B O C 



~62a 



B O E 



Bochart, 

 Bocnia. 



This travelling controversialist, however, claimed the 

 victory ; though his ignorance of Greek and He- 

 brew, and his sophistry and vanity, were completely 

 exposed by his learned antagonist. The high repu- 

 tation which Bochart derived from this controversy, 

 was greatly increased, in 1649, by the publication of 

 his Phaleg and Canaan, the titles of the two parts of 

 his Geographia Sacra, a work which treats of the dis- 

 persion of mankind occasioned by the confusion of 

 tongues, and of the colonies and language of the Phe- 

 nicians. In the course of his extensive researches, 

 his attention was necessarily directed to many colla- 

 teral subjects ; and had his hfe been prolonged, orien- 

 tal literature would have received many important 

 additions from his pen. His attention was attracted 

 to these subjects, while preparing sermons on the 

 book of Genesis. When he came to the second 

 chapter, he was led to explain the situation of the 

 garden of Eden. The following chapter turned his 

 attention to the origin of nations ; and many passages 

 occurred, which directed his attention to the animals, 

 plants, and precious stones mentioned in the Bible. 

 On a branch of this last subject, he published a work 

 at London, in 1663, entitled, Hierozoicon, or De 

 Animalibus Sacra Scriptural. The information 

 which he collected respecting the garden of Eden, 

 the plants, and precious stones, &c. were not in a 

 state fit for publication at the time of his death. 



In the year 1652, Bochart was invited to the court 

 of Christina, Queen of Sweden ; and, in compliance 

 with the earnest wishes of that illustrious princess, 

 he repaired thither in company with M. Huet, after- 

 wards Bishop of Av^nches, who composed an ele- 

 gant poem on their journey, in Latin verse. The ca- 

 price and levity of the Swedish Queen, however, did 

 not well accord with the sober gravity of a divine. 

 Bochart did not relish the liberties which she was 

 disposed to take with her literary friends ; and he 

 returned to France in 1653. When engaged in a 

 dispute with Huet, at a meeting of the Academy of 

 Caen, he was cut off by an apoplectic stroke, on the 

 16th May 1667. 



" The learning of Bochart," says Mr Bayle, " vast 

 as it was, was not his principal qualification ; he had 

 a modesty infinitely more estimable in him than all 

 his knowledge. And, on that account, he possessed 

 his glory with a great deal of tranquillity, sheltered 

 from those unhappy quarrels, which so many other 

 learned men draw on themselves, by their pride and 

 passionate style." 



Besides the works already mentioned, Bochart 

 published a letter, in 1 650, On the authority of Kings, 

 and the institution of Bishops and Priests ; in 1663, 

 a letter to M. Sarran, attempting to prove that 

 ./Eneas was never in Italy ; and a treatise against La 

 Barre, the Jesuit, On the Toleration of Lutheranistn. 

 The two first of these were published in the edition 

 of his Geographia Sacra, printed at Frankfort in 

 1681. The works of Bochart were collected and 

 published at Leyden in 1712, in three volumes folio, 

 by M. de Villemandy. (o) 



BOCNIA, a town in the palatinate of Cracow, in 

 Poland, surrounded with hills, and situated near the 

 small river Raab, which runs into tl It is 



celebrated for its salt mines, which were discovered in 



VOL. III. PART IV. 



1251. The mine is about 10,000 feet long, 750 

 broad, and 1200 deep. Alabaster, and large pieces 

 of black wood encrusted with salt, are found in it. 

 The salt occurs in veins ; and, after being cut into 

 small pieces, is packed up in casks, (j) 



BODEGA, the name of a harbour on the west 

 coast of North America. The north point, which 

 consists of low steep cliffs, has the appearance of an 

 island when seen from the south. The land retires 

 to the east, and forms an inlet favourable for anchor- 

 age. It is much exposed to the south and south-east 

 winds; and the entrance of the harbour is obstructed 

 by a bank of sand, on which the water is about nine 

 feet deep. The land rises gently from the shore, 

 and is covered with bushes and verdure. The na- 

 tives were quite inoffensive. The men went naked, 

 while the women wore skins over their shoulders, 

 and about their waists, and were tatooed like the fe- 

 males of the Sandwich Islands. The language which 

 they spoke, was a mixture of Spanish and their own 

 dialect. East Long. 237 21', North Lat. 38 2*1'. 

 See Vancouver's Voyage, (tt) 



BODIANUS, a genus of thoracic fishes. Sec 

 Ichthyology, (w) 



BODMIN, a borough and market town in Corn- 

 wall, situated between two hills, nearly in the centre 

 of the county. The town, which has lately been 

 much improved, stands on the northern face of one 

 of the hills, and consists of a single street, unequally 

 paved, and narrow at one end, stretching for a mile 

 from east to west. It was once the principal seat of 

 religion in the district, and is said to have contained 

 no fewer than fourteen churches. The parish church, 

 the only one now remaining, is a large ancient build- 

 ing, consisting of three aisles and a tower. The 

 principal public building is a new county jail and 

 bridewell, begun in 1779, on the plan of Howard. 

 Near the town are some monumental stones, arranged 

 in three circles, called the Hurlers, supposed, by Dr 

 Stukely, to be the remains of a Druid temple. There 

 is here a manufacture of common serges, and a num- 

 ber pf dealers in wool, which is washed and combed 

 in the town, and spun in the surrounding parishes. 

 The yarn is sent to Ashburton, and other places in 

 Devonshire. Large quantities of wool are also depo- 

 sited here for sale. Number of houses 325. Popu- 

 lation 2299, of whom 350 are returned as engaged in 

 trade and manufactures. See Polywhele's History of 

 Cornwall, (o) 



BOECE, or Boetiiius, Hector, a native of Dun- 

 dee, descended from an ancient family in the shire of 

 Angus, was born in the year 1470. He first studied 

 at Dundee, and then at Aberdeen, where he was af- 

 terwards professor. On quitting Aberdeen he visit- 

 ed Paris, and became a student in that university in 

 the college of Montague. This was the commence- 

 ment of a friendship and correspondence betwixt him 

 and Erasmus, the scholar and the wit, whose letters, 

 addressed to Boethius, are still extant, and sufficient- 

 ly attest the estimation in which he held his cor- 

 respondent. Boethius was appointed prineipal of 

 King's college, which was fcuiided in Aberdeen by 

 Dr William Elphinston, bishop of Aberdeen, about 

 the year 1500. All testimonies agne in the d<- crp- 

 tion of his social qualities, and literary attainments. 

 4k 



Bodega 

 Boece. 



