V,

V

the 22d letter and 17th consonant of the English alphabet. It was anciently called U consonant. Though found on the most ancient Roman monuments of which we have any knowledge, and even in Etruscan and Samnite inscriptions, it was unknown, according to Tacitus, to the primitive alphabet of the Latins. The same character was used to represent both U and V, these letters also being frequently interchanged (see U); and when the emperor Claudius, as Suetonius relates, wished to introduce a separate sign for the sound of V, he made choice of the inverted digamma. In the inscriptions of the Etruscans and other primitive inhabitants of Italy, V is frequently confounded with the Æolian digamma F, through which it claims relationship with the Semitic vav. Among the Hebrews, too, and probably also among the Phonicians, the corresponding letter was employed both as consonant and vowel. The present form of V is derived from the Greek upsilon (Y), which was sometimes represented without the stem or vertical bar.-Beside u, this letter is interchanged with b, f, and m. The Hebrew beth sometimes had a sound approaching that of V, and the Greek beta (8) is pronounced by the modern Greeks vita (veeta). The Spanish and Portuguese B, too, is in many cases pronour cedike V, and for our sound of the former letter they have a peculiar character. (See B, and F.) The change with m.is noticed chiefly in Welsh, in which_tongue Roman becomes Rofan (pronounced Rovan), while for the Lat. amnis, river, the Welsh equivalent is Afon.— V as a numeral denotes 5, or with a dash over it (v), 500. On old French coins it signifies the mint of Troyes.

VAAGEN, EAST and WEST, two islands of the Loffoden group, the first, pop. 1,000, in lat. 68° 5' N., long. 14° 10′ E., the second, pop. 2,000, in lat. 68° 25′ N., long. 13° 10' E., each about 30 n. long by 15 wide. They are places of great resort for fishermen from January to April.

VAART, JAN VANDER, a Flemish painter and engraver, born in Haarlem in 1647, died in London in 1721. He went to England in 1674, and remained there till his death. He painted landscapes, dead game, and other objects of VOL. XVI.-1

VACCARO

still life. He engraved in mezzotint Wissing's portrait of Charles II., and Kneller's of the duchess of Monmouth, and some others.

VACA, CABEça de. See NUÑEZ, Alvar. VACCA-BERLINGHIERI, FRANCESCO, an Italian physician, born at Ponsacco, near Pisa, in 1732, died in Pisa, Oct. 6, 1812. He was professor of surgery in the university of Pisa, was regarded as one of the first physicians of Italy, and refused the place of physician to the king of Poland because he would not leave his aged father. Among his works are: Considerazioni intorno alle malattie putride (Lucca, 1781); Saggio intorno alle principali e piu frequenti malattie del corpo umano (Lucca, 1799); Riflessioni sui mezzi di stabilire e di conservare nell' uomo la sanita e la robustezza (2 vols., Pisa, 1794); and Filosofia della medicina (Lucca, 1801).-ANDREA, his son, born at Pisa in 1772, died there in 1826, was a skilful surgeon and valued writer.

VACCAJ, NICOLO, an Italian composer, born at Tolentino in the Papal States in 1791, was a pupil of Paisiello at Naples, and from 1811 to 1820 wrote operas, cantatas, and ballets which had a moderate success. He then taught singing in Venice, Trieste, and Vienna, wrote Pietro il grande, a comic opera performed at Parma, Zadig ed Astartea, performed at Naples, and Giulietta e Romeo, performed at Milan, his best work. He afterward taught singing in Paris and London, but returned to Italy in 1832, and in 1838 became first master of composition at the conservatory of Milan.

VACCARO. I. ANDREA, an Italian painter, born in Naples in 1598, died there în 1670. He was a pupil of Stanzioni, adopted the style of Michel Angelo da Caravaggio, and afterward of Guido, and at the death of Stanzioni was regarded as the ablest artist of the Neapolitan school. One of his best works is a "Holy Family" in the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli at Naples. II. FRANCESCO, an engraver and painter, born in Bologna in 1636, died in 1687, studied under Francesco Albano, and published a treatise on perspective illustrated with engravings from his own designs. There is a set of 12 perspective views of rivers, fountains, &c., bearing his name.

was sentenced by a court of law to a year's imprisonment, reduced on appeal to 3 months. He has edited, under the titles of École sensualiste (1839) and École Écossaise (1840), the latter with the assistance of his brother-in-law M. Danton, two volumes of a course of lectures on the history of philosophy in the 18th century delivered by Cousin in 1819-'20, and written an Introduction to Cousin's history of moral philosophy in the 19th century (8vo., 1841).

VAĞA, PERINO DEL, or PIETRO BUONACCORsi, an Italian painter, born in Florence in 1500, died in Rome in 1547. He was instructed by a Florentine painter named Vaga (whence the name generally applied to him), by whom he was brought to the notice of Giulio Romano and other scholars of Raphael. The latter, who was then engaged upon his designs for the loggie of the Vatican, employed him to assist Giovanni da Udine in the arabesque work, and was so pleased with his performances that he subsequently intrusted him with the execution of some of the principal designs in fresco. He thenceforth was a favorite pupil of Raphael, after whose death he rose into great reputation. Being compelled to leave Rome in 1527, impoverished by the sack of the city, he repaired to Genoa, where he entered the service of the prince Doria and founded a school of painting. He returned to Rome during the pontificate of Paul III., by whom he was intrusted with many valuable commissions; and at the time of his death he probably stood at the head of the Roman school. He designed after the style of Michel Angelo, and by Vasari is placed in that respect next to the great Florentine master. His works are widely distributed over Italy, the best being the "Creation of Eve" in the church of S. Marcello in Rome. VAGRANT (Lat. vagor, to wander), in law, sometimes defined as one who has no settled home, but more properly one who wanders about without any settled home, refuses to work, and has no means of subsistence. The law looks upon vagrancy as an offence, not for its moral wrong nor for the harm it does to the man himself, but for its injury to society, and the demand it makes upon the means of society for the subsistence of the vagrant. If one having a settled home, without means of subsistence, requires help, he is a pauper, and not a vagrant; that is, he is entitled to aid, but is not an offender. On the other hand, if one leads a life of idle wandering, with no place which he regards as his home or which the law can so regard, but has means of subsistence and chooses so to use them, the law takes Lo cognizance of the fact, because he makes no cal upon the public means, and inflicts no direct njury upon the public welfare. In all the states, so far as we know, there are statutes against agrancy; and it is an offence recognized by ancient English statutes, and probably by the common law. The word vagabond seems to be used as synonymous with vagrant. VAILLANT, FRANÇOIS LE. See LE VAILLANT.

VAILLANT, JEAN BAPTISTE PHILIBERT, & French soldier, born in Dijon, Dec. 6, 1790. After graduating as an engineer at the polytechnic school, he studied at the artillery school of Metz, obtained a commission as sub-lieutenant, Oct. 1, 1809, and immediately entered into active service. During the Russian campaign, having then the rank of captain, he was complimented in general orders and received the cross of the legion of honor; but in Aug. 1813, he was made prisoner and remained in captivity until the declaration of peace. He rejoined the emperor after the return from Elba, and fought bravely at Ligny and Waterloo. After the second restoration he remained in the army as an officer of the general staff, became chef de bataillon in 1826, and accompanied the expedition to Algiers, where he directed the siege of Fort l'Empereur (1830), the fall of which compelled the dey to capitulate. For this exploit, in the course of which he was severely wounded, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel; and in Jan. 1833, he was made colonel in reward for his services at the siege of Antwerp. In 1834 he was sent to Algeria as commander of the corps of engineers. After his return to France he was made major-general (1838) and commander of the polytechnic school (1839), and employed upon the fortifications of Paris. In 1845 he became lieutenant-general. In the expedition to Italy and the siege of Rome (1849) he was second in command, but had virtually the whole direction of the attack, and received for his services the baton of marshal of France (Dec. 11, 1851) and the post of grand marshal of the palace under Napoleon III. In March, 1854, he became minister of war, retaining that office until April, 1859, when he exchanged it for a command in the army of the Alps. He served through the Italian campaign, and commanded at Milan during its occupation by the allies. In Nov. 1860, he became military commandant in the imperial household. He is also a count of the empire, a member of the senate, grand cross of the legion of honor, and a member of the academy of sciences. He has translated from the English an Essai sur les principes de la construction des ponts militaires (1823), and published a Rapport sur la situation de l'Algérie (1855).

VAILLANT, JEAN FOY, a French numismatist, born in Beauvais, May 24, 1632, died Oct. 23, 1706. He studied medicine, but acquiring distinction as a numismatist was commissioned by Colbert to collect ancient medals in Italy, Sicily, and Greece, for the king's cabinet at Versailles. In 1674 he was sent on a second expedition of the same nature, but the vessel in which he sailed was captured by a corsair, and all on board were sold in Algiers as slaves. Vaillant was released after 4 months' bondage, and soon afterward was sent on an expedition through Egypt and several parts of Asia, returning in 1680 with a large collection of coins. Among his numerous works are: Numismata Imperatorum Romanorum Præstantiora, a Julio