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VESPASIAN is a statue of the Virgin, erected in 1854 as a memorial of the town's exemption from chol- era. The Germans took Vesoul Oct. 18, 1870. VESPASIAN (TITUS FLAVIUS SABINUS VESPA- SIANUS), a Roman emperor, born near Reate in the Sabine country, Nov. 17, A. D. 9, died there, June 24, 79. His father was a petty officer of the revenue, who died while the son was still young. Vespasian served in Thrace as mili- tary tribune, became qusostor in Crete and Cy- rene, and subsequently sedile and pryetor. In the reign of Claudius he went to Germany as legatus legionis, and in 43 held the same com- mand in Britain, where he served under Aulus Plautius and under the emperor himself, and reduced the isle of Wight. Triumphal honors were granted him, and during the last two months of 51 he was made consul suffectus. Subsequently he governed Africa as proconsul. At the end of 66 he was sent by Nero to the East to take command of the army in the Jew- ish war. In two years he reduced all Judea except Jerusalem and some minor strongholds. His reputation now rose so high, that on the breaking out of the civil war between Otho and Vitellius after the death of Galba, the pre- fect of Egypt proclaimed Vespasian emperor at Alexandria, July 1, 69. The choice was im- mediately ratified by the legions of Judea, and not long afterward by the entire army of the East. His son Titus was left to put an end to the Jewish war, while one of his generals, Antonius Primus, marched at once into Italy, defeated the troops of Vitellius, and put Vitel- lius himself to death. In the mean time Ves- pasian had gone to Alexandria to cut off the supply of grain from Rome, but his recogni- tion by the senate made the step unnecessary. In the summer of 70 he arrived in Italy, where his coming was hailed with great joy. His ac- cession worked a great change in the condition of the empire. He maintained firm discipline among the soldiers, removed many unworthy senators and knights, restored order to the finances, and repaired the devastations of the recent civil commotions. He rebuilt the capi- tol, erected a temple to Peace, and began the Flavian amphitheatre, which was afterward called the Colosseum. The foreign wars of his reign were successful. The rebellion of the Batavi under Claudius Civilis was put down ; Titus completed the conquest of Judea; the governor of Syria took possession of Comma- gene; and a war was carried on in Britain with great success. In 71 the temple of Ja- nus was closed, and in 74 the last census of Roman citizens ever made was taken. In 79 a conspiracy formed by Alienus Csecina and Marcellus was discovered, and the former was summarily put to death, while Marcellus com- mitted suicide. In the summer of the same year Vespasian on account of failing health retired to his early home in the Sabine country. He was one of the best and wisest of the Ro- man emperors, although his personal character was disfigured by certain mean traits, the most VESPUCCI 327 conspicuous of which was avarice. His simple style of living furnished a strong contrast to the luxury and debauchery of his immediate predecessors. The two succeeding emperors were his sons Titus and Domitian. VESPERS (Lat. vesper, evening), in the Ro- man Catholic church, a portion of the divine office recited daily by priests, and generally sung publicly, as the afternoon service, on Sundays and other high festivals. It consists of five of the psalms of David, a hymn, the Magnificat, or canticle of the Virgin Mary, from the 1st chapter of St. Luke, and several prayers, anthems, &c. VESPUCCI, Amerigo, an Italian navigator from whom the name of America is derived, born in Florence, March 9, 1451, died in Seville, Feb. 22, 1512. He was in business in Seville as an agent of the Medici family when Colum- bus returned from his first voyage; and in 1496, while fitting out four caravels for the Spanish service in the countries lately dis- covered, he occasionally met with Columbus, and was induced to prepare for a career of nautical adventure. In 1499 he sailed from Spain in an expedition under Ojeda which visited the neighborhood of Cape Paria and several hundred miles of coast, and returned in June, 1500. In July Vespucci wrote to one of the Medici of Florence an account of the voyage, which lay hid in manuscript till 1745, when it was published by Bandini. In May, 1501, he entered the service of Emanuel, king of Portugal, and participated in an ex- pedition which visited the coast of Brazil. Of this voyage he also wrote an account to the same member of the Medici family, which was first brought to light by Bartolozzi in 1789. In 1504 he sent to the same person a fuller narrative of this expedition, which was published at Strasburg in 1505, under the title, Americus Vesputiusde Ora Antarctica per Begem Portugallie pridem inventa. From this voyage he acquired the reputation of being the discoverer of the mainland. In May, 1503, ho commanded a caraval in a squadron that sailed for the discovery of Malacca, but parted company from the rest, and finally made his way to the coast of Brazil, where he discov- ered the bay of All Saints, remained there two months, then ran 260 leagues further S., where he built a fort, took in a cargo of Brazil wood, and after a stay of five months stood for Lisbon, which he reached in June, 1504. Early in 1505 he sought employment from the Spanish court, and received from King Ferdi- nand letters of naturalization. Before March 22, 1508, he became pilot major with a salary of 70,000 maravedis. He was placed over a deposito hydrogrdfico, and was charged with the preparation for the casa de contratacion of a general description of coasts and accounts of expeditions, in which every year new dis- coveries were to be entered, besides the con- struction of charts, the examination of pilots, and other duties. After his return from his