an ancient, strong, and considerable city of France, in the department of the North and late province of Hainault. It contains about 20,000 souls. The Scheld divides it into two parts. It is a very important place: the citadel and fortifications, the work of Vauban, were constructed by order of Louis XIV. who took this town from the Spaniards. It was confirmed to him by the treaty of Nimeguen, in 1678. In 1793, it surrendered to the allies after a severe siege, but was afterwards abandoned; and is now in the possession of the French republicans. Besides lace, this city is noted for manufactures of woollen stuffs and very fine linens. It is 20 miles west-south-west of Mons, 17 north-east of Cambrai, and 120 north-east by north of Paris. E. Long. 3. 37. N. Lat. 50. 21.
VALENS (Flavius), emperor of the East, a great patron of the Arians. Killed by the Goths in the year 379. See Constantinople, n° 76.
VALENTINIAN I. emperor of the West, a renowned warrior, but a tyrant over his subjects. See Rome, n° 523.
VALENTINIAN II. emperor of the West, a prince celebrated for his virtues, and above all for his moderation; yet a conspiracy was formed against him by Arbogastes, the commander-in-chief of his armies; and he was strangled in the year 392. See Rome, n° 536.
VALENTINIANI, in church history, a sect of Christian heretics, who sprung up in the second century, and were so called from their leader Valentinus.
The Valentinians were only a branch of the Gnostics, who realized or personified the Platonic ideas concerning the Deity, whom they called Pleroma or Plenitude. Their system was this: the first principle is Bythos, i.e., Depth, which remained many ages unknown, having with it Ennoe or Thought, and Sige or Silence; from these sprung the Nous or Intelligence, which is the only son, equal to and alone capable of comprehending the Bythos; the father of Nous they called Aletheia or Truth; and these constituted the first quantity of sons, which were the source and original of all the rest: for Nous and Aletheia produced the World and Life; and from these two proceeded Man and the Church. But besides these 8 principal sons, there were 22 more; the last of which, called Sophia, being desirous to arrive at the knowledge of Bythos, gave herself a great deal of uneasiness, which which created in her Anger and Fear, of which was born Matter. But the Horos or Bounder stopped her, preserved her in the Pleroma, and restored her to Perfection. Sophia then produced the Christ and the Holy Spirit, which brought the souls to their last perfection, and made every one of them contribute their utmost to form the Saviour. Her Enthymesis, or Thought, dwelling near the Pleroma, perfected by the Christ, produced every thing that is in the world by its divers passions. The Christ sent into it the Saviour, accompanied with angels, who delivered it from its passions, without annihilating it; from thence was formed corporeal matter. And in this manner did they romance concerning God, nature, and the mysteries of the Christian religion.