Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/570

 VON GAGERN

508

VOTIVE

Stuart, or Martyred Majesty). Vondel's art reached its highest development during the years 1647-54. Before 1648 he had completed "Leeuwendalers", which has been designated as "the most perfect drama which our poet has left us". It is a glorifica- tion of the Peace of Miinster. A number of magnif- icent poems and remarkable works in prose followed. In 1654 appeared Vondel's masterpiece, "Lucifer". In this he reaches his greatest height not only as a dramatic but as a lyric poet (Leendertz). The piece was interdicted by the Protestant preachers, and consequently ran through four editions in the same year (1654). For the stages which were forbidden to produce "Lucifer", Vondel at once wrote his "Sal- monens".

About this time his son, Joost, died, and Vondel had to journey to Denmark to collect what was due there to his son. But this not being sufficient to pay the latter's debts, he had, as his son's security, to give up his whole fortune. He then accepted the position as porter in the Bank van Leening (a pawnshop) with a salary of 650 gulden yearly. Vondel thus lost much of his independence and his time. Shortly afterwards he dedicated his "Jephtha" to Anna van Hoorn, wife of the burgomaster who had secured for him his new position. He then published among other works "Samson", after 1660, "De Heerlijkheit der Kerche" (The Glory of the Church) in 1663, and "Faeton" in 1664, "Adam in ballingschap " (Adam in Exile) in 1667, "Noack of Ondergang der eerste Waerelt" (Noah, or the Destruction of the First World), his last original drama. In 1675 the aged poet lost his daughter Anna, and four years later he himself passed away at the age of ninety-one. He is the greatest poet the Netherlands have produced, one who is distinguished in every form and who occu- pies a place among the best poets of all time.

Van Lennep, De Werken van Vondel (Amaterdam, 1855); Unqer, De Werken van Vondel (Leyden, s. d.); Baumqartner, Joost van den Vondel, sein Leben und seine Werke (Freiburg, 1882): Kalf, Vondeh Leven (Leyden, s. d.); Leendertz, Hel Leven van Vondel (Amsterdam, 1910).

P. Albers.

Von Gagern, Max, Freiherr, b. at Weilburg (in Nassau), Germany, 25 March, 1810; d. at Vienna, 17 October, 1889. He was the son of Hans Christoph von Gagern, minister of state in Nassau; he attended the gymnasiums at Kreuznach, Mannheim, and Weil- burg, and studied law from 1826 at Heidelberg, Utrecht, and Gottingen. After a stay at Paris he received in 1829 a position in the cabinet of WiDiam I, King of the Netherlands. At the outbreak of the Belgian revolution (1830) he joined the Dutch army as a volunteer and took part in the war against Bel- gium. In 1833 he retired from the service of Hol- land, married Franzina Lambert, of The Hague, and took up historical studies in order to fit himself for the position of Privaldozent at Bonn University. He was at Bonn during the years 1837-40. In 1837, although still a Protestant, he sided with the impris- oned Archbishop of Cologne (see Droste-Vischer- ing), and thus lost the favour of the Prussian Govern- ment. In 1840 he was appointed ministerial assessor with the title of Legaiinnsrat by the Duke of Nassau. On 28 August, 1843, he joined the Catholic Church. Although naturally very religious he had grown indif- ferent to religion during his student life and his resi- dence in Holland. The more he realized the serious- ness of hfe the stronger grew his religious needs. Ac- (Hiaintance with Catholics and with the historian George Frederick Bohmer, who was friendly to Cathol- icism, awakened in him respect and veneration for the Church. The chief sources of his C^atholic knowl- edge were, as he himself says, the "Imitation of < 'lirist " by Thomas a Kempis, the study of Miihler's "Symbolik", and the New Testament. His conver- sion did not alTect the favour of the Duke of Nassau

who appointed him in 1844 e.\traordinary envoy to the Courts of the Netherlands and Belgium.

Von Gagern's labours during the revolutionary year of 1848 extended far beyond his native state. He was the centre of the efforts that aimed to mediate between the Government and the people and to reorganize the German Confederation as a nation. According to the schemes Prussia was to have the supreme direc- tion of German affairs. With this end in view Gagern negotiated with the Governments of Southern Ger- many and with Prussia. He then took part in the debates of the prehminary parliament at Frankfort, and at the same time was one of the seventeen con- fidential agents of the Governments who were to aid the parliament of the Confederation in revising the constitution. He was chosen president of this com- mittee of seventeen, but was not as prominent at the Parliament of Frankfort as his brother Heinrich whom he supported. He joined the Catholic Club. On 5 August, 1848, he was made under-secret ary for foreign affairs in the imperial ministry which Archduke John, as administrator of the empire, had temporarily formed. In the question as to the constitution of Germany he worked with his brother for "Little Germany" (exclusion of Austria from Germany, union of Germany under a Prussian empire). When the King of Prussia declined the imperial crown offered to him and the Parliament of Frankfort approached dissolution. Von Gagern and his party withdrew from the assembly.

In 1850 Von Gagern was again in the service of the State of Nassau, being employed as an upper minis- terial clerk. He had, however, lost the confidence of the duke by his "Little Germany" policy, and influ- ential circles looked upon the Catholic Church unfa- vourably. In 1854, after having been conspicuously slighted, he retired from the state service. His efforts to obtain a historical professorship at Bonn failed owing to the dislike of Protestants for converts to Cathohcism. During the years 1855-73 he was in the ser\'ice of Austria, first as head clerk in a minis- terial department, then as departmental head in the mercantile political division of the ministry of foreign affairs. From 1860 he had also charge of the depart- ment of the press for foreign affairs, a position which gave him a deep insight into Austrian policy without, however, leading to an independent position. In 1S81, eight years after his retirement on a pension, Emperor Francis Joseph made him a Ufe member of the upper house of the imperial Austrian Parliament. His rich intellectual gifts, his honourable character, unselfish nature, and kindliness were recognized even by his pohtical opponents. He was in addition genu- inely religious, and loyally supported Catholic inter- ests whenever possible.

Von Pastor, Leben des FTeiherm Max von Gagem (Kempt^n and Munich. 1912). This work is drawn mainly from unprinted materials, placed at the biographer's disposal by the family, and oral communications, and is a valuable contribution to the politi- cal and religious history of the nineteenth century.

Klemens Loffler. Voragine, Jacopo de. See Jacopo de Voraginis, Blessed.

Vorarlberg. See Brixen, Diocese of.

Votive Mass (missn roliva), a Mass otTered for a vnluni, a special intention. So we frequently find in prayers the exjiression, rotiva dona (e. g. in the Leo- nine Sacramentary, ed. Feltoe, p. 103), meaning "gifts offered with desire [of receiving grace in return]". The Mass does not correspond to the Divine OfRce for the day on which it is celebrated. Every day in the year has appointed to it a series of canonical hours and (except Good Friday) a Mass corresponding, containing, for instance, the same Collect and the same Gospel. So ^Las8 and Office together nuike up one whole. Normally tlie Mass corresponds to the Office. But there are occasions