Vignoles, Alphoxse des, a Reformed theologian of (jermany, was born Oct. 9, 1649, at the Castle Au- bais, in Lower Languedoc. He studied at Saumur, Par- is, and Oxford, and after his return from the latter place he was, in 1675, appointed pastor at Cailar, where he commenced his chronological studies. After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, he was not oidy de- posed from his office, but also deprived of all his books and pajiers. He went in 1685 to Geneva, thence to Lausanne, Berne, and finally to Berlin. In 1688 he
VIGNON
782
VILLAGE
was appointed pastor at Halle, in 1089 was called to Bryiulenbiirg', and was received in 17(11 as a niemlior of the newly founded Academy of Sciences. In 1703 he moved to Berlin, and preached for some time in the French Church at Kiipenick, near Berlin. In 1727 he was made director of the mathematical division of the Hoyal Academy. He died July 24, 1744. He is the author of ChroHoloijie ile V HUtoire >S<iiii(e (t (Jes llintiyires EirdM/eres qui la Concerneut. ik/)ni.< la Sortie, (TEiiyptv jiiKQu'ti III Captiviie de Babylone (Berlin. 1738,2 vols.). He also wrote annotations to Lenfant's French edition , of Spanheimii DisquiiiHo Historica Je Papa Feminu in- ter Leonem I V et Benedict urn H f (La Have, 1720). See HUtoire de VAcadhnie Royale de Berlin; Jiicher, .17/- f/emeinex Gelekrten-Lexikoti,s.v.; Winer, llandbiich der theoL Literatur, i, 157, 692; FUrst, Bill. Jud. iii, 478. (B. P.)
Vignon, Ci-vrnK, a French painter and engraver, was born at Tours in 1590. He visited Italy and studied there several years. Dumesnil mentions twenty-seven spirited and masterly etchings by him, among which are St. John in the Desert: — thirteen plates from the Life of Chrixt: — The ^fartyrdom of St. Andreic: — Philip Baptizinf) the Kuniich: — and The Coronation of the Vh-- (jin. See Spooner, Biog. Uist. of the Fine A rts. s. v.
Vigor, Simou, a FVench prelate, was born at Evrt'iix aliout 1515. He was educated by his father, Ke- iiaud, who was physician to Charles IX, Henry III, and Catharine de' Medici. In 1540 Simon joined the house of Navarre, and became rector of the university, and curate of St. Germain de Vieux. In 1545 he was made doctor of theology, and soon after, as penitencier of the (,'hurch of Evreux, he accompanied his bishop to the (,'ouncil of Trent; for his services there he was reward- ed with the curacy of St. Paul's at Paris (15(55). His zealous preaching against the doctrines of the Reforma- tion tinally led to his promotion to the bishopric of Nar- bonne (1570). He died at Carcassonne, Nov. 1, 1575, leaving several sermons and historical treatises, which are enumerated m Hoefer, Xoiiv. Biog. Generale, s. v.
Vigor, "WiUiam, an abbot of Glastonbury, Eng- land. He was elected to the office and presented to the bishop of Bath, who consecrated hiin on the day after the Vigil of St. Benedict (1219). He is mentioned as having been very kind to the monks; and is immortal- ized in the Chronidex for having ceded half a load of grain to each brewing to make the beer better. He <iied Oct. 14, 1223 — but five years after his elevation. See Hill, English Monaxticixm, p. 452.
Viguier, PiiiURE FRANq'Ois, a French Orientalist, was born at Besan^on July 20, 1745. He entered the ecclesiastic ranks and taught rhetoric at the college of his native place ; afterwards he passed into the Congre- gation of St. Lazarus, and taught theology in the Semi- nary of Sens. In 1772 he went to Algiers to redeem the Christian slaves; and in 1783 to Constantinople, as apostolical pra'fect of the Jesuit establishments in the I^evant, where he acquired a knowledge of the Oriental languages. After his return to France (1802) he lived in retiretiient. and died there Feb. 7, 1821. He left sev- eral works on Eastern philology, history, etc., for which see Hoefer, Xouv. Biog. Generale, s. v.
Vihara (Sanscrit, walking, for pleasure or amuse- ment), with the Buddhists (q. v.), is the name of their temples and convents. Originally it designated tlie hall or halls where the Buddha Sakyaniuni, and the priests by whom he was accompanied, used to meet ; but when these halls were converted into temjiles, the name Vihara was applied to them; and when the tem- ples became the centre of a number of habitations in which the priests belonging to the temples resided, the whole monastic establishment was comprised under one name. Properly the Vihara merely designates the Buddhistic temple, and it is generally used in this re- stricted sense. In Ceylon they are permanent struct- ures, the walls being plastered and the roofs covered
with tiles. Surrounding the sanctum there is usually a narrow room, in which are images and paintings. Opi)osite the door of entrance there is another door, pro- tected by a screen; and when this is withdrawn an im- age of Buddha is seen, which occupies nearly the whole of ttie apartment, with a table or altar before it upon which tlowers are placed. The walls of the Vihara are covered with paintings, and its stories generally illus- trate some legend of Buddha's life. Sotnetimes no land is attached to the Viharas; but often they are rich in lands. See Hardy, Eaxtern Monackiwi (Lond. 1850).
Vi Laica Kemovenda (for i-evioving laic force'), m English ecclesiastical law, is a writ which lies where a clerk intrudes into an ecclesiastical benefice, and holds the same with a strong hand and by the great power of the laity. By this writ the sheriff is enjoined to re- move by force, and to arrest and imprison all persons who make any resistance. The writ is returualile into the Court of the (Queen's Bench, where the offenders are punished and restitution granted to the sufferer.