B O E 



B O F 



;n the time cf Boetliius ; and all the muGcal terms he 



ufes are Greek, as were thofe of Vitruvius. 



Even the eulo^fts of Boethius coiifefs, that his work is 

 fo purely theoretic, that in reading' it we never think of 

 practice. Let us leave it then to philofopliers who are con- 

 tent with imaginary founds. The mention of inftruments, 

 or of the voice as employed in finging, never occurs. No 

 allufions to the mnfic of his time, but all is abfti-aA fpccu- . 

 lation, tei:di;ig doubtlefs to the perfefiion of the art, but 

 feeming little conneftcd with it. The harmony he talks 

 of is more the harmon'ia mundiai Kepler, than that of Han- 

 del and Havdn. Guido faid, that Boathius's work was 

 only fit for philofophe'.s. In the middle ages, fo few under- 

 flood Greek, that tliofe who were curious to know fomething 

 about the miraculous powers of that mufic, imagined that they 

 fuould find it in Boettiiiis's tranflation, who had been educated 

 at Athens. Such fpeculations are curious and amufing, in 

 moments c-f meditation, to fcientific and inquiring minds ; 

 but practical muficians, whether compofers or performers, 

 can afford httle time for fuch fublime and fpi; itual amufe- 

 ments. Neverthelefs, he muft be a dull and incurious pro- 

 fcQbr, who feeks not the reafon of things, the principles of 

 his art, and origin of founds. If he have a mathematical 

 turn, let him read Galileo, Daniel Baitoli, D'Alem.bert, 

 Holder, Rameau, Tartini, and Smith's harmonics. Tiiey 

 are ail intelligible, and lead to knowledge which he will be 

 expected to poflcfs ; but for any thing ufeful that he can 

 acquire from Boethius's fpeculations, or from the Greek 

 theorifts, his prototypes, that will make him a better com- 

 pofcr or performer, the cafe is hopelefs. Yet there are, 

 who, after allowing that " it was of fo little ufe in practical 

 mufic, that they never thought of it in reading Boethius ;" 

 yet returning afterwards to .former prejudices, it is infifted on, 

 tS.at " he has communicated to tlie world fuch a knowledge 

 of the fundamental priiicip'.cs of the mufic of tiie ancients, as 

 is abfolutely nec^Jiiry to the right underftanding of our own 

 fyllem." 



When we fpeak of the inutility of Boethius's work on 

 mufic to the mufical ftudents of modern times, we prefume 

 not to extend our cenfures further. The writings of this 

 great and g.od man on other fubjedls have been too long held 

 in reverence to be depreciated (lightly. His molt celebrated 

 production was his etaic compofition " De conlolatione phi- 

 lofophise," and has always been admired both for the ftyle and 

 fentiments. It is an imaginary conference between the 

 author and philofophy perfonified, who endeavours to con- 

 fole and foothe him in his afHictions. The topics of confola- 

 tion contained in this work, are deduced from the tenets of 

 Plato, Zeno, and Aridotle, but without any notice; of the 

 fources of confojation which are peculiar to the Chriftian 

 fyftem. It is partly in profe, and partly in verfe ; and was 

 tranflated into Saxon by king Alfred, and illuftrated with a 

 comm.entary by Affer, bifhop of St. David's ; and into Eng- 

 liflj, by.CJiaucer and queen Elizabeth. It was alfo tranflated 

 into Engliih verfe by John Walton, in 1410, of which tranf- 

 lation there is a correct manufcript on parchment in the Bri- 

 tifh mufeum. Few books have been more popular, efpeci- 

 ally in the middle ages, or have pafled through a greater 

 number of editions in almoft all languages. It has been ob- 

 ferved by Mr. Harris, in his " Herme>^," that " with Boe- 

 thius the Latin tongue, and the lalt remains of Roman 

 dignity, may be faid to l-.ave funk in the wellcrn world." 

 To the fame purpofe. Gibbon fays, that " the fenator Boe- 

 thius is the lall of the Romans, whom Cato or TuUy would 

 have acknowledged for their countryman. " Fabr. Bib. Lat. 

 torn. ii. p. 146, &c. Le Clerc, Bib. Choif. t. xvi. p. 168 

 — 275. Burney's Hiit. Muf. vol. ii. p. 31, &c. Gibbon's 



Hift. Rom. Emp. vol. vii. p. 43, &c. Brucker's Hift Phil. 

 by Ji.n;ieid, vol. ii. p. ^ij. 



BOETTICHER, Gottlieb, a phyfician of eminence, 

 and in confiderable prattice at Berlin, during the early part 

 of the lalt century, publifhed various works on the theory 

 and pradlice of medicine. The principal are, on the exift- 

 ence of a nervous fiuid, " De vera fluidi nervorum exift- 

 entia," Berlin, 1721, 4to. ; " De morborum malignorum,* 

 imprimis psftis et peftilentiae, explicatio," 4to. 1713; this 

 has been feveral times reprinted. He contends, that the 

 plague is contagious ; and that the infecting effluvia may 

 be retained, and conveyed in full vigour, in the clothes 

 or bedding of the fick, to diftant countries ; a doctrine that 

 has been lately ftrongly oppofed. Pregnant women, affected 

 with the plague, conftantly part with the fruit of the womb 

 before they die. Hypochondriac perfons, he thinks, are 

 not fufceptible of the contagion. But in this he is probably 

 mitlaken ; as we know lunatics do not enjoy fuch an cx- 

 eir.ption from contagious difeafes in this country. He re- 

 commends bleeding on the firit attack of the fever, and then 

 to have recoi-.rfe to fudorifics. " De refpiratione foetus in 

 utero," 4to. 1702. Haller. Bib. Med. et Anat. 



BCEL^F, Le, in Geography, a place in the north-weftern 

 corner of Peiinfylvania, at the head of the north branch of 

 French creek, and JO miles dillant by water from fort 

 Franklin, where this creek joins the Alleghany. The 

 French fort of Le Bceuf, from whence the place has its 

 name, lies about two miles eaft from Small lake, which is 

 on the north branch of French creek ; and from Le Bceuf, 

 is a portage of 14 miles northerly to Prefque ifle in lake 

 Erie, where the French had another fort. N. lat. 42° i', 

 W long. 79° ^y 20". 



Bffiur, in Ornithology, acording to Salerne, the common 

 name of the bulfinch (loxia pyrrhula) in the canton of So- 

 lot)ne. The troglodyte, fylvia troglodyte's of Latham, is like- 

 wife called by the fame name [bceuf) in Sv/itzerland. 



Bceuf de Mara'is. The French call the common bittern 

 [ardeajlellaris), becaufe it frequents marfhes, and has a loud 

 cry, and emits a fort of roaring noifc that has been com- 

 pared to that of an ox or bull, by this name. " II n'y a," 

 lays Belon, " bceuf qui put crier fi haut." 



Bceuf d'/tfrijue, in Zoology. By this name fome French 

 writers diltinguifh the buffalo ; the epiihet is mifapplied, 

 becaufe that animal is equally common in India, whence in- 

 deed, it is fuppofed, the African buffalo firft originated. 



Bceuf a Boffin, fynonymous with bifon. By fome it is 

 likewife called bceuf des Illinois. 



Bceuf Guerrir. Under this denomination the French 

 defcribe a race of African oxen, which the Hottentots call 

 baclleys ; the word lachley in their language fignifying war, 

 to the purpofes of which they are trained up, in the fame 

 manr.er as elephants are by the Indians. War-oxen of this 

 defcription are inltrudted alfo to guard the herds of the 

 common oxen. 



Bceuf de Mer, in Ichthyology, is the name of the long- 

 beaked ray, raja oxyrinchtis of Linnaeus. 



Bceuf de Mer, in Zoology, the common French name for 

 any of the Phoce tribe of animals, correfponding with 

 the general Engliih name <A fea-coiu. 



BOFFRAND, Germain, in Biography, a celebrated 

 French arclnteft and engineer, was born at Nantes in 1667, 

 and having been educated at Paris, he employed himfelf for 

 fome time in fculpture, during the winter, and ftudied archi- 

 tecture in the fummer. His talents at length engaged the 

 attention and patronage of Hardouin-Manfart, an eminent 

 arehiteft, who obtained for him a place in the commiffion for 

 the royal buildings. In 1 700, he became a member of the 



Royal 



