code: public static VelocityEngine createEngine ()
          throws Exception
      {
          VelocityEngine ve = new VelocityEngine();
          ve.setProperty(VelocityEngine.VM_LIBRARY, "");
          ve.setProperty(VelocityEngine.RESOURCE_LOADER, "classpath");
          ve.setProperty("classpath." + VelocityEngine.RESOURCE_LOADER + ".class",
                         ClasspathResourceLoader.class.getName());
          ve.setProperty(VelocityEngine.RUNTIME_LOG_LOGSYSTEM, _logger);
          ve.init();
          return ve;
      }
docs: Creates a {@link VelocityEngine} that is configured to load templates
  from the classpath and log using the samskivert logging classes and not
  complain about a bunch of pointless stuff that it generally complains
  about.
  
  @throws Exception if a problem occurs initializing Velocity. We'd throw
  something less generic, but that's what {@link VelocityEngine#init}
  throws.