English Spielhagen's " Problematic Characters " (New York, 1869) ; " Through Night to Light " (1869) ; and " The Hohcnsteins " (1870) ; and has edited an edi- tion de luxe of Saintine's " Myths of the Rhine," illustrated by Dore, and several volumes of the " Illustrated Library of Wonders." He has re- cently begun a revised and annotated edition of some of the masterpieces of French literature.

VERGARA Y ZAMORAL, Diego Hernandez de, Spanish missionary, b. in Jaen, Andalusia, Spain, in 1526 ; d. in Mexico in 1593. He was of noble birth, early entered the military service and fought in Italy till 1549, when he became a Jesuit to escape punishment for having killed a fellow- officer in a duel. In the following year he was sent to Santo Domingo, where he studied theology and was ordained priest. He labored afterward in Cuba, in the Tierra Firme, and in Mexico, where he became prior of a convent, librarian and pro- curator of his order, and was twice sent to Rome to report to the holy see on the American mis- sions. He left two valuable manuscripts, which are preserved in the Vatican library at Rome. They are entitled "Litterae annua?, ad praepositum generalem Societatis Jesu, quae statu m in provincia Antillensi exponunt," and " Epistoke tres de qua- draginta Jesuitis interfectis in Nova Hispana," which recounts the adventures of the first Jesuits that were sent to Mexico.

VERGENNES, Charles Gravier, Count de, French statesman, b. in Dijon, 28 Dec, 1717 ; d. in Versailles, 13 Feb., 1787. He was the second son of a president of the parliament of Dijon, and, after receiving his educa- tion at the Jesuit col- lege, entered the dip- lomatic service, and accompanied a rela- tive to Lisbon in 1740. In the following year he participated at Frankfort in the nego- tiations that brought about the election to the empire of the elec- tor of Bavaria, Charles VII., but he returned to Lisbon in 1745, and in 1750 was appoint- ed minister at the court of the elector of Treves. He assisted in the congress at Hanover in 1752, and in 1753 prevented at Mannheim the conclusion of a treaty between Maria Theresa and the Emperor Charles VII. He was ambassador to Constantinople in 1754-'68, and in 1771-'74 at the court of Sweden, assisting at Stockholm in the revolution in favor of Gustavus III. Louis XVI. appointed him secretary of for- eign relations, 8 June, 1774. Out of friendship for Benjamin Franklin, he gave secret aid to the colo- nists through the agency of Caron de Beaumarchais, and exerted his influence to induce the king to sign a treaty of commerce and alliance with the United States. His task was the less easy as he had to overcome the scruples of the king, the opposition of the queen and of the prime minister, Count de Maurepas. and especially the objections of the sec- retary of the treasury, Necker, who predicted bank- ruptcy and a revolution for its consequence. Ver- gennes, supported by the young nobility and the philosophers, furnished Caron de Beaumarchais with funds, arms and ammunition, and supplies for the colonists, sent to Philadelphia Gerard de Rayneval as ambassador, and wrote the articles of the treaty of alliance that was signed, 6 Feb., 1778. He composed also the famous manifesto to the for- eign powers in which Louis XVI. justified his ac- tion in recognizing the so-called rebels of America, and negotiated also the articles of the treaties of peace that were signed at Paris, 3 Sept., 1783, be- tween Great Britain on the one hand and France and Spain on the other. Besides these treaties, Ver- gennes negotiated those of Soleure with the confed- eration of Switzerland, 28 May, 1777; of Teschen with Emperor Joseph II., 13 May, 1779, which settled the question of succession to Bavaria; of 10 Nov., 1785, with Germany, which saved Holland from an invasion; and the treaty of commerce with England, 25 Sept., 1786. He addressed to Louis XVI. a " Memoire historique et politique sur la Louisiane," which was published after his death (Paris, 1802).

VERHUEN, Jacobus (vair-oo-en), Dutch his- torian, b. in Leyden in 1709; d. there in 1777. He was educated in the university of his native city, entered the Jesuit order when he was twenty-five years old, and was sent to Mexico, where, after learning the Indian dialects, he labored for about twenty-five years in the northern missions. When the Jesuits were expelled from the Spanish do- minions he returned to his native city, where he died. He wrote in Dutch a valuable narrative, which is preserved in manuscript in the library of Leyden. A French translation was published under the title " Notice sur les missions etablies par la Compagnie de Jesus dans la province du Mexique, suivie d'un essai historique et geogra- phique sur la Californie, et de plusieurs documents originaux" (2 vols., Amsterdam, 1782).

VERMILYE, Thomas Edward, clergyman, b. in New York city, 27 Feb., 1803. He studied at Yale and at Princeton theological seminary, but was not graduated. He was licensed to preach by the presbytery of New York in 1826, was pastor of a Presbyterian church in New York city, then of the Congregational church at West Springfield, Mass., in 1829-'34, and of the Reformed Dutch church at Albany, N. Y., in 1834-'9. Since 1839 he has had charge of one of the Collegiate Reformed churches in New York city. — His son, Ashbel Green, clergyman, b. in Princeton, N. J., in 1822, was graduated at the University of New York in 1840 and at New Brunswick theological seminary in 1841. He was ordained by the presbytery of Albany in 1845, and was pastor at Little Fails, N. Y., in 1845-50, at Newburyport, Mass., in 1850-'63, at Utica. N. Y, in 1863-71, and at Schenectady in 1871-'6. Having been appointed chaplain of the Marine chapel, Antwerp, Belgium, he went to that country in March, 1879. Among other sermons he published " Historical Sermon at Centennial of First Presbyterian Church, Newburyport" (1856). — Thomas Edward's brother, Robert George, educator, b. in New York city, 3 March, 1813 ; d. in Lyme, Conn., 5 July, 1875. was graduated at Columbia in 1831. Hb was a teacher of classics in the College grammar-school for several years, and, with Dr. Charles Anthon, was appointed adjunct professor of Greek and Latin in Columbia college in 1837. In the mean time, having studied theology, he was licensed by the presbytery of New York in April, 1838, preached in the Duane street church, New York, in 1838-'9, was Sastor of a Presbyterian church at German Valley, f. J., in 1843-'6, and of the Congregational church at Clinton, N. Y., in 1846-57. He was a member of the board of trustees of Hamilton college in