Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 10.djvu/229

LEFT VERDUN 191 VERGIL dilute sulphuric acid, and is very poison- ous. In pharmacy, verdigris is occa- sionally used externally, in powder or mixed with honey and vinegar, as an escharotic. VERDUN, a fortified French town in the department of Meuse; 35 miles W. of Metz. It has 11 forts, a cathedral, and manufactures of iron, liquors, sweetmeats, leather, and beer. In 843 a famous treaty was made here between the Emperor Lothaire and his brother Ludwig the German, by which the Frankish empire was divided in three. The fortress has been often besieged; as it was in 1870 by the Germans for six weeks, when it capitulated. It was the last place held by Germany, given up only in September, 1873. Verdun played a great part in the World War, It was greatly strengthened, and in 1916 with- stood the assault of great German armies for months, and by its successful defense saved France and the war for the Allies. Pop. about 15,000. See World War. VERESHTCHAGIN, WASILIY, a Russian historical painter; born in Tcherepovets, Russia, Oct. 26, 1842; was educated at the naval school at St. Petersburg. In 1864 he entered the Art School at Paris, where Gerome was his master. He joined the Caucasian expe- dition under General Kaufmann in 1867, and in 1869 went to Siberia. In 1874 he went to India with the Prince of Wales, and afterward settled in Paris. He took part in the Russo-Turkish War, and was wounded at Plevna. His pictures are of immense size, extremely realistic, and treat chiefly of the horrors of war. In 1904 he went to Manchuria to study scenes and events in actual warfare, and was lost April 13 on the man-of-war Petropavlovsk blown up by a submarine mine, just out of Port Arthur harbor. He thus brought a brilliant career to a sudden close. VERGENNES, CHARLES GRAVIER, French statesman ; born in Dijon, France, Dec, 28, 1717. After a diplomatic ca- reer in Germany, Turkey and Sweden, he became Louis XVI. 's minister of for- eign affairs, and, by promoting the inde- pendence of the United States, concluded the alliance of 1778. He died in Ver- sailles, Feb. 13, 1787. VERGIL, POLYDORE, an Italian author; born in Urbino, Italy, about 1470. He had his education at Bologna, and seems to have commenced life under the patronage of Guido Ubaldo, Duke of Urbino, to whom was dedicated his first work, "Proverbiorum Libellus" (1498), an earlier book than the "Adagia" of his friend Erasmus, His second, "De In- ventoribus Rerum" (1499), which was also the earliest book of its kind, be- came extremely popular, and was trans- lated into English, Spanish and Italian. His "Historiae Anglicae Libri XXVI." ap- peai-ed at Basel at 1534; the 27th book, bringing the story down to 1538, was added in the third edition (1555). About 1550 he obtained a license from Edward VI. to return to Italy for his health's sake, without losing his livings, and next he traveled to Urbino, where he lived in quiet till his death in 1555. His his- tory is a work of great research, vigor- orous and independent, written in clear and elegant Latin. It is the fullest orig- inal narrative for the reign of Henry VII., and here Hall has simply trans- lated his Latin into English. As re- gards Wolsey, the value of his evidence is discounted by his strong prejudice. He spared no pains to insure accuracy, and a strongly rational bias of mind hindered him from accepting the Scottish fables supplied him by Gavin Douglas, or the exploits of Brut and Arthur war- ranted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. VERGIL (PuBLius Vergilius Maro), the first of Latin poets; born in Andes near Mantua, Oct. 15, 70 b. c. The plain of Lombardy then lay outside the limits of Italy, and formed a province known as Cisalpine Gaul. The population was mainly Celtic, but was already per- meated by the Latin language and civ- ilization; and Julius Caesar, when he ad= mitted it to full Roman citizenship in Vergil's 21st year, was adjusting rather than extending the natural limits of Italy. The name Vergilius is apparently Celtic, and in Vergil's Celtic blood mod- ern cities have found the origin of his romantic and melancholy temper, and of the deep sense of natural beauty and the spirtual meaning of nature, in which he stands alone among Greek and Latin poets. Vergil's father owned a small property in his native place, where, besides the ordinary work of a farm, he occupied himself in forestry and bee-keeping. He was well enough off to give his son the education which was generally confined to a wealthier class. The boy was sent to school at Cremona and Milan, and at the age of 16 went to Rome and studied rhetoric and philosophy under the best teachers of the time. His studies were probably interrupted by the civil war; at all events, we know nothing of the next years of his life till 41 B. c. The victo- rious triumvirs were then providing for the immense armies which had been dis- banded after the battle of Philippi by