Page:Imperialdictiona03eadi Brandeis Vol3b.pdf/494

VAR eminent men of her time, and after embracing Christianity, was married in 1814 to Varnhagen, who was her junior by fourteen years. After her death, her husband published "Rahel, ein Buch des Andenkens für ihre Freunde," 2 vols.; and "Galerie von Bildnissen aus Rahel's Umgang," 2 vols.—K. E.  VAROLI,, a physician, surgeon, and anatomist, was born at Bologna in 1542. On the completion of his education, he established himself as a professor of surgery and medicine. In 1572 Gregory XIII. appointed him his first physician, and professor in the college of Sapienza. He lectured at Rome, and acquired a considerable reputation as an anatomist and as a surgical operator, particularly for his success in lithotomy. He died in 1575 at the age of thirty-two. A portion of the brain, the Pons Varolii, still perpetuates his name. His observations on the brain and nerves are contained in his "De Nervis Opticis nonnullisque aliis præter communem opinionem in humano capite observatis Epistola ad Hieronymum Mercurialem," Patav., 1570; and in his posthumous "De Resolutione Corporis Humani libri quatuor," Frankfort, 1591.—F. C. W.  VAROTARI,, a distinguished Venetian painter, commonly known as, was the son of Dario Varotari who died in 1596, was born at Padua in 1590, and settled in Venice in 1614; he died in 1650. He excelled chiefly in painting women and children. Zanetti describes his subjects by a line from Ariosto—"Le donne, i cavalier, l'arme, gli amori"—the ladies, cavaliers, arms, and loves. His masterpiece is the "Marriage of Cana," in the academy at Venice.—R. N. W.  VARRERO,, a learned Portuguese geographer. He was sent to Rome by Henrico, cardinal infanto of Portugal, to thank the pope for having conferred on him the red hat. He was author of a "Commentarius de Ophyra regione in sacris litteris commemorata;" and of another work, entitled "Censura de Beroso, de Magasthene, Quinto Fabio Pictore, et M. Porcio Catone supposititiis auctoribus," in which he refutes the statements of several of the ancient geographers. Varrero also wrote an account of part of his journey to Rome, in Portuguese.—R. M., A.  VARRO,, the most learned of ancient Roman writers, was born. He received the best instruction as a young man which the times could afford, both from Greek teachers and from his own countrymen. He served with credit under Pompey against the Cilician pirates, and in the Mithridatic war. At the outbreak of the civil war he acted as legatus for Pompey in Spain; but after a brief resistance to the victorious arms of Cæsar, he hastened to join Pompey in Thessaly, and was present at the battle of Pharsalia. Soon after he surrendered himself to Cæsar, by whom he was graciously received, and treated with high consideration. He died 28. The writings of Varro were extremely voluminous, but by far the greater part have perished. The most important of these was "Libri Antiquitatum," in forty-one books, comprising a vast amount of information relative to ancient Italy, now unhappily lost. Some knowledge, however, of the scope and contents of the second part of the work may be obtained from Augustine, who has made large use of it in his treatise De Civitate Dei. Besides some fragments of satires and a collection of moral reflections and maxims extracted from his works, there still remain three books of Varro's "De Re Rusticâ" (on husbandry), and six books "De Linguâ Latinâ." The latter is incomplete, as the entire treatise extended to twenty-four books, but contains much curious antiquarian learning on the civil and religious usages of the Romans. There is no good collective edition of the writings of Varro.—G.  VARRO,, was born near Narbonne in Gaul 82. He was distinguished as a writer, his most celebrated work being an epic poem on the Argonautic expedition. In this he borrowed largely from Apollonius Rhodius, and Virgil is said to have borrowed in his turn from Varro. His poems are highly praised by Ovid, Propertius, and Statius, but Quintilian speaks of them rather coldly.—G.  VASARI,, a clever but mannered painter, and imitator of Michelangelo, now known chiefly for his "Lives of the Italian Painters, Sculptors, and Architects," which is a real biographical treasure, was born at Arezzo in 1512, and died at Florence on the 27th June, 1574. Vasari was an historical and ornamental painter, jeweller, and architect. Among his pictures, perhaps, his portraits are his best works. He was the most successful artist of his time, Clement VII. being his first powerful patron. His "Lives" were first published by himself in 1550; then again with alterations and additions in 1568, "Le Vite de' piu Eccellenti Pittori, Scultori, e Architetti." Many editions have appeared since, the best of which is that by Le Monnier, under the direction of a society of amateurs, published in Florence in 1846-57, in 13 vols. 12mo, the promised index to which has not yet appeared. There is also a good German translation by Schorn and Förster, Stuttgart, 6 vols. 8vo, 1832-49. In 1850 an English translation appeared by Mrs. J. Foster. Vasari is commonly accused by other Italians of having been inordinately partial to the Tuscans or Florentines; but this was owing more to better information on the Florentines, than any intentional partiality for his own countrymen.—R. N. W.  VASCO. See. <section end="494H" /> <section begin="494I" />VASCONCELLOS,, a Portuguese Jesuit and author, was born at Lisbon in 1555, and, after a life passed chiefly in academical labours, died at Evora in 1622. His writings are—"Anacephalæosis, id est, summa capita actorum Regum Lusitaniæ, et regni Lusitani descriptio: Accessorunt Epigrammata in singulos reges, ab Emmanuele Pimenta, et illorum effigies æri incisæ: Item Philippi Secundi Lusitaniæ Expeditio," Anvers, 1621; "Tractatus de Angelo Custode;" "Relatio persecutionis Japonicæ annorum 1588 et 1589."—R. M, A. <section end="494I" /> <section begin="494J" />VASCONCELLOS,, was born at Evora in Portugal towards the close of the sixteenth century. He was educated at Coimbra, and was about to enter the church when he fell heir to the estates of his brother Diego de Vasconcellos. He then renounced all thoughts of the sacred calling, and soon after married. In 1640 he unfortunately allowed himself to be drawn into a conspiracy against Juan IV., formerly duke of Braganza, whom the Portuguese, having just thrown off the Spanish yoke, had proclaimed king. He was beheaded at Lisbon along with his accomplices, the duke of Caminha and the count of Armamar, on the 29th of August, 1641, in the fifty-ninth year of his age. Vasconcellos was a man of great talents and eloquence. He was author of "Manifesto del reyno de Portugal," Lisbon, 1641, in Castilian; "The Life and Actions of King Dom Juan II. of Portugal," Madrid, 1639, in Castilian; "The Life of Dom Duarte de Meneses, third count of Viana, together with the history of Portugal during his times," Lisbon, 1627, in Castilian; "Judgment on the History of Braga, written by the Archbishop of Cunha," in Portuguese. Vasconcellos also translated his own "History of Juan II." into French, Paris, 1641.—R. M., A. <section end="494J" /> <section begin="494K" />VASCONCELLOS,, a Portuguese, who flourished about the middle of the seventeenth century. He wrote a romance entitled "Eufrosina." It is in imitation of the more celebrated romance La Celestina, which was probably produced about the year 1480 (Ticknor's Hist. of Span. Lit., vol. i. p. 240). The work of Vasconcellos was translated into Spanish in 1631 by Ballesteros Saavedra. It has often been ascribed, erroneously of course, to another Portuguese of the name of Lobo. The celebrated Quevedo wrote a preface to the Spanish version of the "Eufrosina," in which he gives it, according to Ticknor, much higher praise than it deserves.—R. M., A. <section end="494K" /> <section begin="494L" />VASCONCELLOS,, a Portuguese soldier, patriot, and poet, who, like the preceding, flourished in the seventeenth century. He fought bravely against Spain when his country was emancipating herself from the Spanish yoke. He had before this, however, made himself well known by his epic poem, entitled "La Liga Desliecha por la Expulsion de los Moriscos de los Reynos de España," Madrid, 1612. This poem, which is in seventeen cantos, is written, though the author was a Portuguese, in pure Castilian. It is nominally on the expulsion of the Moriscos, but it embraces in reality a much wider subject, namely, the history of the whole peninsula from the time of the first entrance of the Moors down to the final exile of the last of their hated descendants, by Philip III. The Liga Desliecha contains some fulsome compliments to that king, which cannot have been very pleasantly remembered by their author after he had thrown off his allegiance to Spain.—R. M., A. <section end="494L" /> <section begin="494Zcontin" />VASCONCELLOS,, a Portuguese statesman of the seventeenth century, was son of the Chancellor Barbosa. Portugal being at that time under the yoke of Spain, Vasconcellos, as secretary of state, was the most powerful man in the kingdom, governing in the name of the vice-queen, Margaret of Savoy, duchess of Milan, but actually receiving his orders from the duke of Olivares, prime minister of Philip IV. of Spain. He was admirably well skilled in the management of affairs, but of <section end="494Zcontin" />