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VAI "Méditations sur les Pseaumes," "Traité de la Sainte Philosophie," &c., were collected and published in one volume, folio, at Paris in 1641. He translated some of the orations of Demosthenes, Æschines, and Cicero, and the Encheiridion of Epictetus, into French. The style of these translations is extremely good; in the opinion of some critics quite equal to that of Malherbe his contemporary, and the great idol of French purists. Du Vair sympathized deeply with the misfortunes of Grotius, and used every means in his power to procure his deliverance. After the latter had effected his escape, the bishop wrote to him expressing his admiration of his talents and virtues, and exhorting him strongly to devote himself to the "holy task" of bringing about a union among christians. Though a sincere Romanist, Du Vair was nothing of a bigot. He had long seen, and with his dying breath urged, the necessity of reforming the church.—R. M., A.  VAISETTE,, a learned benedictine, was born in 1685 in the diocese of Alby. He studied for the law, and, having become an advocate, was appointed procureur du roi. But his intense desire for a studious life led him ere long to enter the church. He made his "profession" in 1711 at the monastery of Darawde, and two years later entered the abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. He died in 1756, worn out with his constant labours. He was author of "L'Histoire de Languedoc;" "Dissertation sur l'origine des Français;" "Geographe historique, ecclesiastique et civile;" and of a number of other valuable works.—R. M., A.  VAL,, a French lawyer who lived in the sixteenth century. In the epistle dedicatory to the chancellor de l'Hôpital, prefixed to his book entitled "De Rebus dubiis et Questionibus in jure controversis Tractatus viginti," he tells us that he began the study of Roman law in 1523; that he practised as an advocate till 1542, when he was made secretary to the king; and that he was afterwards counsellor in the parliament of Paris and Brittany. In this epistle he also mentions his son-in-law, Jacques Capel, who was likewise a counsellor in the parliament of Brittany—the same Capel, by the way, who was noticed as suspected of Lutheranism in the notorious Mercuriale of 1559, and who, though he escaped the danger that threatened him at that time, was afterwards assassinated about the year 1570. (De Thou, i. 22.) The very valuable book whose title we have given above, was first published in 1564, and has been often reprinted.—R. M., A.  VALART,, an eminent French scholar, was born near Hesdin in Artois in 1698. His parents being in very straitened circumstances, young Valart became a charity scholar in the college of Amiens, where he made rapid progress in his studies. Having been ordained priest, he opened a school in Amiens, which was at first entirely prosperous. His careless habits, however, brought him ere long into such pecuniary straits that he was obliged to look about for some other means of subsistence. He accordingly became a tutor in the family of a farmer-general at Guise, and subsequently obtained an appointment in the military school at Paris. He latterly retired on a pension, and passed the remaining years of his life at his native place, where he died in 1781. Valart published new editions of Ovid, Horace, Celsus, Cornelius Nepos, Quintus Curtius, and other Roman authors. He also edited the Imitation of Jesus Christ and the New Testament, and was author of a considerable number of works on grammar; of a treatise on the method of translating from the French into the Latin tongue; of an examination of the Latinity of P. Jouvency, and a number of other critical pieces, many of them of no great value.—R. M., A.  VALASCA, a princess of Bohemia, who was the originator and leader of a conspiracy formed among the more courageous women of that country for the purpose of driving out the men, and founding a new kingdom of Amazons. The conspiracy succeeded, and a female republic was actually established. The young men, however, made an ungallant war upon the fair rulers, and the heroic Valasca, who for some time stoutly resisted the attack, was at length surprised by a stratagem of the besiegers, and pulled from the height of her transient glory. So at least runs the story as told by the gossiping pen of old Æneas Sylvius.—R. M., A.  VALASCO. See.  VALBONNAYS, , Marquis de, Seigneur de Peyre, was born at Grenoble on the 23rd of January, 1651. He studied for the law, and took his degrees at Paris, but his favourite pursuit was the mathematics. In 1690 he was appointed first president of the chambre des comptes of Dauphiny. Some years afterwards he lost his eyesight, and, finding that he could not live without some intellectual employment, he turned his attention to the history and antiquities of Dauphiny. His researches are embodied in his very interesting and valuable "Mémoires pour servir á l'Histoire du Dauphiné." He was author also of a "Memoire pour etablir la Jurisdiction du Parlement et de la Chambre des Comptes du Dauphiné sur la Principauté d'Orange," and of several antiquarian dissertations. He died on the 12th of March, 1730.—R. M., A.  VALCKENAER,, was the only son of Ludwig Kaspar Valckenaer, and born at Leyden in 1759. He studied jurisprudence at the university of that place, and was subsequently appointed professor of the same science in the university of Franeker. In 1787 he obtained a similar chair in the university of Utrecht. Shortly afterwards, however, he was compelled to leave Holland, as the political party to which he belonged—that of the Dutch patriots—had been temporarily overthrown. But in 1793 they sought the aid of France, Valckenaer himself preferring the request at the bar of the national assembly. When the French army entered Holland he returned to his native country, and became professor of public law in the university of Leyden. During subsequent years he held various high diplomatic appointments, both under the Batavian republic and Louis Napoleon. After the abdication of the latter he retired from public life. His death took place at Haarlem on the 25th of January, 1821. Valckenaer is generally acknowledged to have shown much talent in the field of politics and statesmanship.—J. J. <section end="479H" /> <section begin="479I" />VALCKENAER,, an eminent scholar, was born in 1715 at Leeuwarden in Friesland, and studied at Franeker, devoting himself principally to philology. In 1741 his attainments procured him the professorship of Greek at the university where he had prosecuted his studies; and in 1755 this post was exchanged for a similar one at the university of Leyden. The latter chair he retained till his death, which occurred in 1785. Valckenaer's knowledge of the Greek language was profound and extensive, and justly gave him a high place among the most distinguished scholars of his age. His editions of the Greek classics, particularly that of Theocritus, as well as his separate dissertations, are much and deservedly valued by the learned.—J. J. <section end="479I" /> <section begin="479J" />VALDES,, an influential Spanish statesman, was born of a noble family in 1735. Having entered the navy, he was appointed to the command of a ship, and gained such distinction that he very soon attained the rank of naval brigadier, and commander of a squadron. In 1781 Charles III. put him at the head of the naval department, and he speedily justified the appointment by his administrative ability and extraordinary industry. Through his exertions the Spanish navy was more than doubled in the space of six years Three new docks were also formed at Cadiz, and several important improvements made in the dock-yards. Four expeditions were fitted out by him—two to survey the coast of Magellan, a third to inspect the Russian settlements on the west coast of South America, and a fourth to promote the progress of science and navigation. Oran and Ceuta were successfully defended against the Turks; Toulon was occupied by the united fleets of England and Spain; and several islands in the Mediterranean belonging to France were seized. The king placed such confidence in the talents and zeal of Valdes that, in addition to his own proper departments, he intrusted to his care all that related to the commerce, the finances, war, and navigation of the Spanish possessions both in the Old and New World, and nominated him lieutenant-general of his naval forces. Valdes retained his office under Charles IV., was appointed a gentleman of the bedchamber in 1791, was raised to the rank of admiral in 1792, and was decorated with the order of the golden fleece. But having incurred the displeasure of the royal favourite, Godoy, he was compelled to resign in 1795. He was permitted, however, to retain his honours and his pensions as councillor of state and admiral. He remained in strict retirement until 1808; but when the Spanish nation rose in insurrection against the French, Valdes was elected a member of the central junta of Seville; and in 1810, having retired for safety to the Isle de Leon, he took part in the nomination of the Spanish regency. He died soon after, at an advanced age.—J. T. <section end="479J" /> <section begin="479Zcontin" />VALDES,, a Spanish inquisitor-general in the reign of Philip II. Promoted to the archbishopric of Seville, he was subsequently nominated inquisitor-general on account of his fierce and intolerant spirit. He succeeded Loaisa, and his appointment was approved of by the pope in January, 1547. About this time the reformed doctrines had begun to spread <section end="479Zcontin" />