among them were Isaac Yossius, W. Whiston, J. Morinus, etc., who again were refuted by Carpzov, De Muis, Teg- lor, Boote, Cocceius, (irabe, Trigland. Bellarmine, H. Si- mon, (ilassius, Capellus, and a host of others, who, exam- ining the question sine slinlio et ira, were not apt to kt their sober reason run astray.
There are two or three places in which the charge of intentional corruption has a plausible appearance, viz. I'sa. xvi, 10; xxii, 17; and Zech. xii, 10; but, without entering upon an cxaniiuation of these passages, as be- yond the province of this article, we may state that a close examination proves the folly of the charge.
With regard to the other classes of alterations arising from a well-meaning desire on behalf of the text, we see no good reason to doubt that readings apparently easier or less objectionable were occasionally substituted for others; that supposed mistakes were rectitied; places, where something appeared to be wanting, tilled up; and passages made conformable to parallel ones. Examples of this kind are found in Gen. ii, 2, where, for ''""^3"Cn, the Samaritan, Sept., and Syriac have "^'i'^n ; Numb, xxvii, 7, where, instead of DIT^nX, various iVISS. with the Samaritan read "rr^^S with the feminine suffix; Judg. xviii, 30, where, for niT'O, was put mUJ^; 1 Chron. ii, 48, where, for 1^"', several MSS. read iTlb"' ia the feminine ; Psa. xxxvi, 2, where, for "'Sti, many IMSS. and versions read 135. In like manner "IT^'O, in Deut. xxiii, 2, was separated into "if Clia; and I^OS 'V, in Psa. xxviii. 8, was changed in some MSS. into 1?aS'P T", the latter taken, perhaps, froin xxix, 11.
After all, it must appear that all readings must be ascribed to purely accidental causes, such as have beeii enumerated above. See Keri and Kethib. (B. P.)
Varisuus is the name of a supposed early heretic, mentioned by Ittigius {De Bceresiarchis, iii, 1, Appen- dix xii) as being named in an anonymous commentary on St. ]Matthew. It is thought the true reading is Bar- jesii, and that the person intended is Elymas the sor- cerer, who is so called in Acts xiii, 6. See Burton, Bampton Lectures, p. 495.
Varlet, Dominique JMauie, a French prelate, was born in Paris, March 15, 1678. His father, who event- ually became a hermit of Mount Valerian, had early des- tined him for the Church, and he entered the seminary of St. Magloire, where in 1706 he received ortlination and the diploma of doctor. He served soon after as curate of Conflans-Charenton; but, becoming attached to the doctrines of the Port-Royalists, he opposed the bull Uni- f/enitus, and in consequence left for America in 1711, where he instructed the inhabitants of Louisiana. He was recalled to Europe, and appointed bishop of Ascalon and coadjutor of the bishop of Babylon (Sept. 17, 1718); and after consecration (Feb. 19, 1719) he sailed from Amsterdam, crossed Russia, and took up his residence at the court of Persia, in Hamadan. He was soon de- posed by the pope, however; and after settling in Am- sterdam (1720) he finally appealed from the bull of the pope (Feb. 15, 1723), but, nevertheless, gave ordination to four recusant ecclesiastics at Utrecht, publishing in his defence his Apolorjies (Amst. 1724-27). He died at Rhynwick, near Utrecht, INIay 14, 1742. See Iloefer, \viir. Bicfi Generale, s. v.
Varnell, John 1M., a minister in the Methodist Epis- copal Church, South. No record of his birth or early life is preserved. He was converted in 1847, received into the Holston (East 'i'enn.) Conference in 1849, and labored with zeal and fidelity until his death, in 1857. Mr. Varnell was a devout, energetic young man. See Minutes of Annual Conferences, M. E. Church, South, 1857. p. 7.53.
Varotari, Alessandro (Tl Padoranino), an emi- nent Italian painter, was born at Padua in 1590. He received instruction in painting, and began in childhood
VARRO
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to study and imitate the works of Titian, which were at Padua. He was sent, while young, to Venice, where he continued tlie study of Titian so assiduously as to be considered among the foremost of his disciples. His pictures abound in Venice and Padua, but are rarely met with elsewhere. The principal are, The Dead Christ (now at Florence) •.—The Supper at Cann, in the chapter of La Caritii at Venice : — four histories of the life of ;iS'. Doiiienico. He died in IGoO. See Spooner, Bloij. Hist, of the Fine A rts, s. v.
Varro, Marcus Terentius, a learned Roman anti- quarian, was born in the Sabine town of Reate, B.C. IIG. He was descended from an ancient family of senatorial rank, and was first instructed by L. /Elius, afterwards by Antiochus, an Academic philosopher. Varro was very prominent in the political history of his time, ad- hering to the cause of Pompey, and performing the du- ties of general in Spain. He withdrew from public life after the defeat of Pompey, and was reconciled to Oiesar. He was one of the most extraordinary men that ever lived; said to be the most learned of the Romans. His learning extended to almost every department of knowl- edge. His writings embraced grammar, rhetoric, poet- ry, geography, historj', philosophy, jurisprudence, and husbandry, amounting in all to 74 different works, con- taining 620 books, 170 of which were in metrical form. Only two of his works remain, De Lingua Latiiia and Reruin Rusticarum Libri III. Augustine (Z>e Civitate Dei, lib. vii) gives an account of his book on Antiquities, with copious extracts. Varro distinguished three kinds of religion — mythical, which the poets chiefly use ; phys- ical, which the philosophers use ; and civil, which peo- ples use. He spoke in positive disapproval of the mj-ths and legends of the popular faith. Augustine says he went as far as he dared in that direction. The natural philosophy in the various schools he describes without censure. Civil theology, or that ordained by the State, is minutely described and commended. Varro died B.C. 27. See Ueberweg. Hist, of Philos. i, 189; Fisher, Be- giiuiiiigs of Christianity (N. Y. 1877), p. 128 ; Smith, Diet, of Class. Biog. s. v.