=Vincen´tio=, duke of Vienna. He delegates his office to Angelo, and leaves Vienna for a time, under the pretence of going on a distant journey; but, by assuming a monk’s hood, he observes, incognito, the conduct of his different officers. Angelo tries to dishonor Isabella, but the duke re-appears in due time and rescues her, while Angelo is made to marry Mariana, to whom he was already betrothed.--Shakespeare, _Measure for Measure_ (1603). ⁂ Mariana was Angelo’s wife by civil contract, or, as the duke says to her, “He is thy husband by pre-contract,” though the Church had not yet sanctified the union and blessed it. Still, the duke says that it would be “no sin” in her to account herself his wife, and to perform towards him the duties of a wife. Angelo’s neglect of her was “a civil divorce,” which would have been a “sin” if the Church had sanctified the union, but which, till then, was only a moral or civil offence. Mariana also considered herself Angelo’s “wife,” and calls him “her husband.” This is an interesting illustration of the “civil contract” of matrimony long before “The Marriage Registration Act,” in 1837. _Vincentio_, an old gentleman of Pisa, in Shakespeare’s comedy called _The Taming of the Shrew_ (1593). _Vincentio_, the troth-plight of Evadne, sister of the marquis of Colonna. Being himself without guile, he is unsuspicious, and when Ludovico, the traitor, tells him that Evadne is the king’s wanton, he believes it and casts her off. This brings about a duel between him and Evadne’s brother, in which Vincentio falls. He is not, however, killed; and when the villainy of Ludovico is brought to light, he re-appears and marries Evadne.--Sheil, _Evadne_, or _The Statue_ (1820). _Vincentio_ (_Don_), a young man who was music mad, and said that the _summum bonum_ of life is to get talked about. Like Queen Elizabeth, he loved a “crash” in music, plenty of noise and fury. Olivia de Zuniga disgusted him by maintaining the jew’s-harp to be the prince of musical instruments.--Mrs. Cowley, _A Bold Stroke for a Husband_ (1782). =Vi´ola=, sister of Sebastian; a young lady of Messaline. They were twins, and so much alike that they could be distinguished only by their dress. Viola and her brother were shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria, Viola was brought to shore by the captain, but her brother was left to shift for himself. Being a stranger in a strange land, Viola dressed as a page, and, under the name of Cesario, entered the service of Orsīno, duke of Illyria. The duke greatly liked his beautiful page, and, when he discovered her true sex, married her.--Skakespeare, _Twelfth Night_ (1602). =Vi´ola and Hono´ra=, daughter of General Archas, “the loyal subject” of the great-duke of Muscovia.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Loyal Subject_ (1618).