Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 24.djvu/250

Rh 228 V I L V I L together with a list of the consuls and podestas from 1197 to 1267, and another chronicle, formerly attributed, but apparently without good reason, to Brunette Latini, complete the series of ancient Florentine records. To these must,, however, be added a certain quantity of facts which were to be found in various manu scripts, being used and quoted by the old Florentine and Tuscan writers under the general name of Gesta Florentinorum. Another work which used to be reckoned among the sources of Villani is the Chronicle of the Malcspini ; but very grave doubts are now entertained as to its authenticity, and many hold that at best it is merely a remodelling, posterior to Villani s time, of old records unknown to us, from which several chroniclers may have drawn, either without citing them at all or only doing so in a vague manner. The Cronaca Fiorentina of Villani goes back to Biblical times and comes down to 1346. The wide universality of the narrative, especially in the times near Villani s own, while it bears witness to the author s extensive travels and to the compre hensiveness of his mind, makes one also feel that the book was inspired within the walls of the universal city. Whereas Dino Compagni s Chronicle is confined within definite limits of time and place, this of Villani is a general chronicle extending over the whole of Europe. Dino Compagni feels and lives in the facts of his history ; Villani looks at them and relates them calmly and fairly, with a serenity which makes him seem an outsider, even when he is mixed up in them and is himself their originator. While very important for Italian history in the 14th century, this work is the cornerstone of the early mediaeval history of Florence. Of contemporary events Villani has a very exact knowledge. Having been a sharer in the public aifairs, and in the intellectual and economic life, of his native city, at a time when in both it had no rival in Europe, he depicts what he saw with the vividness natural to a clear mind accustomed to business and to the observa tion of mankind. He was Guelph, but without passion ; and his book is much more taken up with an inquiry into what is useful and true than with party considerations. He is really a chronicler, not an historian, and has but little method in his narrative, often reporting the things which occurred long ago and far off just as he heard them and without criticism. Every now and then he falls into some inaccuracy ; but such defects as he has are largely com pensated for by his valuable qualities. He was for half a century eyewitness of his history, and provides abundant information on the constitution of Florence, its customs, industries, commerce, and arts ; and among the chroniclers throughout Europe he is perhaps unequalled for the value of the statistical data he has preserved. As a writer Villani is clear and acute ; and, though his prose has not the force and colouring of Compagni, it has the advantage of greater simplicity, so that taking his work as a whole he may be regarded as the greatest chronicler who has written in Italian. The many difficulties connected with the publication of this most important text have hitherto prevented the preparation of a perfect edition. The Italian Historical Institute, lately founded, has, however, undertaken to reprint on a wider scheme the great collec tion of Muratori. Villani s Chronicle was continued by two other writers of the same name. (1) MATTEO VILLANI, his brother, of whom nothing is known save that he was twice married, and that he died of the plague in 1363, continued it down to the year of his death. Matteo s work, though inferior to Giovanni s, is nevertheless very valuable. A more prolix writer than his brother and a less acute observer, Matteo is well informed in his facts, and for the years of which he writes is one of the most important sources of Italian history. (2) FILIITO VILLANI, the son of Matteo, flourished in the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century. In his continuation, though showing greater literary ability, he is very inferior as an historian to his predecessors. His most valuable work was a collection of lives of illustrious Florentines. Twice, in 1401 and 1404, he was chosen to explain in public the Dimna Gommedia in the Florentine &quot;studio.&quot; The year of his death is unknown. On Giovanni Villani, as well as on Matteo and Filippo, the following books may be consulted : Argelati, liibl. Medial. (1745) ; U. Balzani, Early Chroniclers uf Italy (1883) ; Bellarmin-Labbe, Script, ecd. (1728) ; Brunet, Manuel (1804) ; Classici Ital. (1802); Fabricius, Jiibl. Med. A!v. (1735); Gamba, Testi Hal. (1828); Gervinus, Hist. Schrift. (1833); Giovanni e Mira (Ant. di), in Giorn. di Scienze, xxxi ; Graesse, Tresor (1867) i; Hartwig (Otto), &quot;Giovanni Villani und die Leg- genda di Messer Gianni di Procida,&quot; in Sybel, Hislrtr. Zcitschr. (1871); Id., Quellen und Forschungen znr altesten Oeschichte cler Stadt Florenz (1870) ; V. Le Clere, in Hist. Litt. France (1862); Lorenz, Deutsch. GescJiichtsquellen (1870); .Massai (Pietro), in Uom. III. Toxcani (1771); Melzi, Anon. Ital. (1852); Michaucl, Kibl. ties Croisa/les (1829) ; Milanesi (Gaet.), &quot;Document! riguardanti G. Villani e il Palazzo degli Alessi in Siena,&quot; in Arch. Star. Ital. (1850); Moreni, Bibl. rosoma (1805) ; Muratori, Her. Ital. Script. ; Negri, Scritt. Fiorent. (1722); Kev. &amp;lt;le Paris (1832) ; and Tiraboschi, Star. Lett. Ital. (1807). (U. B.) VILLARS, CLAUDE Louis HECTOR, DUKE OF (1653- 1734), French general, was born at Moulins on 8th May 1653. After spending some time at the college of Juilly, he became a page of the grand ecurie, and then entered the army as a volunteer. He first saw service in Holland under Louis XIV. and later under Conde, Turenne, and Luxembourg in Germany, where in 1674 he obtained the command of a troop of horse. Hostilities being brought to a close by the peace of Nimeguen in 1678, he was sent as ambassador to the courts of Vienna and Munich, in which capacity he greatly distinguished himself. In 1702 he received the command of an army in order to succour the elector of Bavaria, who had espoused the cause of France in the War of Succession. On 14th October he routed at Friedlingen Louis of Baden, the Austrian com mander. In the beginning of the following year he captured Kehl and effected a junction with the army of the elector. He then conceived the daring project of marching on Vienna. The united forces defeated the Austrians .under Count Sty rum at Hochstadt, but his skilfully -conceived project, which had every prospect of success owing to the scattered state of the Austrian forces, had to be abandoned on account of the pusillanimous con duct of the elector. Villars was next sent to subdue the Camisards, the Protestants of the Cevennes, a task which he completed by a judicious combination of military skill and clemency. In 1705 the north-eastern frontier, which was threatened by Marlborough, was defended by Villars with such skill and ability that Marlborough was com pletely baffled in his attempts to penetrate into France, and even compelled to retreat. Villars took advantage of this opportunity to march into Alsace, where he captured several towns along with great quantities of war materials belonging to Marlborough and Prince Eugene. These advantages were, however, counterbalanced by Villeroy s defeat at Ramillies. After two short campaigns in 1707-8 Villars was sent (in 1709) to Flanders to oppose Marl- borough and Prince Eugene. He was, however, defeated at Malplaquet and severely wounded. The weak state of his health, the consequence of his wound, prevented him during the next two years from engaging in active service. In 1712 Villars, at the head of an army raised with great difficulty by the French, defeated the Austrians under Albemarle in a brilliant action at Denain, compelled Prince Eugene to raise the siege of Landrecies, and took several fortresses and towns. This brilliant campaign raised again the almost desperate fortunes of France and led to the treaty of Utrecht (1713) and the peace of Rastadt (1714). For many years after this Villars exerted great influence at court, until he was finally supplanted by Fleury. In 1733 the Avar with Austria again broke out, and in the following year Villars, although over eighty years of age, was sent to take command in Italy. But after some suc cesses he demanded his recall, either in consequence of his increasing infirmities or of disgust at the conduct of his ally, the king of Sardinia ; he died on his way back to France, at Turin, on 17th June 1734. VILLEFRANCHE DE ROUERGUE, a town of France, chef-lieu of an arrondissement in the department of Aveyron, is situated 390 miles south of Paris by the railway to Toulouse, on the right bank of the Aveyron. One of the three bridges that cross the river belongs to the 13th century, and the narrow, winding streets are full of gabled houses of the 13th and 14th centuries. The church of Notre Dame (1260-1581) has a nave and two fine rose windows of the 14th and 15th centuries. The steeple is represented by an unfinished square tower (190 feet). In the interior the stone pulpit, the rich woodwork of the choir, and tapestry of the 16th century are worthy of notice. Some parts of the Carthusian monastery, now used as a hospital, belong to the 15th and 16th centuries. The little cloister is a masterpiece of the best period of Gothic ; the fine pulpit of the refectory and the Gothic architecture of some of the rooms have been preserved. Rich quarries of phosphates are worked near Villefranche.