The Nuttall Encyclopaedia Part 83

BOTZARIS, one of the heroes of the war of Greek independence (1789-1823).

BOUCHARDON, a celebrated French sculptor (1698-1762).

BOUCHER, a French painter, born at Paris (1703-1770).

BOUCHER DE PERTHES, French naturalist and anthropologist, born in Ardennes (1783-1868).

BOUCICAULT, DION, a dramatic writer, author of popular Irish pieces, as "The Colleen Bawn" and "The Shaughraun" (1822-1890).

BOUCICAUT, MARSHAL DE, one of the bravest and n.o.blest of French soldiers, born at Tours; distinguished in several famous battles; was taken captive by the English at Agincourt; died in England (1364-1421).

BOUFFLERS, CHEVALIER DE, field-marshal of France, courtier and author (1737-1815).

BOUFFLERS, MARQUIS DE, marshal of France, distinguished for his defence of Namur (1695) and of Lille (1708), and his masterly retreat from Malplaquet (1645-1711).

BOUGAINVILLE, LOUIS ANTOINE DE, a French navigator, born in Paris; voyaged round the world, which occupied him two years and a half; his "Travels" had a remarkably stimulating effect on the imaginations of the "philosophies," as described by him in "Un Voyage autour du Monde"

(1729-1811).

BOUGH, SAM, landscape painter, born at Carlisle, and settled in Edinburgh for 20 years (1822-1878).

BOUGUER, PIERRE, French physicist, born in Brittany; wrote on optics and the figure of the earth (1698-1758).

BOUGUEREAU, ADOLPHE, a distinguished French painter, born at Roch.e.l.le in 1825; his subjects both cla.s.sical and religious, as well as portraits.

BOUHOUR, LE PeRE, French litterateur, born at Paris (1628-1702).

BOUILLe, MARQUIS DE, a French general, born in Auvergne, distinguished in the Seven Years' War, in the West Indies and during the Revolution; "last refuge of royalty in all straits"; favoured the flight of Louis XVI.; a "quick, choleric, sharp-discerning, stubbornly-endeavouring man, with suppressed-explosive resolution, with valour, nay, headlong audacity; muzzled and fettered by diplomatic pack-threads,... an intrepid, adamantine man"; did his utmost for royalty, failed, and quitted France; died in London, and left "Memoirs of the French Revolution" (1759-1800).

See for the part he played in it, CARLYLE'S "FRENCH REVOLUTION."

BOUILLON, district in Belgium, originally a German duchy; belonged to G.o.dfrey, the crusader, who pledged it to raise funds for the crusade.

BOUILLY, JEAN NICOLAS, a French dramatist, born near Tours, nicknamed, from his sentimentality "poete lacrymal" (1763-1842).

BOULAINVILLIERS, a French historian, author of a "History of Mahomet" (1658-1722).

BOULAK (20), the port of Cairo, on the Nile.

BOULAN'GER, JEAN MARIE, a French general, born at Rennes; of note for the political intrigues with which he was mixed up during the last years of his life, and the dangerous popular enthusiasm which he excited; accused of peculation; fled the country, and committed suicide at Brussels (1837-1891).

BOULAY DE LA MEURTHE, a French statesman, distinguished as an orator; took part in the redaction of the Civil Code; was a faithful adherent of Napoleon (1761-1840). Henri, a son, vice-president of the Republic from 1849 to 1851 (1797-1858).

BOULDER, a large ma.s.s or block of rock found in localities often far removed from the place of its formation, and transported thither on the ice of the Glacial Age.

BOULEVARD, the rampart of a fortified city converted into a promenade flanked by rows of trees and a feature of Paris in particular, though the boulevard is not always on the line of a rampart.

BOULOGNE, BOIS DE, a promenade between Paris and St. Cloud, much frequented by people of fashion, and a favourite place of recreation; it rivals that of the Champs Elysees.

BOULOGNE-SUR-MER (46), a fortified seaport in France, on the English Channel, in the dep. of Pas-de-Calais, 27 m. SW. of Calais, one of the princ.i.p.al ports for debarkation from England; where Napoleon collected in 1803 a flotilla to invade England; is connected by steamer with Folkestone, and a favourite watering-place; the chief station of the North Sea fisheries; is the centre of an important coasting trade, and likely to become a naval station.

BOULOGNE-SUR-SEINE (32), a town on the right bank of the Seine, 5 m.

SW. of Paris, from which it is separated by the Bois-de-Boulogne.

BOULTON, MATTHEW, an eminent engineer, born at Birmingham; entered into partnership with James Watt, and established with him a manufactory of steam-engines at Soho, on a barren heath near his native place; contributed to the improvement of the coinage (1728-1809).

"BOUNTY," MUTINY OF THE, a mutiny which took place on the ship _Bounty_, on the 28th April 1789, bound from Otaheite to the West Indies, on the part of 25 of the crew, who returned to Otaheite after setting the captain (Bligh) adrift with others in an open boat. Bligh reached England after a time, reported the crime, to the seizure at length of certain of the offenders and the execution of others. Those who escaped founded a colony on Pitcairn Island.

BOURBAKI, CHARLES DENIS SOTER, a French general, born at Pau, served in the Crimean War and in Italy, suffered disastrously in the Franco-German War, and attempted suicide; served for a time under Gambetta, afterwards retired; _b_. 1816.

BOURBON, a family of French origin, hailing from Bourbonnais, members of which occupied for generations the thrones of France, Naples, and Spain, and who severally ruled their territories under a more or less overweening sense of their rights as born to reign. Two branches, both of which trace back to Henry IV., held sway in France, one beginning with Louis XIV., eldest son of Louis XIII., and the other, called the Orleans, with Philip of Orleans, second son of Louis XIII., the former ending with Charles X. and his family, and the latter ending with Louis Philippe and his line. The branches of the family ruling in Spain and Naples began with Philip VI., grandson of Louis XIV., the former branch still (1899) in power, the latter ending with Francis II. in 1860.

BOURBON, CHARLES DE, styled the Constable de Bourbon, acquired immense wealth by the death of an elder brother and by his marriage, and lived in royal state; was for his daring in the field named Constable of France by Francis I.; offended at some, perhaps imaginary, injustice Francis did him, he clandestinely entered the service of the Emperor Charles V., defeated the French at Pavia, and took Francis captive; parted from Charles, laid siege to Rome, and fell in the a.s.sault, mortally wounded, it is said, by Benvenuto Cellini (1489-1527).

BOURBONNAIS, ancient province in the centre of France, being the duchy of Bourbon; united to the crown in 1531; cap. Moulins.

BOURDALOUE, LOUIS, a French Jesuit, born at Bourges, called the "king of preachers, and preacher of kings"; one of the most eloquent pulpit orators of France; did not suffer by comparison with Bossuet, his contemporary, though junior; one of the most earnest and powerful of his sermons, the one ent.i.tled "The Pa.s.sion," is deemed the greatest. His sermons are ethical in their matter from a Christian standpoint, carefully reasoned, and free from ornament, but fearless and uncompromising (1632-1704).