Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/714

BON city he resided for four years. In the year 1545 the republic of Genoa offered him the professorship of philosophy, and intrusted him, at the same time, with the task of continuing the history by Uberto Foglietta. Accused of a horrible crime, and tried before the courts of Genoa, he was found guilty, and condemned to be buried alive; but his sentence was commuted, and he was beheaded, and his body consumed by fire. Mazzuchelli, who wrote his life, and Boccalini, are of opinion that he was innocent, and that his death was a private vengeance for having too sarcastically spoken against some very powerful Genoese families. However, Manuzio, his contemporary, and Tiraboschi, seem disposed to believe that he was really guilty of the imputed crime, and that his condemnation was but too well deserved. His works, both in verse and in prose, are remarkable for their elegant simplicity and purity of language. It is to be regretted that such a man, in the prime of life, should have met with such an untimely and unhappy fate. His lyric poetry is highly praised by Crescimbeni, and his letters are cited as models of the epistolary style. He has left a classic translation of Cicero's Oratio pro Milone, and the Annales Genovenses, from 1528 to 1550, in which year, on the 19th of July, he so tragically terminated his mortal career.—A. C. M.  BONFANTE,, an Italian poet, philosopher, and botanist, born at Palermo; died in 1676. Author of "Vocabularium Botanicum," Italian synonyms, &c.—J. G.  BONFANTI, surnamed. He was born at Ferrara (uncertain date), and spent his life chiefly in painting frescos in the churches and monasteries, with some taste and pains, and no doubt much quiet self-satisfying enjoyment. His best pictures were a "Purification," a "Holy Family," and a "Christ disputing with the Doctors."—W. T.  BONFIGLIO,, born at Perugia, where he flourished as a painter about 1505, surpassed only by his great contemporary Perugino. His "Adoration of the Magi "and "Annunciation "are still preserved. He never reached the purity and repose of Raphael's master, his fine drawing, nor his saintly quietude and purity of colour.—W. T.  BONFINI,, an Italian historian, translator, and philologist, born at Ascoli in 1427; died in 1502. Author of a work on Hungarian history, distinguished by its lucid arrangement of matter, and elegance of style.—J. G.  BONFOS or BONAFOS, , of Perpignan, wrote "Michlal Yophi" (the Perfection of Beauty), an explanation in Hebrew of the scientific terms employed in logic, ethics, physics, and in the versions of Aristotle's philosophical writings. It was printed at Saloniki in 1567, and at Berlin in 1798, with a Hebrew commentary.—T. T.  BONFRERE (in Latin ),, a Flemish jesuit, celebrated as a Hebraist, was born in 1573 at Diuant in the territory of Liege. He left some valuable commentaries on the Old Testament, and an Onomasticon, or account of places in Palestine, from Eusebius and Jerome. A complete edition of his works appeared in 1736. Died at Tournay in 1643.  BONGARD, H., a Russian botanist of the present century. He has given a sketch of the botanical works undertaken in Russia, from the time of Peter the Great to the present epoch; also descriptions of new plants. Along with Karl Auton Meyer, he has published a supplement to the Flora Altaica. These works have been published at St. Petersburg from 1834 to 1841.—J. H. B. <section end="714H" /> <section begin="714I" />BONGARS,, a learned Calvinistic critic, born at Orleans in 1546; died at Paris in 1612. He was employed by Henry IV., during a period of thirty years, in several important negotiations. Bongars is celebrated for the spirited reply he made to the bull of Sixtus V. in 1585, fulminated against the king of Navarre, and the prince of Condé. Author of a compilation of Hungarian history.—J. G. <section end="714I" /> <section begin="714J" />BONGIOVANNI (in Latin ),, a learned Italian, born at Perrarolo in 1712. He drew up a catalogue of the library of St. Marc at Venice, published a Greek scholia on Homer, &c. Died towards the end of the century.—J. G. <section end="714J" /> <section begin="714K" />BONGO or BONGES,, a learned Italian, born at Bergamo; died in 1601. Celebrated for his acquaintance with the ancient languages, mathematics, music, and the occult sciences. Author of "De mystica numerorum significatione," Bergamo, 1583, 8vo, &c.—J. G. <section end="714K" /> <section begin="714L" />BONI,, born at Bologna in 1688, and finally a pupil and assistant of Marc Antonio Franceschini and Carlo Gignani; the latter he specially imitated in his frescos in the saloon of the Salazzo Pallavicini. He died in 1766, leaving behind him an infant Jupiter and a wonderful ceiling at St. Remo.—W. T. <section end="714L" /> <section begin="714M" />BONI,, an Italian archæologist and bibliographer, born in 1746; died in 1817. He commenced his studies with the jesuits at Cremona; afterwards studied theology at Rome; then became professor of rhetoric in a college in Germany; afterwards professor of literature at Cremona, and subsequently vice-rector of the college of Bergamo. He corresponded with Morcelli, Lanzi, Andrès, Tiraboschi, &c. While tutor to Prince Giustiniani at Venice, he collected several precious documents relating to Venetian history. He wrote several learned critical works.—J. G. <section end="714M" /> <section begin="714N" />BONICHI,, an Italian poet; died in 1337. He was of a noble family of Sienna, where he filled high official functions. He is quoted as one of the poets contemporary with Petrarch, whose poetry he seems to have imitated. Sighs, tears, &c., offered up at the shrine of some unknown fair one, constitute the staple of his poetic effusions.—J. G. <section end="714N" /> <section begin="714O" />BONIFACCIO,, a painter born at Viterbo in 1637. He was a scholar of Pietro da Cortona with Ciro Ferri and Romanelli. He was a painter of history and religion, and died in 1700, leaving in the Palazzo Braschi (perhaps there still, just where he hung it) a fine picture of the adulteress before Christ.—W. T. <section end="714O" /> <section begin="714Zcontin" />BONIFACE, the apostle of Germany. His original name was Winfred, and he was born at Credeantun (now Crediton) in Devonshire, of a noble family, about the year 680. His education commenced in the monastery of Exeanceastre or Exeter, under Abbot Wolfhard, and was continued in that of Nutscelle, near Southampton, under Abbot Winberct. It had been his earliest wish to dedicate himself to the service of God, and he soon distinguished himself by the zeal with which he prosecuted his studies, and by his sincere and earnest piety. When thirty years of age he took priest's orders; his reputation rose as a preacher; and the extent of his influence was proved, by his being chosen by the bishops of the kingdom of the West Saxons to explain to Berctwald, archbishop of Canterbury, the circumstances under which a synod had been held by them. Gradually, however, he formed a resolution, to the carrying out of which he devoted the rest of his life. He had heard of the miserable condition of some of the German tribes, and of the paganism which still prevailed amongst them; and he determined at all hazards to go and preach the gospel among them. In the year 716 he proceeded, with two or three companions, to Lundenwie (now London), and embarking thence, he landed at Dorstadt, in the Frisian territory. A war which he found raging there, frustrated his plans for the time, and he returned to England. But his purpose remained unshaken; the abbacy of Nutscelle, which was now offered to him, was declined by him; and two years later he again set out, giving this time by way of France and Rome. He took with him letters commendatory from the bishop of Winchester to the pope, to whom he thenceforward became entirely subservient. Gregory II., who at that time occupied the papal chair, gave him a commission to examine into the state of Germany, and after some stay at the Lombard court, he entered upon his missionary labours in Thuringia and Friesland. His boldness in denouncing the idolatries he encountered won him great fame. He fearlessly cut down everywhere the sacred trees; tradition tells how at a place called Eichsfeldt (Oakfield), a local god named Stuffo fled at his exorcism into a cave, which still bears the name of Stuffensloch or Stuffo's hole; other places witnessed the same daring zeal; the pagans were overawed; and thousands received christian baptism. He became marked out as the apostle of the Germans; numbers of missionaries came over from England to assist him; and while on another visit to Rome to give an account of his success, in 723, he was consecrated bishop by Pope Gregory, who gave him (or, as some say, confirmed to him) the name Boniface (Doer of good), by which posterity has known him. He then returned to fresh efforts and fresh successes in his self-denying work. In 742 he presided as apostolic legate at a council of twelve bishops, which was held at Augsburg; and four years later he succeeded his former superior, Willibrord, as archbishop of Mentz (Mayence). In 752 he crowned Pepin king of France at Soissons, Pepin having desired that the prelate of the greatest sanctity that could be found might perform the ceremony.—(Gibbon, Decline and Fall, chap, xlix.) The death <section end="714Zcontin" />