according to the controversial spirit of the times, and called him a Momus, a mimic, an ape, a fool in a play, a jackpudding, &c. Vaughan answered him in a work with a suitable title, "The Man-Mouse taken in a trap, and tortured to death for gnawing the margins of Eugenius Philalethes." More again replied, but was afterwards ashamed of the controversy, and suppressed it in the edition of his collected works. Wood mentions other works, on magic, by Vaughan, the titles of which we may be excused transcribing. He is said to have died in consequence of some experiment with mercury, Feb. 27, 1665-6, and was buried in Oldbury church, Oxfordshire, at the expence of his friend and fellow Rosicrucian, sir Robert Moray, or Murray, of whom we have given an account in vol. XXII. 1

VAUGHAN (JOHN), lord chief justice of the commonpleas, was born in Cardiganshire, Sept. 14, 1608, and educated at Worcester school, whence he entered Christ Church, Oxford, in 1623, but left it without taking a degree, in 1626, and went to the Inner Temple for the study of the law. This, according to Wood, he neglected for some time, and was addicted to poetry and philosophy, until becoming acquainted with Selden, he was advised to apply more diligently to his profession. In this he soon made such a figure as to be returned to the parliament of 1640, as member for the town of Cardigan. It is said that he was in his heart an enemy to monarchy, but never engaged in open hostility to Charles I. On the contrary, when the rebellion broke out he retired to his own country, and lived there principally until the restoration. He was then elected knight of the shire of Cardigan, in the parliament which began in 1661, and was much noticed by Charles II. In 1668 his majesty conferred the honour of knighthood upon him, and on May 22 of that year he was sworn serjeant-at-law, and the day following, lord chief justice of the common-pleas. He died Dec. 10, 1674, and was buried in the Temple church, near the grave of his friend Selden, who had appointed him one of his executors, and whose friendship for him is recorded on sir John's mo

nument.

Sir John Vaughan was not only versed in all the knowledge requisite to make a figure in his profession, but was also a very considerable master of the politer kinds of learn

Ath. Ox. vol. II.

ing; but his behaviour among the generality of his acquaintances was haughty, supercilious, and overbearing; hence he was much more admired thran beloved. The worst charge laid to him is that of having joined the enemies of lord Clarendon, who was once his friend, and had made him overtures of preferment.

Sir John Vaughan's "Reports and Arguments in the Common Pleas, being all of them special cases, and many wherein he pronounced the resolution of the whole court of common pleas at the time he was chief justice there," are fully and ably taken, and were first printed in 1677, and secondly in 1706, by his son Edward Vaughan, esq. with references, to which is added a tract concerning process out of the courts at Westminster into Wales. '

VAUGHAN (WILLIAM), a Latin poet and moral writer, was the son of Walter Vaughan, of the Golden Grove, in Carmarthenshire, esq. and younger brother to sir John Vaughan, first earl of Carbery, and patron of bishop Jeremy Taylor. He was born at Golden Grove in 1577, and became a commoner of Jesus college, Oxford, in 1591, where he took his degrees in arts. The fruits of his scholastic attainments began to appear uncommonly early, as he was only in his fifteenth year when he prepared for printing an easy paraphrase of Persius in English and Latin; and his publications which appeared in 1597 and 1598 bespeak a prematurity of genius. After taking his degrees in arts, he applied to the study of the law, but before he proceeded in that faculty, set out on his travels, and at Vienna performed the necessary exercises for a doctor's degree, in which he was incorporated at Oxford in 1605. He afterwards appears to have meditated a settlement in Cambriol, Newfoundland, where he was living in 1628, but the time of his death is not mentioned. His Latin poems are, 1. the "Song of Solomon, and some of the Psalms," translated, Lond. 1597. 2. "Varia Poemata de Sphærarum ordine," 1589, 8vo. 3. "Poemata continent. Encom. Roberti Comitis Essex," 1598, 8vo. 4. "Cambrensium Caroleia," &c. a poem on the nuptials of Charles I. 1625 or 1630, 8vo. His English works are, "The Golden Grove, moralized in three books," 1608, 8vo, which seems to have suggested to bishop Taylor the title

1 Ath. Ox. vol. II.-Granger.-Burnet's Own Times.-Bridgman's Legal Bibliography.

of one of his most popular works; and "The Golden Fleece," 1626, 4to: both works of the moral kind, and replete with observations on the manners of the times, and the principal personages. A particular account of both is given in the "Bibliographer," vol. II. by which it appears that Vaughan had translated a part of Boccalini's Advices from Parnassus, and had published "Circles called the Spirit of Detraction, conjured and convicted," and "Commentaries upon, and paraphrase of, Juvenal and Persius," all in early life.'

VAUQUELIN. See IVETAUX, and FRESNAYE.

VAUVILLIERS (JOHN FRANCIS), a French writer, of considerable talents, was the son of John Vauvilliers, professor of rhetoric in the university of Paris, and of Greek in the royal college, who is known to the learned world by several Latin dissertations, particularly one "De præstantia Græcarum literarum," &c. He was born about 1736, and applied so diligently to his studies that he was able to assist his father in his rhetorical lectures. In 1767 he was appointed assistant to Vatry, the Greek professor in the royal college, and succeeding him, held that office for twenty years. On the commencement of the revolution he joined the revolutionists, and was for some time president of the first commune of Paris, and lieutenant to the mayor. In this office he had the care of furnishing Paris with provisions, which he performed with great skill and success; but finding the mob gaining the superiority, resigned his office, and not only refused to sit in the constituent assembly, to which he was called, but published an opinion on the constitution of the clergy, which was so much in hostility to the measures then pursuing, that he was obliged for a time to conceal himself. He survived the worst period of the revolution, however, and in 1797 was chosen a member of the council of 500, but having joined the party of Clichy, was sentenced to transportation. On this he disappeared again, and found a refuge in St. Petersburgh, where the emperor Paul appointed him a member of the academy of sciences. The climate, however, and the sufferings he had been subjected to at home, did not permit him a long enjoyment of his present tranquillity. He died at St. Petersburgh, July 23, 1800, in the sixtyfourth He is characterised as a man of of his year age.

Ath. Ox. vol. I,-Bibliographer, vol. II.

great simplicity of manners, joined to a tolerant and enlightened piety, and a contempt of riches. All his property, when confiscated at Paris, did not produce more than 1800 livres, and in Russia he scarcely left enough to pay for his funeral.

Vauvilliers had been in early life one of the French philosophers, and participated in all the sentiments of that séct, but was recalled to a better way of thinking by an incident, which is thus related. "In 1736 he had a dream, in which he saw himself transported to the judgment-seat of God; the book of his life was opened to him, and he was so strongly reproached for his conduct and principles, that he was deeply impressed by it: he awoke in a violent perspiration; his hair turned white; all at once be withdrew from the world, lived for some time in retirement, and did not appear again till the beginning of the revolution from this time religious sentiments took the place of philosophical principles in his mind, and he became as exemplary in his faith and in his conduct as he had before been unbelieving." This anecdote, his biographer informs us, he had a pleasure in repeating to his friends. His works are, 1." Essai sur Pindare," 1772, 12mo, which, as far as it goes, is the best translation the French have of Pindar, but it is not complete. The notes are very valuable. 2." Extraits de divers auteurs Grecs a l'usage de l'ecole militaire," 1788, 6 vols. 12mo. 3. "Lettres sur Horace," 12mo. 4." Examen historique du government de Sparte," 1769. This procured him admission into the academy of inscriptions. Besides these he completed Caperronier's edition of Sophocles, published in 1781, and in it displays great diligence, research, and knowledge of the Greek language, although we are aware that this edition has not given universal satisfaction. He also assisted Brotier in his edition of Amyot's Plutarch. '

VAUX (THOMAS), LORD VAUX of HARWEDON, an English poet, was the eldest son of Nicholas, the first lord Vaux, and was born in 1510. In 1527 he was among the attendants in Wolsey's stately embassy, when that prelate went to treat of a peace between the emperor Charles V. and the kings of England and France; and in January 1530, he took his place in parliament as a baron. he waited on the king in his splendid expedition to Calais

Dict. Hist.-Biographie Moderne.

In 1532

and Boulogne, a little before which time he is said to have had the custody of the persecuted queen Catherine. In the following year he was made a knight of the bath, at the coronation of Anne Boleyn. He appears to have held no public office but that of the captain of the island of Jersey, which he surrendered in 1536. He died early in the reign of Philip and Mary.

As a poet, he has long been deprived of his merit by his pieces having been attributed to his father, Nicholas lord Vaux, an error which Dr. Percy first detected, and the title of Thomas lord Vaux seems now indisputable *. The largest collection of his poetry is in the "Paradise of dainty Devises," lately reprinted in the "Bibliographer;" and Dr. Percy and Mr. Ellis have printed "The Assault of Cupid," and the "Dyttye, or sonet made by the lorde Vaus in time of the noble queene Marye, representinge the image of Deathe;" but the popular notion of lord Vaux's having composed this last on his death-bed, seems unfounded. From the prose prologue to Sackville's "Induction," in the "Mirror for Magistrates," it would seem that lord Vaux had undertaken to pen the history of king Edward's two sons cruelly murdered in the Tower of London; but what he performed of his undertaking does not appear. Lord Vaux, as a poet, is more distinguished by morality of sentiment than by imagery; yet even in the latter, his two celebrated poems of "The Assault of Cupid," and the "Aged Lover's renunciation of Love," are far from deficient; and the sweet and touching simplicity of the ideas, and the airy ease of the language, entitle them to high commendation. '

VAYER. See MOTHE.

VEGA (LOPEZ DE LA), or LOPE-FELIX DE VEGA CARPIO, a celebrated Spanish poet, was born at Madrid, Nov. 25, 1562. He informs us that his father was a poet, but what he was besides, or the time of his death, is not known. It appears that he was an orphan when at school, about thirteen or fourteen years old, and was then impelled by so restless a desire of seeing the world, that he resolved

*It must be remarked, however, that the late Mr. Ritson, as well as sir Egerton Brydges, intimate a suspicion that William, the eldest son of Thomas

lord Vaux, might have been the writer of these poems. See Poetical Register for 1801, p. 195.

1 Bibliographer, vols. I. and III.-Park's Roya! and Noble Authors.-Ath. Ox. vol. I. new edit.-Warton's Hist. of Poetry.