published at Amsterdam in 1650, and its appearance marks an epoch in the history of physical science. No work on physical geography at all comparable to it had before appeared. The author shows himself both a mathematician and a natural historian. This book was edited by Newton when Lucasian professor of mathematics at Cambridge. His first edition appeared in 1672, and a second in 1681. As might be expected, Newton made many important emendations in the mathematical part of the book. Another edition was published by Jurin, a fellow of Trinity college, Cambridge, at the suggestion of Bentley in 1712, and an English translation of Jurin's edition by Dugdale in 1736. The work was also translated into French by Dupuisieux in 1755. Varenius dedicated his work to the senators of Amsterdam, in recognition of the asylum afforded him by that city when driven by the ravages of war from his native country. He is stated to have died in 1660.—F. C. W.
VARGAS, Luis de, a distinguished Spanish painter, was born at Seville in 1502. He visited Rome in 1527, and became the pupil of Perino del Vaga; and after a residence of twenty-eight years in Italy returned to Seville, and having acquired great renown for his classical works, died there in 1568. Vargas painted in fresco and in oil, and ranks with the better painters of Italy of his time. His pictures are all religious, and he was of a superstitious, morbid, and ascetic turn of mind. He was in the habit of chastising himself, and lying some hours a day in a coffin meditating on death.—R. N. W.
VARIGNON, Pierre, an eminent French mathematician, was born at Caen in 1654, and died at Paris on the 22nd of December, 1722. He was the son of a builder, and was destined by his father for the church; but his natural genius led him to the study of mathematics, and he was enabled to pursue it by the liberality of a generous friend, the Abbé de Saint-Pierre, who, though poor himself, insisted on sharing his small income with Varignon. The abilities of Varignon becoming known to some of the leading scientific men of France, led to his obtaining in 1688 the professorship of mathematics in the collége Mazarin, which he held until his death. In 1704 he obtained also the professorship of philosophy in the collége de France. His most remarkable work was his "Projet d'une nouvelle Mécanique," published in 1687; it was the first treatise in which the whole science of statics was deduced from the principle known as the "parallelogram of forces"—a principle of which the first discovery, however, belongs to Stevin.—W. J. M. R.
VARILLAS, Anthony, a French historian, was born in 1624 at Guéret, where his father filled an important post as a civil functionary. On terminating his preliminary studies he went to Paris, where he became acquainted with Pierre Dupuy, the king's librarian, by whose influence he obtained an appointment in the royal library. He was employed to collate some manuscripts, which Colbert the minister had acquired from Brienne, along with originals in the royal library; but he performed his work so negligently that he was discharged with a pension. Varillas then retired to St. Côme, where he began his "History of France," which comprehends the reigns from Louis XI. to Henri IV. He declined an offer from the states-general of Holland to write the history of the United Provinces, on the ground that he could not serve with his pen the enemies of France. About this time Colbert withdrew Varillas' pension, and d'Harlay, archbishop of Paris, who knew him to be engaged upon a "History of Heresies," obtained for him a pension from the clerical assembly. He was the author of "Politique de la Maison d'Autriche," 1658; "La Pratique de l'éducation des princes, ou l'histoire de Guil. de Croy seigneur de Chièvres," 1684; "Les Anedotes de Florence, ou l'histoire secrète de la maison de Médicis," 1685, a work much condemned for its untruthfulness; "Histoire des Revolutions arrivées dans l'Europe, en matière de religion," which also exposed him to much severe criticism, both in England and Germany; and "La Politique de Ferdinand le Catholique," 1688, the continuation of which still remains, it is said, in manuscript. Varillas is not reckoned among trustworthy historians, having frequently written from imagination rather than from fact. He died in 1696.—F.
VARIUS, Lucius Rufus, a Roman poet, flourished under Augustus. His compositions, both in epic poetry and tragedy, were greatly admired by his contemporaries, and he is warmly praised by Horace and Quintilian. Varius was the intimate friend of Mæcenas, and was appointed by Virgil his literary executor. His most celebrated work was the tragedy of Thyestes, for which he received a very large sum of money. It was brought on the stage with great magnificence at the festivities after the battle of Actium.—G.
VARUS, Publius Quintilius, Consul, 13 b.c., afterwards governor of Syria and Germany. In Syria he amassed great wealth, but no event of importance occurred to mark his administration. He was appointed governor of Germany in a.d. 7, but the Germans refused to submit to the introduction of Roman jurisprudence and taxation, and a revolt was raised under Arminius. At first Arminius pretended friendship to Rome, and Varus lived in fancied security; but after a time the German chiefs deserted him, and he was entrapped in one of the passes of the Saltus Teutoburgiensis, where after a desperate resistance, which continued for three days, the Romans were completely defeated. Varus, rather than fall into the hands of the enemy, put an end to his own life.—D. M.
VARLEY, John, a celebrated water-colour painter, was born in London about 1777. He received little direct instruction in art, his most useful lessons seemingly being acquired in the course of a sketching tour made in North Wales in 1799, in company with Arnold the landscape painter, and his best early practice in making coloured drawings of Surrey scenery for Dr. Munro, the friendly patron of Girtin and Turner. Varley made his reputation slowly, but in good time he came to be regarded as one of our best water-colourists. His later pictures were generally compositions—attempts to embody in a conventional form the grander and more poetical aspects of nature. His mind was of a very peculiar turn, and one of his fancies was a firm belief in astrology. He was sadly deficient in prudential habits, and despite the income derived from the sale of his pictures, and a considerable practice in teaching, he lived and died in embarrassed circumstances. He died, November 17, 1842.—J. T—e.
VARNHAGEN VON ENSE, Karl August, an eminent German prose writer, was born at Dusseldorf, 21st February, 1785. He studied medicine at Berlin, but devoted the greater part of his time and energy to philosophy and literature. In these latter pursuits he was confirmed and promoted by A. W. von Schlegel, by Fichte, and by Chamisso, with whom he (in his nineteenth year) published a Musenalmanach. He continued his studies at Halle, Berlin, and Tübingen, and in 1809 entered the Austrian army, where he obtained a lieutenantcy. He was wounded at the battle of Wagram, a battle of which he subsequently published an admirable description. After his recovery he accompanied Prince Bentheim as aid-de-camp on a mission to Paris, and soon after was admitted to the acquaintance of the Prussian minister, Von Stein, then residing at Prague. On the recommencement of war in 1813, he joined the Prussian army as aid-de-camp to General Tettenborn, whom he accompanied to Hamburg and Paris. In 1814 he obtained an appointment in the Prussian diplomatic service, and accompanied Prince Hardenberg to the Vienna congress. After the restoration of peace, he became resident minister at Carlsruhe, but he resigned some years after. From the year 1819 till the day of his death he resided at Berlin in literary retirement, which was only interrupted by a diplomatic mission to Cassel in 1829. At Berlin he enjoyed the friendship and intercourse of A. von Humboldt, and of almost all the distinguished persons of his age and country. He died 10th October, 1858. Varnhagen began his literary career with writing poetry, but by the march of events was led to political memoirs, to contemporary history, and biography. It is in this latter field that he has reaped his fairest laurels, and produced works of lasting merit. In his "Memoirs" (Denkwürdigkeiten) and miscellaneous works he is somewhat prosy, and his style, modelled after that of Göthe, wants variety and energy. His "Posthumous Diaries," which were published by his niece, Ludmilla Assing, from his manuscript "Pandora-box of scandal," as a contemporary periodical has termed it, are vastly superior to the "Memoirs," and form, indeed, an inestimable contribution to modern history, however indiscreet their publication may be deemed. Like his correspondence with A. von Humboldt, also published by Miss Assing, they give ample proof of his liberal politics, and will only be duly appreciated by future historians. We must not conclude this notice without mentioning Varnhagen's highly accomplished wife, the celebrated Rahel, who was born of Jewish parents at Berlin in 1771, and died 7th March, 1833. This fascinating and highly intellectual woman, who talked eloquently on the deepest questions in the German philosophy, was respected and courted by the most
