368 





BOULTER. 



they are chiefly sent for sale to Artois, Flanders, and 

 Paris. The herring fiehery of Boulogne had attain- 

 ed great importance so far back as the year 15t2, 

 and was patronised by the principal men in the king- 

 dom, as appears from an ancient record preserved by 

 the treasurer of the city, who made his escape, when 

 the place was taken by the English in 1.544 ; and, to 

 to this day, it retains so much of this celebrity, that 

 fish from other places are very generally exposed to 

 sale in Paris under the name of Boulogne herring. 

 A few woollen and linen stuffs are manufactured at 

 Boulogne ; and it used to import salt hides from 

 Ireland, with white wines, brandy, and salt, from 

 French ports, for the consumption of the neighbour- 

 hood. But the chief gains of its merchants arise from 

 the exportation of Bourdt-aux, Burgundy, and Cham- 

 paigne wines, and the smuggling of brandies and cam- 

 brics to England. Besides two market days every 

 week, there is a free market on the first Wednesday 

 of every month, and a fair every year on the llth of 

 November, which continues nine free days ; and which 

 is chiefly remarkable for its great show of cattle. 

 Boulogne contains about 10,000 inhabitants ; and is 

 seven leagues south-south east from Calais, 22 west 

 of Lisle, and 55 north east of Paris. At spring 

 tides, it is high water at 10 hours and 30 minutes. 

 N. Lat. 50 43' 33", E. Long. 1 36' 33" (q) 



BOULTER, HUGH, D.D. Archbishop of Ar- 

 magh, and primate of Ireland, was born in or near 

 London, of respectable and wealthy parents, on the 4th 

 of January 1671. He received the rudiments of his 

 education at merchant-tailors' school ; and was ad- 

 mitted a commoner in Christ-church, Oxford, some 

 time before the Revolution. Soon after that event, he 

 was, on account of his great merit, elected a Demi of 

 Magdalen-College, along with Mr Addison and Doc- 

 tor Joseph Wilcox. He was afterwards made fellow 

 of the same college. He remained in the university 

 till the year 1700, when he was called to London by 

 Sir Charles Hodges, principal secretary of state, 

 who made him his chaplain. Not long after, he was 

 preferred to the same honour by Dr Denison, Arch- 

 bishop of Canterbury. While in these situations, he 

 had occasion to appear often at court. There his 

 merits attracted the notice, and procured him the pa- 

 tronage of the Earl of Sunderland, principal Secre- 

 tary of State, by whose influence he was promoted 

 to the parsonage of St Olave in Southwark, and to 

 the archdeaconry of Surrey. As pastor of St Olave, 

 he distinguished himself by his unremitting attention 

 to the temporal comfort and spiritual welfare of the 

 people over whom he was set. In 1719, he went to 

 Hanover with George I., in the capacity of his chap- 

 lain : and at the kind's desire, undertook to instruct 

 young prince Frederic in the English tongue. His 

 majesty was so much pleased with his temper and 

 conduct, that he promoted him to the bishopric of 

 Bristol, and deanry of Christ-church, Oxford, which 

 had become vacant by the death of Dr Smalridge. 

 As a bishop, he was extremely zealous in promoting 

 the interests of religion throughout his diocese ; and 

 this he did particularly by enforcing on the clergy 

 the necessity of personal respectability, and of a faith- 

 ful discharge of their peculiar duties. In 1724-, he 

 was nominated by the king to the archbishopric of 



Armagh, and primacy of Ireland. This nomination, Boul 

 of which most men would, on many accounts, have "~" 

 accepted with the utmost readiness, Dr Boulter beg- 

 ged leave to decline : and it was only in consequence 

 of the absolute command of his majesty, and not with- 

 out great reluctance, that he at length agreed to leave 

 his present situation, for one so much superior to it in 

 dignity and importance. The king at;d his minister 

 urged the promotion, not only in consideration of Dr 

 B milter's general merits, and peculiar qualifications for 

 the spiritual jurisdiction to which he was appointed, 

 but also because at that time, in consequence of 

 Wood's coinage of base copper, Ireland was in an 

 alarming state of ferment and agitation, which they 

 hoped" to remedy by the sound judgment, and firm 

 yet conciliating temper of the bishop. And he did 

 not disappoint the expectations of his royal patron. 

 As soon as he was formally introduced into his new 

 office, he began to study the prosperity of Ireland, 

 which he thenceforth called his country ; and to this 

 end devoted a great proportion of his tinie and for- 

 tune. His life, indeed, was almost solely spent in deeds 

 of public usefulness and private charity. To do good 

 as he had opportunity, was his business and his plea- 

 sure. Whatever plan was deemed useful to promote the 

 commercial prosperity, the religious instruction, the 

 domestic happiness, or the individual comfort of the 

 Irish, found in him a steady and efficient friend. 

 More than once, he was instrumental, by his activity 

 and munificence, in averting the evils of famine and, 

 pestilence, with which the country was threatened. 

 To the scheme for a canal from Lough-Neagh to 

 Newry, by which the whole kingdom, especially the 

 northern division of it, was to be greatly benefited, 

 he gave not only his best counsel, but considerable 

 sums of money and contributions of timber The 

 poor clergy of his diocese frequently experienced his 

 kindness, by having their children educated at school 

 and the university at his individual expense. For 

 clergymen's widows, too, he erected four houses at 

 Drogheda, endowed them suitably, and put them un- 

 der proper and judicious regulations. The same 

 thing he directed by his will to be done at Armagh. 

 He expended 30,000 in augmenting small livings, 

 and buying glebes in Ireland, besides what he be- 

 queathed for similar purposes in England. He was 

 a zealous and active member of the Incorporated So- 

 ciefy in Dub/in for promoling English Protestant 

 Schools i.i Ireland, the benevolent object of which 

 he forwarded by annual subscription, occasional be- 

 nefactions, and every means in his power. His private 

 charities, from the secret and unostentatious manner 

 in which they were conducted, cannot be easily ascer- 

 tained ; but from the information of those who had 

 access to know, it is certain, that they were uncom. 

 monly great, and quite worthy of his humane and li- 

 beral mind. The archbishop took a considerable part 

 in the political government of the country. When 

 health permitted, he gave regular attendance at the 

 council board, and contributed his full share in giving 

 dignity to their debates, and wisdom to their deci- 

 sions. He was particularly active in supporting and 

 car'ying into effect a measure for reducing the value 

 of the gold coin, for the purpose of putting a stop 

 to the injurious pra"tice of sending silver abroad. 



