his judgment Mr. Van Dyke was one of the first statesmen in rank whom he knew in America." William T. Reed said of him : " If surpassed by some of his contemporaries (inferior to few, if any, members of the bar throughout the Union) in pro- found knowledge of the law and in dialectical power, he was a sound lawyer, and superior to them all as a fluent, graceful, and successful advo- cate and in the skilful management of his cases. He never lost his predilection for general litera- ture, and was remarkable for the ease and elegance of his manners and conversational powers, for his taste in architecture and his fondness for indulg- ing in it. In the senate of the United States he not only maintained but increased the high repu- tation of the representatives of Delaware for states- manship and ability as a debater. He was of the Federal party."
VANE, Sir Henry, governor of Massachusetts,
b. in Hadlow, Kent, England, in 1612 ; d. in Lon-
don, 14 June, 1662. He was the son of Sir Henry
Vane, comptroller of the household of Charles I.,
and was educated at
Westminster school
and Oxford. Through
his father's influence
he early entered the
diplomatic service and
visited Vienna, in
1631, with the Eng-
lish ambassador. It
is supposed that he
spent a short time in
Geneva, for he return-
ed to England a thor-
ough Puritan, and, re-
fusing the career that
was open to him as
the son of a courtier,
sailed in 1635 for New
England. An impres-
sive bearing and great
abilities, joined to the
fact of his high birth, led to his taking an ac-
tive part in the affairs of the colony of Massachu-
setts. Within a month after his arrival he was
admitted to membership in the church of Boston,
and before three months had expired, with Hugh
Peters, he procured a meeting in Boston of the
principal magistrates and ministers of the colony,
with a view to healing some distractions in the
•commonwealth and "effecting a more firm and
friendly uniting of minds." At this meeting Vane
declared in favor of a more rigorous administra-
tion of government than had thus far been pur-
sued. In May, 1636, notwithstanding his youth,
Vane was chosen governor of the colony. Accord-
ing to John Winthrop, " the ships congratulated
his election with a volley of shot. It was expedi-
ent before all things that the colonists should be
united, but Vane had a horror of all forms of big-
otry, and he had no sympathy with the attacks of
the clergy on Anne Hutchinson, with many of
whose opinions he agreed. A strong opposition
was organized against him, and he was defeated at
the annual election in 1637. But he had gained
the affection of the people of Boston, and was at
once chosen by them one of their representatives
to the general court. The majority of that body
declared the election of Vane and his associates
void, whereupon the inhabitants returned them a
second time on the next day. In order to put
down the Hutchinson heresy, a law was passed by
the general court that no strangers should be re-
ceived within the jurisdiction of the colony except
such as should be allowed by some of the magis-
trates. This created such public discontent that
Gov. Winthrop put forward a *' Defence," to which
Vane immediately replied with " A Brief Answer
to a certain Declaration made of the Intent and
Equity of the Order of Court that none should be
received to inhabit within this Jurisdiction but
such as should be allowed by some of the Magis-
trates." Vane returned to England in August,
1637, and thereafter it is recorded by Winthrop that
" he showed himself in later years a true friend to
New England, and a man of a noble and generous
mind." He was elected to parliament in 1640, was
made treasurer of the navy with Sir William Rus-
sell, and during the same year he was knighted.
In November, 1640, he was chosen to the long par-
liament, and before the assembly met he found
among his father's papers (so it has been asserted)
notes that subsequently formed the chief evidence
in causing the impeachment and execution of the
Earl of Strafford. The use of this information
brought about a. collision between father and son,
and it was several years before they were recon-
ciled. He became a zealous opponent of the royal-
ist party and turned the fees of his office — £30,000
a year — over to parliament, deeming such a reve-
nue too great for a subject. In July, 1643, he was
sent to Scotland as one of the commissioners to
negotiate an alliance, and by his persuasion the
" Solemn league and covenant " was adopted. Dur-
ing the progress of the war he was placed on all
commissions that were empowered to treat with
the king, and was also one of the parliament's com-
mittee that occasionally accompanied the army.
When the house of commons discussed the terms of
settlement that were offered by the king, he led
the minority that favored their rejection, but yield-
ed to the majority, and retired. In 1649 he re-
turned to public life as a member of the council
of state, and had almost exclusive direction of
the navy and the conduct of foreign wars. The
forcible dissolution of the parliament by Oliver
Cromwell in 1653 brought him into open enmity
with that leader. He then went to Raby castle
and devoted himself to writing theological works.
Certain of his publications being regarded as sedi-
tious, he was imprisoned in Carisbrooke castle, but
was soon released. After the death of Oliver Crom-
well he returned to parliament, when he became
the leader of the Republican party. On the restora-
tion of the monarchy he was imprisoned, and after
a trial for treason was beheaded. Sir Henry Vane's
labors in behalf of New England were arduous and
important. The charter for the colony of Rhode
Island was procured in great measure through his
influence, and Roger Williams declared that his
name ought ever to be held in honored remem-
brance by her people. See his biography by George
Sikes, a contemporary ; M Life of Sir Henry Vane,"
by Charles W. Upham, in Sparks's " American Biog-
raphy " (Boston, 1835) : " Statesmen of the Com-
monwealth," by John Forster (London, 1840) : and
" The Life of Young Sir Henry Vane, Governor of
Massachusetts Bay and Leader of the Long Par-
liament," by James K. Hosmer (Boston, 1888).
VAN ELTEN, Hendrick Dirk Krusenian, artist, b. in Alkman, Holland, 14 Nov., 1829. He began the study of art in his native town, and in 1844 went to Haarlem, where he studied with Cornells Sieste and other masters. His professional life has been spent in Holland and in New York, in which city he has resided since 1865. He is a member of various academies and art societies in Holland and Belgium and in the United States, and a chevalier of the Order of the Lion.
