Chapter Virgil's Gnat to Vitiza or Witiza of V by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Virginia, a young Roman plebeian of great beauty, decoyed by Appius Claudius, one of the decemvirs, and claimed as his slave. Her father, Virginius, being told of it, hastened to the forum, and arrived at the moment when Virginia was about to be delivered up to Appius. He seized a butcher’s knife, stabbed his daughter to the heart, rushed from the forum, and raised a revolt.

(This has been the subject of a host of tragedies. In French, by Mairet (1628), by Leclerc (1645), by Campistron (1683), by La Beaumelle (1760), by Chabanon (1769), by Laharpe (1786), by Leblanc du Guillet (1786), by Guiraud (1827), by Latour St. Ybars (1845), etc. In Italian, by Alfieri (1783). In German, by Gotthold Lessing (eighteenth century). In English, by John Webster, entitled Appius and Virginia (1654); by Miss Brooke (1760); J. S. Knowles (1820), Virginius. It is one of lord Macaulay’s lays (1842), supposed to be sung in the forum on the day when Sextus and Licinus were elected tribunes for the fifth time.)

Virginia, the daughter of Mme. de la Tour. Madame was of a good family in Normandy, but, having married beneath her social position, was tabooed by her family. Her husband died before the birth of his first child, and the widow went to live at Port Louis, in the Mauritius, where Virginia was born. Their only neighbour was Margaret, with her love-child Paul, an infant. The two children grew up together, and became strongly attached; but when Virginia was 15 years old her wealthy great-aunt adopted her, and requested that she might be sent immediately to France, to finish her education. The “aunt” wanted her to marry a French count, and, as Virginia refused to do so, disinherited her and sent her back to the Mauritius. When within a cable’s length of the island, a hurricane dashed the ship to pieces, and the corpse of Virginia was cast on the shore. Paul drooped, and died within two months.—Bernardin de St. Pierre: Paul et Virgine (1788).

N.B.—In Cobb’s dramatic version of this story, Virginia’s mother is of Spanish origin, and dies committing Virginia to the charge of Dominique, a faithful old negro servant. The aunt is donna Leonora de Guzman, who sends don Antonio de Guardes to bring Virginia to Spain, and there to make her his bride. She is carried to the ship by force; but scarcely is she set on board when hurricane dashes the vessel to pieces. Antonio is drowned, but Virginia is rescued by Alhambra, a runaway slave whom she has befriended. The drama ends with the marriage between Virginia and Paul (1756–1818).

Virginians (The), a novel by Thackeray (1857).

Virginius, father of the Roman Virginia, the title of a tragedy by S. Knowles (1820). (For the tale, see Virginia.)

(Macready (1793–1873) made the part of “Virginius” in Knowles’s drama; but the first to act it was John Cooper, in Glasgow, 1820.)

Virgivian Sea. (See Vergivian, p. 1172.)

Virolam, St. Alban’s. (See Verulam, p. 1173.)

Brave Voadicia made…to Virolam.

Drayton: Polyolbion, viii. (1612).

Virolet, the hero of Fletcher’s play called The Double Marriage. He was married to Juliana and to Martia (1647).

Virtues (The Seven): (1) Faith, (2)hope, (3) charity, (4) prudence, (5) justice, (6) fortitude, and (7) temperance. The first three are called “the holy virtues.”

I [Virgil] with those abide
Who the three holy virtues put not on,
But understood the rest, and without blame
Followed them all.
   —Dante: Purgatory, vii. (1308).