Chapter Ventidius to Versailles of V by Brewer's Readers Handbook

(8) Gibson’s Venus, slightly tinted, was shown in the International Exhibition of 1862.

Venus, the highest throw with the four tali or three tesseræ. The best cast of the tali (or four-sided dice) was four different numbers; but the best cast of the tesseræ (or ordinary dice) was three sixes. The worst throw was called canis—three aces in tesseræ and four aces in tali.

Venus (The Isle of), a paradis e created by “Divine Love” for the Lusian heroes. Here Uranian Venus gave Vasco da Gama the empire of the sea. This isle is not far from the mountains of Imaus, whence the Ganges and Indus derive their source.—Camoëns: Lusiad, ix. (1572).

(Similar descriptions of paradise are: “the gardens of Alcinous” (Odyssey, vii.); “the island of Circê” (Odyssey, x.); Virgil’s “Elysium” (Æneid, vi.); “the island and palace of Alcina” (Orlando Furioso, vi., vii.); “the country of Logistilla” (Orlando Furioso, x.); “Paradise,” visited by Astolpho (Orlando Furioso, xxxiv.); “the island of Armida” (Jerusalem Delivered); “the bower of Acrasia” (Faërie Queene); “the palace with its forty doors” (Arabian Nights, “Third Calender,” etc.).

Venus (Uranian), the impersonation of divine love; the presiding deity of the Lusians.—Camoëns: Lusiad (1572).

Venus and Adonis. Adonis, a most beautiful boy, was greatly beloved by Venus and Proserpine. Jupiter decided that he should live four months with one and four months with the other goddess, and the rest of the year he might do what he liked. One day he was killed by a wild boar during a chase, and Venus was so inconsolable at the loss that the infernal gods allowed the boy to spend six months of the year with Venus on the earth, but the other six he was to spend in hell. Of course, this is an allegory of the sun, which is six months above and six months below the equator. (Shakespeare has a poem called Venus and Adonis (1593), in which Adonis is made cold and passionless, but Venus ardent and sensual.)

Venus of Cleomenes , now called the “Venus de’ Medici” or “Venus de Medicis.”

Venus of the Forest (The). The ash tree is so called by Gilpin.

Venusberg, the mountain of fatal delights. Here Tannhäuser tarried, and when pope Urban refused to grant him absolution, he returned thither, to be never more seen.—German Legend.

Verdant Green. (See Green, p. 447.)

Verdone , nephew to Champernal the husband of Lamira.—Fletcher: The Little French Lawyer (1647).

Verdugo, captain under the governor of Segovia.—Fletcher: The Pilgrim (1621).

Vere (Mr. Richard), laird of Ellieslaw, a Jacobite conspirator.

Miss Isabella Vere, the laird’s daughter. She marries young Patrick Earnscliffe laird of Earnscliffe.—Sir W. Scott: The Black Dwarf (time, Anne).

Vere (Sir Arthur de), son of the earl of Oxford. He first appears under the assumed name of Arthur Philipson.—Sir W. Scott: Anne of Geierstein (time, Edward IV.).

Verges , an old-fashioned constable and night-watch, noted for his blundering simplicity.—Shakespeare: Much Ado about Nothing (1600).

Vergivian Sea, that part of St. George’s Channel where tides out of the north and south seas meet. The Irish Sea is sometimes so called.

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