Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/751

BOU His works remain in MS., with the exception of "Oraison funèbre de Marie de Lorraine, abbesse de Chelles," published at Paris in 1627.—J. S., G.  BOULLEMIER,, a French historian, born at Dijon in 1725; died in 1803. After having for some time pursued a military career, he entered the church. He wrote a great number of works connected with the history of Burgundy, some of which have been inserted in the collections of the Academy of Dijon.—J. G.  BOULLIER,, a Dutch protestant theologian of French extraction, successively pastor at Amsterdam and in London, born at Utrecht in 1699; died in London in 1759. His principal works are—"Essai Philosophique sur l'Ame des bêtes," 1727; "Apologie de la metaphysique, à l'occasion du Discours preliminaire de l'Encyclopédie," 1753; and "Lettres critiques sur les Lettres philosophiques de Voltaire," 1754.—J. S., G.  BOULLONGNE,, a French religious painter, and founder of a family of reasonably good artists. He became senior painter to the king, professor of the Royal Academy at Paris, and a celebrated copyist, so skilful as to deceive the best judges. His most celebrated imitation was the Parnassus of Perino del Oaja, for the banker Jabach. No picture of Louis' is in the Louvre. He left three or four etchings, and three great religious pictures in Notre Dame—"St. Paul at Ephesus," "St. Paul's Martyrdom," and the "Presentation in the Temple." His eldest son,, was born in 1649, and was also a great copyist. He went to Rome, stayed five years, and returned to Paris to enter the academy of which he became professor. He drew and coloured well, but was often mannered and inflated. He executed frescos for the chapel of the Invalides, some church pictures, and some etchings. At Versailles, under Lebrun, he painted nine of the chapel panels. He also painted a "Holy Family," and "Christ at the Pool of Bethesda," and died in 1717. His younger brother,, was born for the good cause in 1654. At eighteen, like his brother, he carried off the prize in the academy, and went to Rome to copy Raphael with such success that some of his drawings were afterwards used for the Gobelin tapestries. In 1680 he became an academician, and by meritorious work in the Invalides and Notre Dame obtained a pension and the order of St. Michael, so that afterwards he was generally called the Chevalier. After the death of Coypel, the king loaded him with honours. He became the court painter, and received an indelible patent of nobility. He was chosen designer of medals to the Academy of Inscriptions, and, lastly, director of the Painting Academy. His two sisters, and, painted flowers and fruits.—W. T.  BOULOGNE,, a French prelate, born at Avignon in 1747; died in 1825. In 1771, when he had hardly attained canonical age, he was ordained priest, and commenced his ministrations at Avignon, with a reputation derived from considerable talent and academical success. He removed to Paris in 1774, and three years afterwards had the honour of being selected to preach before the aunts of Louis XVI. A misunderstanding which arose between him and the archbishop of the city, resulted in his being subjected to an interdict, which suspended him from his functions for a considerable period. After having filled the office of vicar-general under the bishop of Chalons-sur-Marne, he returned to Paris, and in 1783 preached before the royal family. In 1784 he was again at Chalons, in quality of archdeacon and canon; in 1788 was named by Talleyrand to the abbaye of Tonnay-Charente, and in 1789 deputed to one of the public courts of Paris. During the Revolution, having declared himself a nonjuror, he was three times arrested, but contrived to escape banishment, with which he was threatened. Under the empire he was successively bishop of Acqui and of Troyes; but from the latter see he was deposed by Napoleon, and despatched to Vincennes, for having opposed the imperial will in the council of 1811. He was restored in 1814, and in 1817 promoted to the archbishopric of Vienne. His works were collected at Paris shortly after his death.—J. S., G.  BOULTER,, a laborious and philanthropic prelate, appointed by George I. to the primacy of Ireland, born in or near London in 1671, was educated at Merchant Taylors' school and at Christ church, Oxford. He was a contemporary of Addison at Magdalen college, of which they were both elected demy shortly after the Revolution. Having attained a fellowship, he resided at that college till 1700, when he became chaplain to Sir Charles Hedges, secretary of state, from whose household he subsequently removed to that of Archbishop Tenison. In 1719, having previously been named by Tenison to the rectory of St. Olave's, Southwark, and to the archdeaconry of Surrey, he accompanied George I. to Hanover, as king's chaplain, and tutor to Prince Frederic, for whom he drew up a set of instructions which so pleased the king that he made him dean of Christ church, and bishop of Bristol. After presiding in this latter see with great credit for four years and a half, he was nominated to the primacy of Ireland, and arrived in that country in 1724. To the duties of this responsible position he brought such energy, intelligence, and philanthropy, as practically brought the direction of the government within his power; while his extensive charities, and laborious endeavours to foster native industry, commanded for him the respect of all classes of the people. He died in London in 1742. Besides his occasional sermons, and a few of his charges to the clergy of Ireland, two volumes of his "Letters to Ministers of State," illustrative of Irish history from 1724 to 1738, have been published.—J. S., G.  BOULTON,, an English engineer, famous as the partner of the more celebrated James Watt, was born at Birmingham on 3d September, 1728. He early showed an aptitude for mechanical work, and when only seventeen, designed and executed improvements on some of the smaller articles of Birmingham manufacture. Succeeding to some property on the death of his father, and finding his premises inadequate for his experiments and improvements, he purchased in 1762 a lease of the Soho, a barren heath about two miles from Birmingham, where he proceeded to establish the works afterwards so famous. He showed great taste in the manner in which the buildings were designed and the ground laid out, and spared no expense in seeking to bring the different departments of his business to greater perfection than had ever been attained before. The ornaments which were made at the Soho from the designs of artists employed on the works soon became famous over Europe, and the demands of a rapidly-increasing business made Mr. Boulton feel that the mills which supplied the motive power were quite inadequate. He had therefore recourse to the newly-discovered power of steam. Mr. James Watt obtained in 1769 a patent for improvements on the steam-engine. In that year Mr. Boulton entered into negotiations with the great engineer, and induced him to remove to Soho and become his partner. An extension of the patent for twenty-five years was procured in 1775, and the partners entered on an extensive manufactory of the improved engines, which were soon carried to all parts of the country. But Mr. Boulton did not forget his original purpose in securing the co-operation of Mr. Watt. He proceeded to apply the engine, and with very great success, to the various departments of labour in the works. So perfect were the arrangements of the coining machine, that the power of one engine could turn off from 30,000 to 40,000 coins in an hour. Mr. Boulton died 17th August, 1809, in his eighty-first year. Though not possessed of such genius as his partner, he held no mean place as a mechanician, and as long as Mr. Watt's achievements are recorded, the sympathy and friendly aid of Mr. Boulton will be remembered. He liberally expended £47,000 in the experiments of the steam-engine before the improvements were effected, or could secure any return. It is no slight praise that Watt should thus speak of him—"To his friendly encouragement, to his partiality for scientific improvements, to his intimate knowledge of business and manufactures, and to his extended views and liberal spirit, may in a great measure be ascribed what ever success may have attended my exertions."—J. B.  BOUQUET,, a celebrated Benedictine, born at Amiens in 1685; died in 1754. He undertook a history of the Gauls and Franks, the idea of which work had been conceived by Colbert in 1676. Of this work he lived to complete the eighth volume in 1752, and had commenced the ninth when death closed his labours. This important work has been continued by several learned Benedictines, under the title of "Rerum Gallicarum et Francicarum Scriptores," or "Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France." Bouquet was associated with the learned Montfauçon in several of his works.—J. G. <section end="751H" /> <section begin="751Zcontin" />BOUQUIER,, a French litterateur, born in Perigord about 1750; died in 1811. He was member of the convention for the department of Dordogne, and was a man of strong revolutionary opinions. He voted for the death of Louis XVI., but took no part in the struggle between the <section end="751Zcontin" />