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 VJLLAES sai's eulogy of Villani is appended to the edi- tion of his works in 7 vols. (1802), comprised in the collection of Italian classics published . at Milan. VILLARS, Claude Louis Hector de, duke, a French soldier, born in Moulins, May 8, 1653, died in Turin, June 17, 1734. He was the son of the marquis Pierre de Villars, was a page at the court, where his fine bearing made him a favorite of Louis XIV., and became one of the most brilliant courtiers. He served from 1672 in many memorable campaigns, and was sent as ambassador to Vienna in 1686, and again in 1698. As commander on the Ehine in the war of the Spanish succession, he gained in 1702 a victory over the imperialists under Louis of Baden at Friedlingen, and the soldiers pro- claimed him marshal on the battle field, in which rank he was confirmed by the king. In 1703 he was also successful at Hochstadt. In 1704 he operated against the Camisards in the C6vennes, and then checked the progress of Marlborough after his victory at Blenheim. In 1707 he defeated the imperialists near Stras- burg, and in 1708 compelled the retreat of the duke of Savoy from French territory. In 1709 he succeeded Vendome as commander of the army of Flanders. He was disabled by a wound at Malplaquet (Sept. 11), the bloodiest action of the war, in which the allied forces under Marlborough and Prince Eugene over- whelmed the French ; but as they also suf- fered a heavy loss, Villars was rewarded by a peerage, and provided with apartments in the palace at Versailles, where the king him- self watched over his recovery. This was barely effected when Villars rejoined the army ; and in 1712 he achieved a great victory at De- nain over the allies commanded by the earl of Albemarle, which greatly contributed to the peace of Utrecht in 1713. After continuing the war against Prince Eugene with great suc- cess, he took a prominent part in the treaty of Eastadt, March 6, 1714, which finally ended the Spanish war of succession. After the death of Louis XIV. in 1715 he opposed an alliance with England, and was one of the most judi- cious members of the council of regency. Un- der Louis XV. he received in 1733, in the war for the Polish succession, the rank of marshal general of the camps and armies of France, pre- viously conferred only on Turenne, and ended his career with the conquest of the duchies of Milan and Mantua, retiring on account of his disagreement with the king of Sardinia, in whose capital he died soon afterward. The abb6 de la Pause de Margon prepared Memoires de Villars (3 vols., Hague, 1734-'58), of which, according to Voltaire, only the first volume was based on a genuine autobiography. Louis Pierre Anquetil's Memoires (4 vols., Paris, 1784) was published at the instance of the govern- ment, and comprises official military correspon- dence and the marshal's diaries. The memoirs in Petitot's collection (1828) and in Michaud's (1839) are based on the two preceding works. VILLELE 355 VILLEGAS, Esteban Manuel de, a Spanish poet, born in Najera, Old Castile, in 1596, died there, Sept. 3, 1669. He was educated at Madrid and at Salamanca, where he studied law. When 21 years old he published a volume of poems, Las eroticas (4to, Najera, 1617), many of which he boasted of having written when only 14 years of age. The most remarkable of these are imitations of Anacreon, which are imbued with all the sweetness of their originals. He devoted the remainder of his life to the prac- tice of law, and died unfortunate and poor. He wrote several dissertations on classic au- thors, and additions to the Theodosian code, and in 1665 translated Boethius into excellent Spanish. His collected works were published in 1774 (2 vols. 8vo, Madrid). VILLEIN. See SEEF. VILLELE, Jean Baptiste Serapliin Joseph de, count, a French statesman, born in Toulouse, Aug. 14, 1773, died there, March 13, 1854. He entered the navy, married in the island of Bourbon (Eeunion), became a member of the colonial assembly, and in 1803 returned to France with a fortune. From 1815 he was for several years mayor of Toulouse and member for that city of the chamber of deputies, where he was a recognized leader of the ultra-royal- ists. In December, 1820, he was appointed minister without portfolio, and in December, 1821, minister of finance. On Sept. 7, 1822, he was made president of the council with the -portfolio of foreign affairs, having previously received the title of count. Among the first important incidents of his administration was the military expedition to Spain in 1823 for the restoration of Ferdinand VII., which he had in vain resisted. After the accession of Charles X. (1824) he retained his influence at court, which became fatal to the monarchy, as his ultramontane and ultra-royalist policy paved the way for its final overthrow. In 1825 he succeeded, against much opposition, in securing an indemnity, of 1,000,000,000 francs to the emigrants whose property had been con- fiscated during the revolution, and in reducing the interest on the public debt. He placed the public credit on a firmer basis, and from the Haytians he secured in 1825 an indemnity of 150,000,000 francs (later reduced to 90,000,- 000) as a condition for the recognition of their independence. But his creation of a new ec- clesiastical ministry, the admission of bishops to the council of state, his partiality for the Jesuits, and his abortive attempts to restore the rights of primogeniture and to muzzle the press, subjected him to popular insults on the occasion of the king's review of the national guards, April 29, 1827. That corps as well as the chamber being thereupon dissolved, and the restriction of the press and other obnox- ious measures being sanctioned by the new chamber, Villele succumbed to the public ex- asperation in January, 1828, and was succeeded by Martignac. After the revolution of July, 1830, he retired to private life.