Vere, de. The name of an ancient and noble family of England, descended from a Norman knight who had a high command at the battle of Hastings. His son became earl of Oxford, and minister of Henry I. The third earl was one of the barons who extorted the Magna Charta from King John. John de Vere, seventh earl, was a famous commander, and fought at Crécy and Poitiers (1356). The thirteenth earl was a leader of the Lancastrian party in the war of the Roses, and commanded the van of the army of Henry VII. at Bosworth (1485). The twentieth earl was Aubrey de Vere, who fought for Charles I. in the civil war, and after the restoration became lord-lieutenant of Essex.
Vergette (Fr.). In heraldry, a pallet or small pale; hence, a shield divided by pallets or pales.
Vermeuil. A town of France, in the department of the Eure, situated on the Arve. It was the scene of a battle between the Burgundians and English, under the Duke of Bedford, and the French, assisted by the Scots, commanded by the Count de Narbonne and the Earls of Douglas and Buchan, etc. The French at first were successful; but some Lombard auxiliaries, who had taken the English camp, commenced pillaging. Two thousand English archers then came fresh to the attack; and the French and Scots were totally defeated, and their leaders killed.
Vermont. One of the United States of America, and one of the five New England States; it was the first State received after the adoption of the Federal Constitution. Vermont is bounded on the north by Canada, on the east by the Connecticut River, which separates it from New Hampshire, on the south by Massachusetts, and on the west by New York, from which it is separated for 100 miles by Lake Champlain. The first settlement made in this State was in 1724, when it was claimed as a part of the New Hampshire grants. In 1763, it was claimed by New York, under grants of Charles II. to the Duke of York. For ten years the New York officers were resisted, and sometimes tied to trees and whipped by the lawless settlers. These contests were stopped by the Revolution, but this State, a refuge for settlers from the other States, remained eight years out of the Union. It was chiefly the Vermont militia that gained the victory of Plattsburg, on Lake Champlain, in 1812; and the Green Mountain State contributed largely to the Union forces in the war of the Rebellion.
Verolamium, or Verulamium (now Old Verulam, near St. Alban’s). The chief town of the Catuellani in Britain, probably the residence of the king Cassivellaunus, which was conquered by Cæsar. It was subsequently made a Roman municipium. It was destroyed by the Britons under Boadicea, in their insurrection against the Romans, but was rebuilt, and continued to be an important place.
Verona. An ancient city of Northern Italy, in Venetia, 72 miles west of Venice by railway. Verona is a fortress of the first rank, a member of the famous [Quadrilateral] (which see), and has always been considered a place of strength since it was surrounded with walls by the emperor Gallienus, 265. Its modern fortifications are among the most extraordinary works of military engineering in Europe. After passing into the hands of the Austrians, in 1815, it was greatly strengthened; and since 1849 every effort has been made to render it impregnable. The early history of Verona is involved in obscurity. It fell into the hands of the Romans, and under the empire became one of the most flourishing cities in the north of Italy. Constantine took it by assault in 312; Stilicho defeated the Goths here in 402; and on September 27, 489, Theodoric defeated Odoacer, king of Italy. Charlemagne took it in 774, and made it the royal residence of his son, King Pepin. In 1405 the city gave itself over to Venice, in order to free itself from its tyrants, who were alternately of the Scala, the Visconti, or the Carrara families. It was held by Venice till its capture by the French general Masséna, June 3, 1796. Near here Charles Albert of Sardinia defeated the Austrians, May 6, 1848. It was surrendered to the Italian government, October 16, 1866.
Versailles. A celebrated city of France, and long the residence of the French court, capital of the department of Seine-et-Oise, 11 miles southwest from Paris. Here was signed the treaty (September 3, 1783), at which England recognized the independence of the United States of America. On the same day a treaty was signed here between Great Britain, France, and Spain, by which Pondicherry and Carical, with other possessions in Bengal, were restored to France, and Trincomalee restored to the Dutch. Here was held the military festival of the royal guards, October 1, 1789, which was immediately followed (on the 5th and 6th) by the attack of the mob, who massacred the guards and brought the king back to Paris. Versailles, with the troops there, surrendered to the Germans September 19, 1870, and the crown-prince of Prussia entered the next day. On September 26, he awarded the iron cross to above thirty soldiers at the foot of the statue of Louis XIV. The palace was converted into a hospital. The royal headquarters were removed here from Ferrières, October 5.
Vert. In heraldry, coats of arms are distinguished from one another not only by the charges or objects borne on them, but by the color of these charges, and of the field on which they are placed. Vert (green) is indicated in uncolored heraldic engravings by diagonal lines from dexter chief to sinister base.
Vertical Fire. See [Fire, Vertical].
Vervels, or Varvels. Small rings attached to the ends of the jesses of a hawk, through which a string was passed to fasten them to its leg. They occur as a heraldic charge.