Chapter Venus Anadyomene to Vesper Hour of V by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Vernon mentioned by Thomson in his Summer, was Admiral Edward Vernon, who attacked Carthagena in 1741; but the malaria reached the crew, and, as the poet says-

“To infant weakness sunk the warrior's arms.”

   Diana Vernon. An enthusiastic Royalist of great beauty and talent. (Sir Walter Scott: Rob Roy.

Veronese (3 syl.). A native of Verona, pertaining to Verona, etc.; a Paul Veronese, Paul a native of Verona; a Veronese fashion, and so on.

Veronica It is said that a maiden handed her handkerchief to our Lord on His way to Calvary. He wiped the sweat from his brow, returned the handkerchief to the owner, and went on. The handkerchief was found to bear a perfect likeness of the Saviour, and was called Vera-Iconica (true likeness), and the maiden was ever after called St. Veronica. One of these handkerchiefs is preserved at St. Peter's church in Rome, and another in Milan cathedral.

Versailles of Poland The palace of the Counts of Braniski, which now belongs to the municipality of Bialystok.

Versaillese (The). The government troops, in the presidency of M. Thiers. The Communist troops were called the Federals, short for the “Federated National Guards.”

Versi Berneschi Jocose poetry. So called from Francesco Berni, the Italian poet. (1490-1536.)

Vert [green ], in heraldry, signifies love, joy, and abundance. It is represented on the shields of noblemen by the emerald, and on those of kings by the planet Venus
    In heraldry vert is symbolically expressed by diagonal lines running from right to left of the shield. Lines running the reverse way- i.e. from left to right- mean purpure.
   N.B. English heralds vary escutcheons by only seven colours, but foreign heralds employ nine colours. (See Heralds.)

Vertumnus The god of the seasons, who married Pomona. August 12th was his festival. (Roman mythology.)

Verulam Buildings (London). So named in compliment to Lord Bacon, who was Baron Verulam and Viscount St. Albans.

Vervain Called “holy herb,” from its use in ancient sacred rites. Also called “pigeons' grass,” “Juno's tears,” and “simpler's joy.” Supposed to cure scrofula, the bite of rabid animals, to arrest the diffusion of poison, to avert antipathies, to conciliate friendships, and to be a pledge of mutual good faith; hence it was anciently worn by heralds and ambassadors. (See Roodselken. )
   Verbena is the botanical name.

“The term Verbena (quasi herbena) originally denoted all those herbs that were held sacred on account of their being employed in the rites of sacrifice.”- Mill: Logic, book iv. chap. v. p. 485.

Vesica Piscis (Latin, fish-bladder). The ovoidal frame or glory which, in the twelfth century, was much used, especially in painted windows, to surround pictures of the Virgin Mary and of our Lord. It is meant to represent a fish, from the anagram ICHTHUS. (See Notarica. )

Vesper Hour is said to be between the dog and the wolf; “betwixt and between,” neither day nor night; a breed between the dog and wolf; too much day to be night, and too much night to be day. Probably the phrase was suggested by the terms “dog watch” (which begins at four), and “dark as a wolf's mouth.”
   Sicilian Vespers. Easter Monday, March 30, 1282. So called because John of Procida on that day led a band of conspirators against Charles d'Anjou and his French countrymen in Sicily. These Frenchmen greatly oppressed the Sicilians, and the conspirators, at the sound of the vesper bell, put them all to the sword without regard to age or sex.
   The Fatal Vespers. October 26th, 1623. A congregation of some 300 persons had assembled in a small gallery over the gateway of the French ambassador, in Blackfriars, to hear Father Drury, a Jesuit, preach. The gallery gave way, and about 100 of the congregation were precipitated into the street and killed. Drury and a priest named Redman were also killed. This accident was, according