BOULAINVILLIERS.

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dom and simplicity of the ancient nobility, from which he descended. M. Boulainvilliers left some other works in MS. known to the learned, who have, with great reason, been astonished to find, that he expresses in them his doubts of the most incontestable dogmas of religion, while he blindly gives credit to the reveries of judicial astrology; an inconsistency common to many other infidels. Mosheim informs us that Boulainvilliers was such an admirer of the pernicious opinions of Spinosa, that he formed the design of expounding and illustrating it, as is done with respect to the doctrines of the gospel in books of piety, accommodated to ordinary capacities. This design he actually executed, but in such a manner as to set the atheism and impiety of Spinosa in a clearer light than they had ever appeared before. The work was published by Lenglet du Fresnoy, who, that it might be bought with avidity, and read without suspicion, called it a Refutation of the Errors of Spinosa, artfully adding some separate pieces, to which this title may, in some measure, he thought applicable. The whole title runs, "Refutation des Erreurs de Benoit de Spinosa, par M. de Fenelon, archeveque de Cambray, par le Pere Lauri Benedictin, et par M. Le Comte de Boulainvilliers, avec la Vie de Spinosa, ecrite par Jean Colerus, minister de l'Eglise Lutherienne de la Haye, augmentée de beaucoup de particularités tirées d'une vie manuscrite de ce philosophe, fait par un de ses amis," (Lucas, the atheistical physician), Brussels, 1731, 12mo. The account and defence of Spinosa, given by Boulainvilliers, under the pretence of a refutation, take up the greatest part of this book, and are placed first, and not last in order, as the title would insinuate; and the volume concludes with what is not in the title, a defence of Spinosa by Bredenburg, and a refutation of that defence by Orobio, a Jew of Amsterdam.-It remains to be noticed, that his Life of Mahomet, which he did not live to complete, was published at London and Amsterdam, in 1730, 8vo; and about the same time an English translation of it appeared. His letters, also, on the French parliaments, were translated and published at London, 1739, 2 vols. 8vo.1

BOULANGER (NICHOLAS ANTHONY), one of the earliest French infidels, who assumed the name of philosophers was born at Paris in 1722, and died there in 1759, aged

1 Moreri.—Dict. Hist.-Mosheim's Eccl. Hist.-Saxii Onomast,

great

only thirty-seven. During his education, he is said to have come out of the college of Beauvais almost as ignorant as he went in; but, struggling hard against his inaptitude to study, he at length overcame it. At seventeen years of age he began to apply himself to mathematics and architecture; and, in three or four years made such progress as to be useful to the baron of Thiers, whom he accompanied to the army in quality of engineer. Afterwards he had the supervision of the highways and bridges, and executed several public works in Champagne, Burgundy, and Lorrain. In cutting through mountains, directing and changing the courses of rivers, and in breaking up and turning over the strata of the earth, he saw a multitude of different substances, which (he thought) evinced the antiquity of it, and a long series of revolutions which it must have undergone. From the revolutions in the globe, he passed to the changes that must have happened in the manners of men, in societies, in governments, in religion; and formed many conjectures upon all these. To be farther satisfied, he wanted to know what, in the history of ages, had been said upon these particulars; and, that he might be informed from the fountain-head, he learned first Latin, and then Greek. Not yet content, he plunged into Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldaic, and Arabic: and from these studies accumulated a vast mass of singular and paradoxical opinions which he conveyed to the public in the following works: 1. "Traité du Despotisme Oriental,” 2 vols. 12mo. 2. "L'antiquité dévoilé, par ses usages," 3 vols. 12mo. This was posthumous. 3. Another work, entitled "Le Christianisme démasqué," 8vo, is attributed to him, but it is not certain that he was the author of it. 4. He furnished to the Encyclopedie the articles Déluge, Corvée, and Société. 5. A dissertation on Elisha and Enoch. 6. He left behind him in MS. a dictionary, which may be regarded as a concordance in antient and modern languages. Voltaire, the baron D'Holbach, and other disseminators of infidelity, made much use of Boulanger's works, and more of his name, which, it is supposed, they prefixed to some of their own compositions. Barruel gives some reason for thinking that Boulanger retracted his opinions before his death. His name, however, still remained of consequence to the party; and as late as 1791, an edition of his works, entitled the Philosophical Li

brary, was published at the philosophic press in Swisserland.i

BOULANGER (JOHN), an engraver, who flourished about the year 1657, was a native of France. His first manner of engraving was partly copied from that of Francis de Poilly; but he afterwards adopted a manner of his own, which, though not original, he greatly improved; and, accordingly, he finished the faces, hands, and all the naked parts of his figures very neatly with dots, instead of strokes, or strokes and dots. This style of engraving has been of late carried to a high degree of perfection, particularly in England. Notwithstanding several defects in the naked parts of his figures, and in his draperies, his best prints are deservedly much esteemed. Such are "A Holy Family," from Fran. Corlebet; "Virgin and Child," from Simon Vouet; "The Pompous Cavalcade," upon Louis the XIVth coming of age, from Chauveau; "The Virgin with the infant Christ," holding some pinks, and therefore called "The Virgin of the Pinks," from Raphael; "The Virgin de Passau," from Salario;" "Christ carrying his Cross," from Nicolas Mignard; "A dead Christ, supported by Joseph of Arimathea." He also engraved many portraits, and, among others, that of Charles II. of England. He likewise engraved from Leonardo de Vinci, Guido, Champagne, Stella, Coypel, and other great masters, as well as from his own designs.

There was another JOHN BOULANGER, a painter, who was born in 1606, and died in 1660. Mr. Fuseli informs us that he was a pupil of Guido, became painter to the court of Modena, and master of a school of art in that city. What remains of his delicate pencil in the ducal palace, proves the felicity of his invention, the vivid harmony of his colour, and in the attitudes a spirit bordering on enthusiasm. Such is the Sacrifice (if it be his, as fame asserts) of Iphigenia; though the person of Agamemnon is veiled in a manner too whimsical to be admitted in a heroic subject. Of his scholars, Tomaso Costa of Sassuolo, and Sigismondo Caula a Modenese, excelled the rest. Costa, a vigorous colourist, laid his hand indiscriminately on every subject of art, greatly employed at Reggio, his usual residence, and much at Modena, where he painted the

Dict. Hist.

cupola of S. Vicenzo. Caula left his home only to improve himself at Venice, and returned with a copious and welltoned style; but sunk to a more languid one as he advanced in life. 1

BOULLONGNE (Louis de), the elder, painter to the king, and professor in the French academy, was born at Paris in 1609, and was principally distinguished for his ability in copying the works of the most famous ancient painters, which he did with astonishing fidelity. There are also in the church of Notre Dame at Paris three pictures of his own of considerable merit. He died at Paris in 1674, leaving the two following sons:

BOULLONGNE (BON DE), eldest son of the preceding, was born at Paris in 1649, and acquired the principles of painting from his father, whom he resembled in his talent of imitating the works of the greatest masters. After a residence of five years in Italy, he was admitted into the academy, of which he became a professor, and employed by Louis XIV. at Versailles and Trianon. He excelled in history and portrait; his designs were accurate, and his colouring good. Besides his paintings in fresco, in two of the chapels of the Invalids, he painted several pieces for the churches and public buildings of Paris, several of which have been engraved. We have also three etchings. done by him, from his own compositions, viz. a species of "Almanack;" "St. John in the Desert ;" and "St. Bruno in a landscape;" its companion. He died at Paris in His brother LOUIS DE BOULLONGNE the younger, was born at Paris in 1654, and educated under his father, by whose instruction he made such improvement, that he obtained the prize of the academy at 18. His studies were completed at Rome, where he particularly studied the works of Raphael, and from his copies which were sent home, the Gobelin tapestries were executed. After his return he was received into the academy in 1680; and his works in the churches of Notre Dame and the Invalids, and particularly his frescos in the chapel of St. Augustin, were so much esteemed, that Louis XIV. honoured him with his special patronage, allowing him a considerable pension; conferring upon him the order of St. Michael; choosing him designer of medals to the academy of inscriptions, after the death of Anthony Coypel; appointing him his principal

1717.

Strutt and Pilkington.

painter, and ennobling him and all his descendants. The academy of painting also chose him first for its rector, and afterwards director, which place hé occupied till his death. He chiefly excelled in historical and allegorical subjects. From his performances it appeared, that he had carefully studied the most eminent masters; his colouring was strong, his composition was in a good style, the airs of his heads had expression and character, and his figures were correctly designed. His regular attendance at the academy, and his advice to the students, commanded respect : and the general mildness and affability of his disposition engaged esteem among those who knew him. He raised a considerable fortune by his profession, and died in 1734. Two sisters of this family, "Genevieve" and "Magdalen," painted well, and were members of the royal academy in

1669. 1

BOULTER (HUGH), D. D. archbishop of Armagh, primate and metropolitan of all Ireland, was born in or near London, Jan. 4, 1671, of a reputable and opulent family, received his first rudiments of learning at Merchant-Taylor's school, and was admitted from thence a commoner of Christ-church, Oxford, some time before the Revolution. His merit became so conspicuous there, that immediately after that great event, he was elected a demi of Magdalencollege, with the celebrated Mr. Addison, and Dr. Joseph Wilcox, afterwards bishop of Rochester and dean of Westminster, from whose merit and learning Dr. Hough, who was then restored to the presidentship of that college (from which he had been unwarrantably ejected in the reign of king James II.) used to call this election by the name of the golden election, and the same respectful appellation was long after made use of in common conversation in the college *. Mr. Boulter was afterwards made fellow of Magdalen-college. He continued in the university till he was called to London, by the invitation of sir Charles Hedges, principal secretary of state in 1700, who made him his chaplain;

*Dr. Welsted, a physician, was also of this golden election, and when he became poor in the latter part of his life, the archbishop, though he was no relation, gave him, at the least, two hundred pounds a year, till his death. Nor did his grace's kindness to the doctor's family end with his decease.

The primate maintained a son of the doctor's, as a commoner, at Hart-hall in Oxford; and would effectually have provided for him, if the young gentieman had not died before he had taken a degree. Dr. Welsted was one of the editors of the Oxford Pindar, and esteemed an excellent Greek scholar,

1 Pilkington.-Strutt.-Abregé des Vies des Peintres, vol. IV. VOL. VI.

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