Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/170

* VIENNE. 130 VIETJXTEMPS. restored in 1822, supply the town with water. The remarkable Corinthian temple of Augustus and Livia, rebuilt in the second century, re- sembles the Maison-Carree at Nimes. It is 88 feet long and adorned with columns. The town has also some immense arches, now thought to be- long to a Roman ediiice. The Plan d'Aiguille. a pyramidal structure resting on arches, was for- merly pointed out as Pilate's tomb, but is now recognized as a probable goal of an ancient circus. The Gothic Cathedral of Saint Maurice (twelfth to sixteenth century), with its two tow- ers, facade, and balustrade, produces an attrac- tive effect. The ruins of the Chateau de la Batie are picturesque. There are a librar.y and a museum (rich in Roman remains), a Mus6e Lapidaire, and a handsome modern Hotel de Ville. The value of the annual production of textiles is about .$4,000,000. Gloves, cutlery, glass, paper, woolen caps, and leather are manu- factured and there are foundries and brass works. Tlie trade, by rail and river, is im- portant, especially in wine, and there are iron and silver mines near. Population, in 1901, 24,619. Vienne. the capital of the AUobroges, became a Roman colony, and was the earliest centre of Christianity in Gaul. It was the capital of the first and second Burgundian kingdoms. In 1349, with the rest of Dauphine, it passed to France. The ecumenical council which abolished the order of the ICnights Templars was held here in 1.311-12. VIENNE, Haute. A department of France. See Haute-Vienne. VIEQUES, ve-a'kas, Isla de, or Crab Island. A small island belonging to Porto Rico, geo- graphically one of the Virgin Islands. It lies seven miles from the eastern extremity of Porto Rico, and is 19 miles long, with a breadth of three miles (Slap: Porto Rico, D 2). The surface is low, but hilly. On the south coast there are sev- eral spacious and landlocked harbors accessible for large ships. The soil is fertile, and sugar is cultivated, while many cattle are also raised. With the neighboring island of Culebra, Vieques forms a district of the Department of Humaco, and had in 1899 a population of 6642. VIERGE, ve-ar'ii", Da.mel (1851-1904). A Spanish illustrator, born in Madrid. His fa- ther's name was Urribjeta, but the son adopted his mother's name. He studied under his father, a «ell-known draughtsman, and at the Madrid Academy under Haes, JIadrazo, Villeyas, Rico, and Pradilhi. He illustrated his first book, Kusebio Hlasco's Madrid La Muil, in 1867, and then wi^nt to Paris, where he first made a name by his drawings of events of the Commune. He worked principally for the Monde llliistnjc and La Vie Mudernc, supplying both tliese and other journals with a great number of .sketches. He also illustrated works of Victor Hugo, Zola, Michelet, Poe, and Quevedo's Pahlo dc Segovia (1882). The latter is a masterpiece of illustra- tion and is remarkable, as all his work is, for the drawing of scenery and architecture. Another noteworthy set of Spanish subjects are those done for Jaccaci's On the Trail of Don Quixote ( 1895). His right side was completely ])aralyzed when he was thirty years old, but lie learned di draw with his left hand, and acquired such mastery with it that there is little difference between hi8 earlier and later styles. He received the Legion of Honor and a gold medal at the Paris Exposi- tion of 1889. The art of illustration owes much to Vierge. His influence was also great on the engravers who interpreted him. Vierge remained a typical Spaniard, and with all his variety of subject he is most at home in Spanish scenes. Most of his illustrations are done with the pen, and, as he realized the limitations of the printed page, they bear reproduction well. VIEESEN, fer'zen. A town in the Rhine Province, Prussia, 18 miles west of Diisseldorf (Map: Prussia, B 3). It has a medieval, late- Gothic church and a charming park. Viersen manufactures silks, cottons, damask, linens, rib- bons, and plush on a large scale, and has ma- chine works and tanneries. Population, in 1900, 24,797. VIEKZON-VILLE, vyer'zoN'vel. A town of the Department of Cher, France, 20 miles by rail northwest of Bourges, on the Cher and the Canal du Berry (Map; France, H 4). The manufacture of porcelain and the furnaces and steel-refineries are of importance. Population, in 1901, 11,796. VIETA. The Latin name of the French matliematieian Vifete (q.v.). VIETE, ve'at' (Vieta), Francois (1540- 1603). A French mathematician, born in Fon- tenay-le-Comte. He was educated for the law, and practiced this profession imtil the opening of his political career. In 1389 he was appointed as maitre des requetes under the Parliament at Paris. Vi&te was attached to the Court of Henry IV. during the war with Spain, and rendered his Government valuable service by deciphering the secret messages dispatched by the Spanish Court to the Governor of the Netherlands. Vi6te was the foremost French algebraist, of the sixteenth century. His chief works are: In Artcm Analy- iieam Isagoge (1591), to which were subsequent- ly added the supplements Lo/iintice Speciosa and Zetieorum, Suppleincntum fteometriw (1593); De Sunierosa I'otestutnm (1000). A collection of Vi&te's works was published hv Van Schooten (Lcyden. 1640). VIEXTSSENS, vye'saN', Raymond (1641- C.1720). A French anatomist, born in Rouergue, and educated at Montpellicr. In 1671 he was appointed physician in the Hopital de Saint Eloi and there devoted himself to the .study of neurology. His Xeurographia Universalis (1685), with an account of his important researches on the anatomy of the brain and of the spinal col- unm. won hiui mi'mbcrsliip in the French Academy of Sciences and in the Royal Society of London. The 'valve of V'ieussens' is a name still applied to the superior medullary velum, which he dis- covered. VIEUXTEMPS, vye'tiiN', ITenri (1820-81). A Belgian violinist and composer, born in Ver- viers. Before iive years of age he began to study the violin under a local teacher named Lccloux. Two years later, aecompained by bis master, he made a tour of the ])riiicipal towns of Belgium, and in Brussels met De 15<''riot, who gave him instruction for several months. In 1833 he made a tour of Germany, and in Vienna became a pupil of Sinmn Sechter. llic Court organist. Lalcr lie was rcccive<l with great enthusiasm at Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Other successful tours