995

VINCENT, JOHN JERVIS EARL OF, ST., a distinguished naval commander, who was descended from a respectable family in Staffordshire. He was born in 1734, and at the age of fourteen entered the navy. In 1760 he obtained the rank of post-captain, and commanded the Foudroyant in the action between Admiral Keppel and the French fleet in July 1778. In 1782 he took the Pegasse of seventy-four guns, for which exploit he received the red riband. In 1794 he received the command of a squadron equipped for the West Indies, and reduced Martinico, Guadaloupe, and St. Lucia. On the 14th of February, 1797, being in command of the Mediterranean fleet of fifteen sail, he defeated twenty-seven Spanish ships of the line off Cape St. Vincent, the south-west point of Portugal, and was raised to the English peerage by the titles of Baron Jervis and earl of St. Vincent, with a pension of 3000l. a year. In 1799 he was created admiral, and in 1801 became first lord of the admiralty, and in 1821 admiral of the fleet. Lord St. Vincent was a man of a strong mind, unbending in regard to discipline and reform, and of high gallantry and genius in his profession. He died in 1823, in his eighty-ninth year.

VINCENT, WILLIAM, a distinguished critic and divine, who was born in London in 1739, and educated at Cambridge, where he obtained a fellowship. In 1762 he became an usher at Westminster, and nine years after second master. He took the degree of doctor of divinity, and was appointed chaplain in ordinary to the king. In 1788 he became head master at Westminster, where he continued to preside till 1801, when he was made a prebend of Westminster; and two years after he succeeded to the deanery. Dean Vincent is principally known by his "Commentary on Arrian's Voyage of Nearchus," and his "Periplus of the Erythrean Sea," republished together under the title of the "Commerce and Navigation of the Ancients in the Indian Ocean." He died in December 1815.

VINCI, LEONARDO DA.-This celebrated artist was at the head of the Florentine school of painting. He was born in the village of Vinci, near Florence, between 1444 and 1452. He was the natural son of a notary named Pietro. Even in his earliest youth he devoted himself to a great variety of studiespainting, sculpture, anatomy, architecture, geometry, mechanics, poetry, and music. He soon surpassed his master, the painter and sculptor, Andrea del Varrochio; and in 1482 the duke of Milan, Ludovico Maria Sforza, took him into his service. Leonardo founded an academy of design, which would have

cartoon-which is one of his most celebrated works commemorating a victory of the Florentines, under their chief Niccolo Piccinio: a group of horsemen in the piece, struggling around a standard, was particularly admired. This cartoon is now known only by a copy. When Leo X. ascended the papal throne in 1513, Leonardo went, in the suite of Julian, duke of Medici, to Rome, but left this city in 1515, and went to France, whither he had been invited by Francis I. His reason for leaving Rome probably was, that the rivalry of Michael Angelo followed him even there, or that Raphael was already entrusted with the execution of the great works in the Vatican On account of his advanced age he did little or nothing in France, and in 1519 he died in the arms of the king, when attempting to rise from his bed on the occasion of a visit from him.

VIRGIL, PUBLIUS VIRGILIUS MARO, the most distinguished epic, didactic, and pastoral poet of ancient Rome. He was born at Andes, a little village near Mantua, in the year 70 B. C. If we are to suppose that Virgil describes himself under the character of Tityrus in his first eclogue, he was thirty years of age when he went to Rome for the first time, to obtain the restoration of his farm, which had been taken possession of by the soldiers of Octavius and Antony, after the close of the war against the republicans. He was here presented, by Pollio or some other friend, to Augustus, and gained the favour of Mæcenas, through whose intercession he obtained the restitution of his property. But on his attempting to take possession of it, the new occupants resisted him, and threatened his life; and it was not until after a second journey to Rome, and repeated efforts, that he finally succeeded in his object. About this time he wrote several eclogues, the tenth and last of which is ascribed to the thirty-third or thirtyfourth year of his age. His Georgics (poems on agriculture), which he undertook at the suggestion

of becoming a lawyer. About 1720 he went to Brussels with Madam de Rupelmonde. The celebrated Rousseau being then in that city, the two poets met, and soon conceived an unconquerable aversion for each other. Voltaire said one day to Rousseau, who was showing him "An Ode to Posterity," "This is a letter which will never reach the place of its address." This led to a war between the two authors, who entertained a mutual jealousy of each other. Voltaire, on his return to Paris, produced in 1722 his tragedy of "Mariamne," without success. His "Artemira" had experienced the same fate in 1720. These mortifications, joined to those which were occasioned by his free principles, his sentiments on religion, and the warmth of his temper, induced him to visit England, where he printed his "Henriade." King George I., and particularly the princess of Wales (afterwards Queen Caroline), distinguished him by their protection, and obtained for him a great number of subscriptions. This laid the foundation of a fortune, which was afterwards considerably increased by the sale of his writings, by the munificence of princes, by commerce, by a habit of regularity, and by an economy bordering on avarice, which he did not shake off till near the end of his life.

In 1730 he published "Brutus," the most nervous of all his tragedies, which was more applauded by the judges of good writing than by the spectators. The first wits of the time, Fontenelle, La Motte, and others, advised him to give up the drama as not being his proper forte. He answered them by publishing "Zara," the most affecting, perhaps, of all his tragedies. His "Lettres Philosophiques," abounding in bold expressions and indecent witticisms against religion, having been burned by a decree of the parliament of Paris, and a warrant being issued for apprehending the author in 1733, Voltaire very prudently withdrew, and was sheltered by the marchioness du Chatelet in her castle of Cirey, on the borders of Champagne and Lorraine, who entered with him on the study of the "System" of Leibnitz, and the "Principia " of Newton. A gallery was built in which Voltaire formed a good collection of natural history, and made a great many experiments on light and electricity. He laboured in the mean time on his "Elements of the Newtonian Philosophy," then totally unknown in France, and which the numerous admirers of Des Cartes were very little desirous should be known. In the midst of these philosophical pursuits he produced the tragedy of Alzira." He was now in the meridian of his age and genius, as was evident from the tragedy of “Mahomet," first acted in 1741; but it was represented to the procureur général as a performance offensive to religion, and the author, by order of Cardinal Fleury, withdrew it from the stage. "Merope," played two years after, in 1743, gave an idea of a species of tragedy of which few models have existed. He now became a favourite at court through the interest of Madame d'Etoile, afterwards marchioness of Pompadour. Being employed in preparing the festivities that were celebrated on the marriage of the dauphin, he attained additional honours by composing "The Princess of Navarre." He was appointed a gentleman of the bed-chamber in ordinary and historiographer of France. He had frequently attempted to gain admittance into the academy of sciences, but could not obtain his wish till 1746, when he was the

997 first who broke through the absurd custom of filling an inaugural speech with the fulsome adulation of Richelieu; an example soon followed by other academicians. From the satires occasioned by this innovation he felt so much uneasiness that he was glad to retire with the marchioness du Chatelet to Luneville, in the neighbourhood of King Stanislaus. The marchioness dying in 1749 Voltaire returned to Paris, where his stay was but short. Though he had many admirers he was perpetually complaining of a cabal combined to deprive him of that glory of which he was insatiable. He imagined he should find in a foreign country a greater degree of applause, tranquillity, and reward, and augment at the same time both his fortune and reputation, which were already very considerable. The king of Prussia, who had repeatedly invited him to his court, attached him at last to his person by a pension of 22,000 livres and the hope of farther favour. From the particular respect that was paid to him his time was now spent in the most agreeable manner; his apartments were under those of the king, whom he was allowed to visit at stated hours, to read with him the best works of either ancient or modern authors, and to assist his majesty in the literary productions by which he relieved the cares of government. But this happiness was soon at an end, and Voltaire saw to his mortification when it was too late, that, where a man is sufficiently rich to be master of himself, neither his liberty, his family, nor his country, should be sacrificed for a pension. A dispute which our poet had with Maupertuis, the president of the academy at Berlin, was followed by disgrace.

Having regained his liberty, he endeavoured to negotiate a return to Paris; but this he was not able to accomplish. He was resident for about a year at Colwar, whence retiring to Geneva, he purchased a beautiful villa near that city, where he enjoyed the homage of the Genevans, and of occasional travellers; and for a short time was charmed with his agreeable retirement, which the quarrels that agitated the little republic of Geneva compelled him soon to quit. He was accused of privately fomenting the disputes, of leaning towards the prevailing party, and laughing at both. Compelled to abandon Les Delices (which was the name of his country-house), he fixed himself in France, within a league of Geneva, in Le Pays de Gex, an almost savage desert, which he had the satisfaction of fertilizing. He erected a church, which is represented beneath. The village of

Ferney, which contained not above fifty inhabitants, became by his means a colony of 1200 persons, suc

999

1807.

WALKER, WILLIAM, a learned English divine who was born in the seventeenth century, and studied at Trinity college, Cambridge. He presided for many years over a school at Grantham, where he had Sir Isaac Newton for a pupil. He was the author of "An Explanation of Lily's Latin Grammar," "A Dictionary of Latin Idioms," a work "On Rhetoric," &c. His death took place in 1684.

WALLACE, WILLIAM. This distinguished warrior was born about the middle of the reign of Alexander III., but the exact year is not known. Wallace belonged neither to the class of the high feudal nobility nor to the free tenants or yeomanry, but to that middle rank, which, by the proud barons, who esteemed themselves the companions of kings, was considered nearer to the condition of their vassals than to an equality with themselves. It was this portion of the nobility who, during the whole period of Wallace's career, opposed and thwarted him with feelings of mingled pride and fear; who compelled him to be what he undoubtedly was, the champion of the people, the liberator of his country, by means of the lower classes of his countrymen, when the selfishness and venality of most of the great lords had consented to deliver it into the hands of a foreign power. But, although unconnected with this corrupted class, Wallace was born in a rank which ensured him a martial education; and the condition of his father entitled him, if not to claim an equality, yet certainly to associate with the proudest of the land.

His youth is said to have been passed chiefly under the care of his uncle, an ecclesiastic, who was settled at Dunipace, near Stirling, and who appears to have been animated with the strongest feelings of independence. From Dunipace, there is tradition that Wallace removed to Kilspindy, a village in the rich district called the Carse of Gowrie, and that he thence was sent to Dundee, where he received such instruction as the limited education of those rude times could afford him. It was here, also, according to the same authority, that he became first acquainted with John Blair, who was afterwards a Benedictine monk; Blair was of like age with Wallace, and the two youths formed a lasting attachment to each other. When he became celebrated, Wallace chose his early friend for his chaplain; and it is a subject of deep regret that a Latin life of his master and patron, which was written by Blair, has, with the exception of a few fragments, been lost or destroyed. At one or other of these places, all of which were visited by Edward, in his triumphant progress through the country subsequent to the battle of Falkirk, it is probable that Wallace saw the conqueror. His father, Sir Malcolm Wallace, upon the first publica

timid friends who regarded Scotland as lost, and preferred the quiet security of servitude to the desperate chances of insurrection.

Over all this his mind, pent up in a silent restraint, which, for a season, he was compelled to observe, brooded and rankled in secret; but an event now took place which settled his destiny, and drove him into open rebellion. It appears that he had formed an attachment to a beautiful woman who resided in the town of Lanark, and that, in passing through the streets of that burgh, well armed, and somewhat richly dressed, he was recognised by a troop of English soldiers, who surrounded and insulted him. Wallace, at first, would have prudently got clear of their insolence, but a contemptuous stroke which one of them made against his sword, provoked him to draw, and the culprit was laid dead at his feet. A tumult now arose, and, almost overpowered by numbers, he escaped with difficulty into the house of his mistress, and through it, by a back passage, into the neighbouring woods. For this ready aid, the unfortunate girl was seized next day, by William de Heslope, the English sheriff, and, with inhuman cruelty, condemned and executed. But Wallace's revenge, when he heard of her unmerited fate, was as rapid as it was stern. That very night he collected thirty faithful and powerful partisans, who, entering the town when all were in their beds, reached the sheriff's lodging in silence. It was a room or loft, constructed, like most of the buildings of those times, of wood, and communicating with the street by a high stair. Up this Wallace rushed at midnight, and, beating down the door, presented himself in full armour, and with his naked weapon, before the affrighted officer, who asked him whence he came, or who he was? "I am William Wallace," he replied, "whose life you sought yesterday; and now thou shalt answer me for my poor maiden's death." With these words, he seized his naked victim by the throat, and, passing his sword through his body, cast the bleeding wretch down the stair into the street, where he was immediately slain. He then collected his soldiers, and, as the stir and tumult arose, drew off through the streets into the woods which surrounded the town.

Merited as this revenge was then considered by all who smarted under the yoke of the English, it was justly pronounced by the government an audacious murder, and not only drew after it the usual consequences of proscription and outlawry, but incited to an immediate and eager pursuit. Wallace, however, was intimately acquainted with the country, and found little difficulty in defeating every effort for his apprehension. It was from this period that we must date his systematic and determined resistance to England; for the same incident which convinced him that there must for ever be an irreparable breach between him and the government which he had