Chapter Versatile to Victor Amadeus of V by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Versatile to Victor Amadeus

Versatile (Sir George), a scholar, pleasing in manners, warm-hearted, generous, with the seeds of virtue and the soul of honour; but being deficient in stability, he takes his colour, like the chamelion, from the objects at hand. Thus, with Maria Delaval he is manly, frank, affectionate; and noble; with lord Vibrate, hesitating, undecided, and tossed with doubts; with lady Vibrate, boisterously gay, extravagant, and light- hearted. Sir George is betrothed to Maria Delaval, but the death of his father delays the marriage. He travels, and gives a fling to youthful indulgences. After a time, he meets Maria Delaval by accident, his better nature prevails, and he offers her his hand, his title, and his fortune.—Holcroft: He’s Much to Blame (1790).

Vertaigne (2 or 3 syl.), a nobleman and judge, father of Lamira and Beaupré. —Fletcher: The Little French Lawyer (1647).

Verulam, a Roman town in Herts, a part of whose walls still remain. Its modern name is St. Albans. Lord Bacon was baron Verulam and viscount St. Albans (1561–1626).

The sites are not identical, but contiguous.

Vervain or Verbena, i.e. herba bona, used by the Greeks and Romans in their sacrifices and sacred rites, and by the druids in their incantations. It was for ages a reputed deobstruent,—especially efficacious in scrofulous complaints, the bite of rabid animals, antipathies, and megrims.

Drayton says “a wreath of vervain heralds wear” as a badge of truce. Ambassadors also wore a chaplet of vervain on denouncing war.

The hermit…the holy vervain finds,
Which he about his head that megrim binds.
   —Drayton: Polyolbion, xiii. (1613).

Vesey (Sir John), a wordly-wise baronet, who, being poor, gives himself the nickname of “Stingy Jack,” that he might be thought rich. Forthwith his £10,000 was exaggerated into £40,000. Sir John wanted his daughter to marry Alfred Evelyn, but, feeling uncertain about the stability of the young man’s fortune, he shilly-shallied, and in the mean time she married sir Frederick Blount. By this means Evelyn was free to marry Clara Douglas, whom, he greatly loved.—Lord Lytton: Money (1840).

Vestibule of Holland, Rosendaal. Vestibule of Germany, Cleves.

Vestris, called “The God of Dancing.” He used to say, “Europe contains only three truly great men—myself, Voltaire, and Frederick of Prussia” (1729–1808).

Veto (Monsieur and Madame), Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette. The king had the power of putting his veto on any decree of the National Assembly (1791), in consequence of which he was nicknamed “Capet Veto.”

(The name occurs in the celebrated song called La Carmagnole, which was sung to a dance of the same name.)

Vetus, in the Times newspaper, is the pseudonym of Edward Sterling (1773–1847), “The Thunderer” (1812-13).

Vexhelia, wife of Osmond an old Varangian guard.—Sir W. Scott: Count Robert of Paris (time, Rufus).

Vholes , a lawyer who draws Richard Carstone into his toils. He is always closely buttoned up, and speaks in a lifeless manner, but is pre-eminently a “most respectable man.”—Dickens: Bleak House (1852).

Vibrate (Lord), a man who can never make up his mind to anything, and, “like a man on double business bent, he stands in pause which he shall first begin, and both neglects.” Thus he would say to his valet, “Order the coachman at eleven. No; order him at one. Come back! order him at ten minutes. Stay! don’t