Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/99

* VERGIL. 73 VERLAINE. recently been shown by Skutseh to be of no great weiglit, at least in the case of the Culcx and the Ciris. The latter lias been gciK'rally regarded as the work of an uiiUnown poet behmging to the eireU' of M. Valerius Messala, the patron of Tibullus, but Skntsch claims the poem for Cor- nelius Gallus, and regards the lines which the Clrin has in common with Vergil's works as origi- nal with the former. There is little to show that the Culcx may not have been a youtliful work of Vergil's. Chronologically it belongs to that period, and with reference to the triviality of the theme and tlic inferiority of the poem to Vergil's later productions, which are olVcrcd as argn- mi'nts against its genuineness, one may recall the words of Luean, when conipiiring his early efforts with those of Vergil, which are (juoted by Suetonius : et qunnUnn fnihi restxt All Ciilivem '.' There is still less ground for skepticism in the case of the Morctiint, and the only reason for re- jecting the Copa is its entire milikeness to Ver- gil's manner, which, as Mackail says, might tempt one into the paradox of its authenticity. The question is a very difficult one and cannot be I'e- garded as settled; nor is it likely, without more evidence than is at present available, that una- nimity of opinion will ever be reached. The ma- jority of scholars regard the whole collection as spurious, with the possible exception of some of file Cataleplon, though most express this opin- ion more decidedly in the case of some of the poems than of others. The brilliant work of Skutscli, though not veiy convincing in its main thesis, rather increases the probability that the poems are the work of Vergil by disposing of the metrical argviments and some of the chronologi- cal difficulties. If the objection of nnlikeness to the Vergilian manner is a valid one, it applies with more or less force to the entire collection. The whole question is comparatively unimportant, so far as Vergil's position in literature is con- cerned, but it is of great interest as regards the development of his genius. Vergil's popularity during the time of the Roman Empire and throughout the Jliddle Ages led to the preserva- tion of his works in an unusual number of old and good manuscripts. Of these not less than four, together with three sets of fragments, are written in capitals or uncials and may be as- signed to the fourth or fifth century. These are among the oldest manuscripts of Latin writers which have come dom to us. The cditio priuceps was published at Rome about the year 1409. The standard critical e<lition is that of Ribbeck (Leip- zig, 1859-68), containing his famous Prolegomena. There is a later edition, without the Prolegomena (ib., 1894-9.5). The best English edition is that of Conington and Nettleship (London. 1S72-75). There are numerous good editions published in this country and abroad, of which the following may be mentioned: Forbiger (4th ed., Leipzig, 1872-75); Kappes (.5th ed., ib., 189,3): Benoist (2d ed.. Paris, 1876) ; Papillon and Haigh (Ox- ford, 1892): Sidgwick (Cambridge, 1894-97); and Page (London, 1894-1900). There is also an edition of Servius's commentarv by Thilo and Hagen (Leipzig, 1881-87). The tr.inslations of Vergil into English arc very numerous. The ear- liest is that of Dryden. The J^neid has been translated by Conington into prose (London, 1872) and into verse (ib., 1873), as well as by William Morris, Craneh, Kennedy, and others. The (j'eoryivx have been translated by Hhodes and Blackmore, and the Eelogiica by Calverley and Palmer. The following works may be consulted with profit: Sellar, lioman Poets of the Augustan Aye— Vergil (3d ed., O.xford, 1807); Sainte- Beuve, Etude sur Virgile (2d ed., Paris, 1870) ; Meyers, Essaijs Clussicid (l^ondon, 1897) ; ilac- kail, Latin Literatiire{Nev York, 1895) ; Tyrrell, Latin Poetrg ( ib., 1895) ; Heinze, Vergils cpische Teclniik (Leipzig, 1903) ; Xettleship, Lectures and Essugn (Oxford, 1885) ; id.. Ancient Lives of Vergil (ib., 1879); .Skutsch, J. MS Vergils Friih- zeit (Leipzig, 1891); Coniparetti, Virgilio nel medio evo (2d ed., Florence, 1896; Eng. trans, of the first edition by Benecke, Virgil in the Mid- dle Ages, London, 1895) ; Tunison, Master Virgil (Cincinnati, 1888); Boissier, The Country of Horace and Vergil (New York, 1896) ; Leiand, Legends of Virgil (ib., 1900) ; Henry, A Vogage of Discovery in the .TUneid, i.-vi. (Dresden, 18.53) ; id., .^neidea (London, 1873-79) ; Miller and Nel- son, Dido, an Epie Tragedy (Chicago, 1900). VEBGNIATJD, vilr'nyo', Piebre Victurnien (1753-93). An orator of the French Revolution, born at Limoges. He studie<l law and practiced his profession at Bordeaux. In 1789 he was a member of the general council of the Depart- ment of the Gironde. and in 1791 he was sent as a Deputy from Bordeaux to the Legislative AssembI}'. He was recognized as a leader of the Girondists. He voted for the condemnation of the King and it was his duty as president of the Convention to announce the verdict and the sen- tence. He, however, steadily opposed Robespierre and the Mountain, and when the latter became supreme and undertook to do away with opposi- tion Vergniaud shared in the fall of the Girond- ists (June 2, 1793). After remaining in con- cealment for some days he was seized, brought to trial, condemned, and guillotined October 31, 1793, with 20 of his fellow Girondists. Con- sult: Vatel, Vergniaud: Manuserits, lettres et: papiers (2 vols., Paris, 1875); Touchard- La- fosse, Eistoire parlementaire et vie intime de Vergniaud (Paris, 1848). VERHAS, ver-hils', .LN (1834-96). A Bel- gian genre painter, born at Termende and educated there and under Nicaise de Keyser at Antwerp. Some of his best known works are: "Seashore at Blankenberghe" (1876): "Inundation" (1877): "Procession of School Children" (1880, Brussels Museum ) ; and "On the Landing Bridge at Blank- enberghe" (1SS5). VERIFICATION (from Lat. verifieare. to verify, make true, from verus, true + facere. to do, make). L'nder the common-law system of pleading, an averment in an answering pleading containing new matter, to the effect that the pleader is ready to establish the truth of the facts pleaded therein. Where the new matter is merely negative a verification is not necessary. The common form of such a verification is: "And this the said A. B. is ready to verify." In code pleading, the verification is an aflSdavit that the facts alleged in the pleading are true. See PLE. - ING. VERLAINE, var'lan'. Paitl (1844-96). A French poet, born at Jletz. Little is known of his early life. Before the Franco-Prussian War