Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/934

* VALENCY. 798 VALENTINE. atom. Are the affinities of these single atoms 'flee?' Or shall we accept the verdict of organic chemistry, according to which the molecule of a substance capable of independent existence can contain no 'free' affinities ? But then how can a single atom form a molecule? While we thus search in vain for an explanation as to what be- comes of affinities in certain compounds, we find that other compounds seem to involve the use of more valencies than those possessed by the con- stituent atoms. Examples of such compounds are presented by erystallo-hydrates, like NaCl. 2H2O, made up of several molecules within each of which all the available valencies should be expected to be sati.sfied. Other examples of this kind are presented by many of the minerals found in nature. Do atoms, then, possess ad- ditional valencies which sometimes do and some- times do not come into play? All of these questions remain, as yet. un- answered. And hence while the conception of A-alency serves as an excellent working principle for the correlation of the compounds of carbon, many important facts remain for the present be- yond its reach. See Chemistkt; Carbon Com- pounds: Stereo-Chemi.stry. VA'LENS (c.328-378 A.D.). Roman Emperor of the East ( a.d. 364-378). He was the brother of Valentinian I. (q.v. ), was born near Cibalis, in Pannonia, about a.d. 328, and was associated with his brother in the Imperial autliority, re- ceiving as his share of the Roman world Asia, Egj-pt, and Thrace, in 364. His sovereignty was, however, disputed by Procopius, a supposed scion of the race of Constantine, who raised his stand- ard in Thrace, was crowned at Constantinople, and for two years maintained his ground with skill and courage, till the defeat of his troops at Thyatira and Nacosia. followed by his capture and death in 366. The first prominent act of Valens's reign was a reduction of 25 per cent. in the taxes. The prolonged imprisonment of 3000 Ostrogoths, who had been sent to aid Proco- pius. led to a war which lasted from 367 to 369. The contest was carried on in the country of the Goths and was throughout in favor of the Romans. Difficulties arose immediately after- wards (370) with the Persians, who sought to occupy Armenia, although war was not declared till the end of 372, when the Romans were vic- torious. Valens. who had removed to Antioch at the beginning of the war, now occupied himself with the religious quarrels between the Arians and the orthodox party, which at that time raged with much violence over the whole Eastern Em- pire. Affairs on the eastern frontier again as- sumed a threatening aspect; but the Romans were disinclined any longer to interfere with the designs of the Persians on Armenia, and con- cluded a somewhat discreditable treaty in 376. In the meantime the Goths, who had for some time been peacefully settled in Dacia, were as- sailed bv the advancing hordes of the Huns. The Ostrogoths, who first felt the shock, were partly incorporated, and the remainder forced to re- treat ; the Visigoths next attempted to stem the torrent, but without success, and crowds of fugi- tives crowded to the north bank of the Danube. Valens accorded permission to a large body of Goths under Fritigern to cross into Mcesia and Thrace, and take possession of the waste lands in these provinces; the fujjitive Ostrogoths soon af- terwards crossed the river without permission; and the alarm which the numbers and turbulence of his new subjects speedily aroused led Valens to the adoption of such impolitic measures that the gratitude of the Goths for shelter afforded was turned to bitter resentment. Valens at last resolved on war, and engaged the Goths near Adrianople. August 9, 378. His army was totally routed, and two-thirds of it, including Valens himself and most of his chief officers, left dead on the field. VALENTIA, va-len'shi-a. or VALENCIA. A small island off' the southwestern coast of Ire- land noted as the eastern terminus of the sub- marine cables between Great Britain and Ameri- ca (Map: Ireland, A 5). VALENTIA. One of the five provinces into which Britain was divided under Diocletian, covering the portion of Scotland south of the wall of Antoninus. VAL'ENTINE. A little-known saint and martyr of the third century, whose daj' is kept on Februaiy 14th. He is said to have cured the blind daughter of a certain Asterius who had been charged by the Emperor Claudius to win him back to paganism, but who was thus con- verted to Christianity. Valentine was accord- ingly imprisoned, tortured, and finally beheaded. It is impossible to trace any connection between his story and the celebration afterwards con- nected with his day. It has been suggested that this may be a survival, with a Christian sanction, of the ancient Roman festival of the Lupercalia, celebrated in the month of February, at which it was customary to put the names of young women into a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed. A custom exactly simi- lar to this was common in England and France for centuries, and for a time very popular among the upper classes, and at many European courts. From Pepys's Dianj we learn that in the reign of Charles II. married as well as unmarried per- sons could be chosen. At one time it was custom- ary for both sexes to make presents to each other, but afterwards the obligation was re- stricted to young men, who were supposed to re- main faithful for the entire year to the service of their 'Valentines.' VALENTINE. (I) A character in Shake- speare's Tiro (ienllemcn of Ycrona, one of the two whose humorous adventures give the play its title. (2) The extravagant and ingenious hero of Congreve's Lone for Love, a role which the actor Betterton has made famous. (3) The ex- travagant hero of Beaumont and Fletcher's Wit mthoiif Honey. (4) The brother of Gretchen in Goethe's Fatist. He is killed by the title character while trying to avenge the family honor. VALENTINE. A sentimental romance by George Sand (1832), deriving its name from that of the leading female character, a'misunder- stood wife. The story represents some phases of the author's own experience. VALENTINE, Bash.. A pseudonym under which .Tohann Thiilde published in 1644 a work entitled Balographia. Basil Valentine was an alchemist who lived in Germany in the fifteenth century. See Valentinus, Basiuus.