VOLKSMXHRCHEN 
 
 
Zschokke (1771-1848), Hoffmann (1776- 
1822), Gustav   Freytag, "The German 
Dickens" (1816-1878), and the brothers 
Grimm. 
 
   Vol'pone (2 syl.), or THE Fox, a comedy 
by Ben Jonson (1605). Volpone, a rich 
Venetian   nobleman, without children, 
feigns to be dying, in order to draw gifts 
from those who pay court to him under 
the expectation of becoming his heirs. 
Mosca, his knavish confederate, persuades 
each in turn that he is named for the in- 
heritance, and by this means exacts many 
a costly present. At the end, Volpone is 
betrayed, his property forfeited, and he is 
sentenced to lie in the worst hospital in 
all Venice. 
  Jonson has three great comedies: Volpone, or 
The Fox, Epicene, or The Silent Woman, and The 
Alchemist.-R. Chambers, English Literature, i. 
192. 
 
  Voiscius (Prince), a military hero, who 
falls in love with the fair Parthen6pA, and 
disputes with Prince Prettyman upon the 
superiority of his sweetheart to Cloris, 
whom Prince Prettyman sighs for.-Duke 
of Buckingham, The Rehearsal (1671). 
  Why, this is worse than Prince Volseius in 
love !-Sir W. Scott. 
  Oh, be merry, by all means. Prince Volscius 
in love! Ha, ha, ha !-W. Congreve, The Double 
Dealer (1694). 
 
  Volsunga Saga (The), a collection of 
tales in verse about the early Teutonic 
heroes, compiled by Soemund Sigfusson 
in the eleventh century. A prose version 
was made some 200 years later by Snorro 
Sturleson. This saga forms a part of the 
Rythmical, or Elder Edda, and of the 
Prose, or Younger Edda. 
 
  Voltaire (The German), Johann Wolf- 
gang von Goethe (1749-1838). 
 
 
   Christoph Martin Wieland is also called 
 "The German Voltaire" (1733-1813). 
 
   Voltaire (The Polish), Ignatius Krasicki 
 (1774-1801). 
 
   Voltaire (The Bussian), Alex P. Sumo- 
 rokof (1727-1777). 
 
   Vol'timand, a courtier in the court of 
 Claudius, king of Denmark.-Shakespeaxe,. 
 Hamlet (1596). 
 
 Volumnia was the wife of Coriolanus, 
 and Vetu'ria his mother; but Shakespeare 
 makes Virgilia the wife, and Volumnia 
 the mother.- Coriolanus (1610). 
 The old man's merriment in Menenius; the 
 lofty lady's dignity in Volumnia; the bridal 
 modesty in Virgilia; the patrician and military 
 haughtiness in Coriolanus; the plebeian malig- 
 nity and tribunitian insolence in Brutus and 
 Sicinius, make a very pleasing and interesting 
 variety.-Dr. Johnson. 
 
 Voluspa Saga (The), the prophecy of 
 V6la. It contains between 200 and 300 
 verses, and resembles the Sibylline books 
 of ancient Rome.    The   Voluspa Saga 
 gives, in verse, a description of chaos, the 
 formation of the world, the creation of all 
 animals (including dwarfs and giants, 
 genii and devils, fairies and goblins), the 
 final conflagration of the world and its re- 
 newal, when it will appear in celestial 
 beauty, like the new Jerusalem described 
 in the book of the Revelation. 
 
 Vorst (Peterkin), the sleeping sentinel 
 at Powys Castle.-Sir W. Scott, The Be- 
 trothed (time, Henry II.). 
 
 Vortigern, counsel of the Gewisseans, 
who crowned Constans, king of Britain, 
although he was a monk, but treacher- 
ously contrived to get him assassinated 
 
 
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VORTIGERN