BOSPHOKUS BOSTON. 



independent, ami the Han Twartko touk the title of 

 king in 1370. In 1401, it became tributary to the 

 Turks, and, since 1463, has been a Turkish province. 

 It is divided into the southern nml northern jmrts, or 

 tipper and Lower B. The former is called some- 

 times Herzegovina, or the duchy of Saba, because the 

 emperor Frederic III. bMoVM the title of duke on 

 the ruler of this district in 1440. Trnvnik is the 

 residence of the pacha of B. The capital of the 

 country is HiMi:i-Senii, or Sarajevo (in Italian, Serag- 

 lio), at the confluence of the Miglinzza with the Uos- 

 na, with 15,(K)0 mostly miserable lions, s, and 60,000 

 inhabitants, including the garrison of 10,000 janizn- 

 1.1 s. The citadel lies at some distance from the 

 town. The taxes of Saraievo are an appanage of the 

 mother of the sultan. Zwornick, Banjaluka, and 

 Turkish Gradiska are also important in historical and 

 statistical points of view. The fear of losing their 

 property is the chief cause of the adherence of the 

 Bosniacs to the Turkish government, since, in case 

 of tlie conquest of B. by the Christians, they expect 

 the same treatment which the Christians formerly 

 experienced, when it was conquered by the Turks. 



Bosi'HORus. The strait which leads from the Black 

 sea into the Propontis, or sea of Marmora, was for- 

 merly so called, either because lo, after being meta- 

 morphosed into a cow, passed over at this place, or 

 because the strait is so narrow that an ox can swim 

 across. When other straits were afterwards called 

 by the same name, this was called B. Thracicus. 

 Over this channel (five stadia, about 3,300 feet wide), 

 Darius constructed a bridge of boats, on his expedi- 

 tion against the Scythians. Bosphorus Cimmericus 

 was the name given by the ancients to the strait that 

 leads from the Black sea into the sea of Azof. The 

 Italians, who formerly traded in these regions, called 

 it bocca di S. Giovanni, or estretto di Caffa. There 

 was also anciently a kingdom of the name of B., so 

 called from the straits, on both sides of which it was 

 situated. Jn Panticapaeum (at present, Kertsch, q. v.) 

 a Milesian colony in the Tauric Chersonese, the 

 Archaeanaktides established this kingdom, B. C. 479, 

 and reigned till B. C. 437. Spartacus was the first 

 king. Under his successor, Satyrus, the kingdom 

 was extended to the coast of Asia, and his son Leucon 

 acquired Theodosia, B. C. 300. He improved the 

 commerce of the country (in particular by the expor- 

 tation of corn to Athens, also of fishes, fur, skins, 

 Ijees-wax, and slaves). From him his descendants 

 were called Leuconides. Leucanor became tributary 

 to the Scythians 290 B. C., and the tribute was finally 

 so oppressive, that Parisades, the last of the Leuco- 

 nides, preferred to submit to Mithridates the king of 

 Pontns, who vanquished the Scythians under Scilurus, 

 116 B. C., and made his son king of B. The latter 

 killed himself. At the death of Mithridates, the Ro- 

 mans gave the country, B. C. 64, to his second son, 

 Pharnaces, who was afterwards murdered. The 

 Romans placed different princes successively upon 

 the throne, who all pretended to be descendants of 

 Mithridates. When this family became extinct, A. D. 

 259, the Sarmatians took possession of the kingdom, 

 from whom it was taken by the Chersonides, in 344. 

 The Tauric Chersonese then belonged to the Eastern 

 empire, till it was seized by the Chazars, and after- 

 wards by the Tartars, under the Mongol princes. See 

 Tauria. 



BOSSUKT, Jacques Benigne, bishop of Meaux, an 

 illustrious French preacher, was born at Dijon, in 

 1627, and early sent to the college of the Jesuits 

 there. By chance he got possession of a Latin Bible, 

 which, made an indelible impression upon him. At 

 the age of fifteen, he was sent to Paris, where he 

 entered the college of Navarre, the president of 

 which, Nicholas Cornet, took pleasure in forming his 



mind. B., under the direction of this worthy teacher, 

 studied (ireek and the Holy Scriptures, read the 

 ancient classics, and investigated the ( 'artesian phi- 

 losophy. He was made doctor of the Sorbonne and 

 canon in Metz. Here he edified his hearers by his 

 preaching and example ; was commissioned by his 

 bishop to refute the catechism of the Protestant mi- 

 nister Paul Ferry, and did it in such a way, that even 

 his antagonists were obliged to respect him. The 

 queen mother (Anne of Austria) was induced, by this 

 work, to employ B. in the conversion of the Protes- 

 tants in the diocese of Metz. This business often 

 called him to Paris, where his sermons met witli 

 great approbation. The sermon which he deliv. red 

 in 1668, on the occasion of marshal Turenne's joining 

 the Catholic church, procured him the bishopric ot 

 Condom. In 1670, the king charged him with the 

 education of the dauphin. In consequence of this 

 appointment, he resigned his bishopric in 1671, be- 

 cause he thought it inconsistent with his duty to 

 retain it during a continual absence from his diocese. 

 At this time, he delivered his sermon at the funeral 

 of madame, the duchess of Orleans, a princess, who, 

 in the midst of a brilliant court, of which she was the 

 ornament, died suddenly in the bloom of youth. His 

 last sermon of this kind (that at the tomb of the great 

 Conde) is considered as a masterpiece. The manly 

 vigour which characterized his orations is seen also 

 in the Discours sur l'Hi*toire Universelle, designed 

 for the instruction of his royal pupil. The care which 

 he took of the education of this prince was rewarded, 

 in 1680, by the office of the first almoner of the dau- 

 phin ; in 1681, by the bishopric of Meaux; in 1697, 

 he obtained the dignity of a counsellor of state, and, 

 a year afterwards, that of the first almoner of the 

 duchess of Burgundy. His practice and his doctrine 

 were equally severe. .AH his time was divided be- 

 tween his studies and the execution of his official 

 duties; he seldom allowed himself any recreation. 

 The last years of his life he passed among his flock, 

 in the midst of whom he died in 170i. The learned 

 Benedictines of the brotherhood of St Maur have lately 

 published a complete edition of all the works of B., in 

 20 vols. 4to. B. was unrivalled as ^ pulpit orator, 

 and greatly distinguished for his strength and acumen 

 as a controversialist The French academy consider 

 him among their most renowned members. He has 

 described nis own life at length. (For his dispute 

 with the archbishop of Cambray, Fenelon, see, Few 

 Ion and Quietism.) 



BOSTANGI (gardeners) ; the guard of the sultans in 

 the seraglio, whose overseer is called bostangi baschi, 

 and has the superintendence over the gardens of the 

 seraglio, over the channel of the Black sea, and the 

 imperial summer residences. The bostangi baschi 

 accompanies the sultan in all his rides, and has the 

 privilege of wearing a beard. The bostangi are also 

 the boatmen and executioners of the sultan. 



BOSTON (anciently Botolptis Town) ; a parish, bo- 

 rough, seaport, and market town, in Lincolnshire, 1 1 6 

 miles north from London. It is nearly surrounded by 

 fens, and is situated on the Witham, which is navi- 

 gable, and forms a port, well frequented, and much 

 assisted by navigable canals. It has four annual 

 fairs, and markets on Wednesday and Saturday. It 

 has a flourishing trade with the Baltic for hemp, tar, 

 timber, &c. In former periods it stood high as a 

 commercial town. The church is a handsome struc- 

 ture, on the tower of which is placed a Ian thorn, 

 which serves as a beacon to seamen. The town has 

 been much improved of late years by the erection of 

 new houses, by the deepening of the river, the en- 

 largement of the harbour, and the erection of a 

 handsome bridge across the river, consisting of one 

 arch, eighty-six feet in the span. The market place, 





