BOU 



380 



BOU 



Bourignon. were owing, not so much to the bigotry and illibera- 

 lity of others, as to the unamiable temper of her own 

 mind, and the extravagant and hurtful fanaticism of 

 her own conduct. She was totally destitute of the 

 humility that became her she was of a morose and 

 gloomy disposition she judged most uncharitably of 

 the spiritual condition of all who did not adopt her 

 peculiar tenets she was hard-hearted to the poor, 

 though she affected to love, and to be united to their 

 father in heaven she was most unforgiving to those 

 who had robbed her of the merest trifle and her en- 

 thusiasm was carried so far, and had such an effect, 



Of these, the most remarkable was, the appearance of 

 a comet at her birth, of another when she commen- 

 ced author, and of a third when she died. Surely, 

 said the superstitious, this was a prophetess. Her 

 disciples were most numerous in Scotland: indeed her 

 tenets gained so much ground there, as to become an 

 object of great jealousy with the church. In four dif- 

 ferent meetings of the General Assembly, (1700, 

 1701, 1709, 1710,) measures were adopted for check- 

 ing the growth of this pernicious and blasphemous 

 heresy. Dr George Gardin, a minister of Aber- 



inusiasm was carried so far, and had such an effect, deen, was deposed, in 1701, for teaching its " damna 

 that the little girls of an hospital, in which she was ble errors." And all entrants into the ministry werr 



governess, were all engaged, as they themselves be- 

 lieved and declared, in a carnal connection with the 

 devil. Considering these circumstances, and consi- 

 dering the arrogance and masculine zeal with which 

 she endeavoured to enlighten those who were far 

 more enlightened than herself, it is not w nderful 

 that she was involved in lawsuits, and difficulties, and 

 sufferings. She did not, however, want protectors 

 and patrons. The baron of Latzbourg preserved 

 her from her enemies, at a critical period. And M. 

 De Lort, superior of the oratory at Mechlin, who be- 

 came a proselyte to her system, if system it can be 

 called, patronised and cherished her while he lived ; 

 and what pleased her more, though it evidently oc- 

 casioned her some trouble, left her heir of all his pro- 

 perty when he died. 5th, She was a perfect enthu- 

 siast one of the most extravagant visionaries that 

 have ever appeared in the Christian world. From 

 her infancy she daily conversed with God, in the li- 

 teral sense of that expression she offering upprayers, 

 or putting questions to him, and he answering her, 

 by speaking inwardly to her heart, so that she knew 

 what he said to her as distinctly as if a fellow crea- 

 ture had been talking to her. Besides this sweet con- 

 versation, as it was called, with God, she enjoyed 

 some extraordinary revelations, which, as often hap- 

 pens, in similar cases, are wonderfully useless, and 

 wonderfully absurd. In one of herextacies, she was 

 permitted to behold Adam in the form that he had 

 before the fall, and to see the manner, in which he 

 himself, possessing the principles of both sexes, was 

 capable of procreating other men ! How surprising 



entrants into the ministry were 

 required, as they are at this day required, to abjure 

 and renounce Bourigman doctrine. See the Works 

 of Madame Bourignon ; Bayle's Dictionary, art. 

 Bourignon; Snake in the Grass, by Mr Charles Les- 

 ley, preface ; Bourignonism Detected, by Dr Cock- 

 burn; and An Apology for Mrs Anloniu Bourignon, 

 supposed to be written by Dr G. Gardm aboveWn- 

 tioned. (T) 



BOURN, a town of England, in the south of 

 Lincolnshire, situated in a valley upon a small stream, 

 The remains of a priory, and of a castle, with large 

 irregular works, said to have been formed by Oliver 

 Cromwell, are still to be seen. There is here a mi- 

 neral spring of some note. There are also some tan- 

 neries; and the little commerce which it carries on is 

 by means of vessels of ten tons burthen, which carry 

 goods to Spaldmg, Boston, &c. Number of houses 

 in 1801, 282. Population 1474. See Cough's Cam- 

 den's Britannia, (w) 



BOUKO. See BOERO ; and Stavorinus' Voyages 

 tothc. East Indies, vol. ii. p. 301 ; also Labillardiere's 

 Voyage, vol. ii. p. 308. 



BOUTON, or BOOTEN, or BUTTON, one of the 

 Celebesian Isles, situated about twelve miles to the 

 south-east of Celebes. The island is large, woody, 

 and tolerably high. It is about thirty miles in length 

 and eight broad, stretches from north to south, and 

 is separated by the straits of Bouton from the small- 

 er Island Pangasane, which lies between it and Ce- 

 lebes. The King of Bouton, to whom the neigh- 

 bouring islands are subject, was in alliance with the 

 Dutch East India company, who paid him an yearly 



tirpat 



cent islands. 



that her penetrative virginity allowed her to indulge salary of * 32 : 14 : 6, that he might assist in the ex'- 

 m such a contemplation ! The contemplation, how- tirpation of all the clove trees in thi 

 ever, was purely abstract. When she made any pro- 

 selytes she felt the same kind of throes and pangs in 

 producing those spiritual children, that are experien- 

 ced in natural labour, and the violence of her pains 

 was proportionate to the impre&sion which her doc- 

 trine made upon their minds. These, and many other 

 instances of a similar nature, that might be adduced, 

 shew that she was an enthusiast of the sublimest or- 

 der. Gth, It may be easily supposed that her doctrines 

 are supremely wild and extravagant. A sample of 

 them maybe seen under the article ANTICHHIST : 

 and for the rest, the reader's curiosity can be grati- 

 fied only by perusing her own works, and the wri- 

 tings of her apologists. Her opinions were adopted 

 by considerable numbers, both in this country, and 

 on the continent. Besides the striking peculiarities 

 of her doctrine, there were several circumstances in 

 her condition which tended to promote her credit. 



this and the adja- 



With this view a Serjeant, styled the 

 Extirpator, was sent out every year by the company ; 

 and attended by guides and interpreters provided by 

 the king, he laid waste all the clove trees in Bouton 

 and its dependent isles. The sovereign of Bouton, 

 however, tired of the system of annual destruction, 

 refused to lend his usual assistance, and in the year 

 1775, when Stavorinus visited the island, the Company 

 withheld their salary, in order to force a compliance 

 with their wishes. 



To the east of Bouton is an immense cluster of 

 little islands called Toucan-bessis, connected or sur- 

 rounded with rocky shoals. The passage between 

 Bouton and this cluster is very dangerous. " Along 

 the shore of Bouton," says Stavorinus, " there is no 

 danger to avoid but the land itself, but in the nar- 

 rowest part of the passage begins a large bay, which 

 runs into the land west and north, into which there 



