Vitruvius (The English), Inigo Jones (1572-1652).
Vivian, brother of Maugis d’Agremont, and son of Duke Bevis of Agremont. He was stolen in infancy by Tapinel, and sold to the wife of Sorgalant.--Roman de Maugis d’Agremont et de Vivian son Frère.
Vivian, son of Buovo (2 syl.), of the house of Clarmont, and brother of Aldiger and Malagigi.--Ariosto, Orlando Furioso (1516).
Viviane (3 syl.), daughter of Dyonas, a vavasour of high lineage, and generally called the “Lady of the Lake.” Merlin, in his dotage, fell in love with her, and she imprisoned him in the forest of Brécéliande, in Brittany. Viviane induced Merlin to show her how a person could be imprisoned by enchantment without walls, towers, or chains, and after he had done so, she fondled him into a sleep under a whitethorn laden with flowers. While thus he slept, she made a ring with her wimple round the bush, and performed the other needful ceremonies, whereupon he found himself enclosed in a prison stronger than the strongest tower, and from that imprisonment was never again released.--Merlin (a romance).
⁂ See the next article.
Viv´ien or Vivian, the personification of shameless harlotry, or the crowning result to be expected from the infidelity of Queen Guin´evere. This wily wanton in Arthur’s court hated all the knights, and tried without success to seduce “the blameless king.” With Merlin, she succeeded better, for, being pestered with her importunity, he told her the secret of his power, as Samson told Delilah the secret of his strength. Having learnt this, Vivien enclosed the magician in a hollow oak, where he was confined as one dead, “lost to life, and use, and name, and fame.”--Tennyson, Idylls of the King (“Vivien,” 1858-9). (See Viviane.)
⁂ In Malory’s History of Prince Arthur, i. 60, Nimue (? Ninive) is the fée who inveigled Merlin out of his secret:
And so upon a time it happened that Merlin shewed to her [Nimue] in a rock, whereas was a great wonder, and wrought by enchantment, which went under a stone. So by her subtle craft and working, she made Merlin to go under that stone, to let her wit of the marvels there; but she wrought so there for him that he came never out, for all his craft. And so she departed and left him there.
Voadic´ia or Boadice´a, queen of the British Icēni. Enraged against the Romans, who had defiled her two daughters, she excited an insurrection against them, and while Suetonius Paulīnus, the Roman governor, was in Mona (Anglesea), she took Colchester and London, and slew 70,000 Romans. Being at length defeated by Suetonius Paulinus, she put an end to her life by poison (A.D. 61).
Cowper has an ode on Boadicea (1790).