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dens, fountains, groves of ceJars, cyprefs, cition-trcts, o ange- 

 trecs, Inurcl, &c. wliich render tlitm (cents of ench,uitini.nt, 

 and a kind of terreftria! paradifes. For a particular def- 

 cription of them, fee Ktyller's Travels, vol. i. p. .574, &c. 



BOllROMEO, Charles, Ciirtl'wal, m Bio/r.ipljy , the 

 foil of count Gilbert Borromco, and a filler of pope Pins IV. 

 was born at the calUe of Arona, in 1538 ; and having 

 made a conliJerable proj^rcfs in literature, he was called 

 to Rome on the accelfion of his uncle to the papal chair 

 in 15. i9, and inverted with the dignities of cardnial-i^cphew, 

 archbilhop of Milan, and penitentiary, legate of Ancona, 

 Bologna, and Romagna, and proteiitor of feveral crowns 

 and religions orders. At the age of 22, he was cntrulled 

 with the governnx-nt of the molt important aflairs of the 

 cliurch ; and he prnicipally contributed to that encourage- 

 ment of literalm'e and patronage of learned men which dif- 

 tinguillied tliis pontificate. He iuRituted at his houfe an 

 academy, to which all the learned men at Rome repaired, 

 when the bulintis of th.e day was concluded, to difcufs lite- 

 rary quellinn;, aud particularly fuch as related to facred 

 fubjefts. The works of this fociety have been publiihed in 

 feveral volumes, under the title of " Noftes Vaticana;," fo 

 denominated becaiife its alTemblies were held at nigh.t in the 

 Vatican. In conformity to the dirtftions of his uncle, he 

 began his public career with great magnificence and fplen- 

 dour, more anxious to do honour to the pope and the rank 

 atfigned him by his favour, than to gratify his own inclina- 

 tions ; but when the council of Trent ifl'ucd its decrees for 

 tlie reformation of clerical manners, he fet an example of 

 obedience by dlfmifllng at once 80 domeftics, difcarding 

 filk from his drefs, and failing once every week on bread 

 and water. In co-operation with the defigns of the coim- 

 cil, he exerted himiclf in promoting a better education 

 among the clergy ; and with this view he inllituted a num- 

 ber of feminariis m his own diocefe, and in other places. 

 He founded the Jefuits' college at Milan, and was eminently 

 inllrumental in erefling a magnificent edifice for the univer- 

 fity of Bologna. He took pains in corrcfting the writings 

 of fome doctors of the church, which had been corrupted, 

 and employed Achilles Statins for this pnrpofe ; and lie 

 was alfo aftive in eftablidiing the congregation of eight 

 cardinals, for refolving doubts and obviating difficulties that 

 might arife in the explication of the decrees ot the council 

 of Trent. Although he was urged by his parents, and even 

 by the pope, to prevent his family from becoming extinft 

 by entering into a married Hate, he preferred continuing in 

 the church ; and notwithllanding many impediments arifing 

 from ill health, a \\eak voice, and defeflive articulation, he 

 determined to become a preacher, aud by affiduous and perfe- 

 vering application overcame all difficulties. After the death 

 of his uncle, he removed to hisarchbifltopric, and devotedhim- 

 felf to the duties of his paftoral office, which he performed 

 with great honour to himlelf, and very much to the fatis- 

 faflion and edification of the people. He took great 

 pains in the reformation of religious orders, and in admir.if- 

 tering confolation to the rernotell parts of his diocefe. Dur- 

 ing the plague, which afflifted the city and diocefe of 

 Milan in 1576, he continued in the fcene of danger, by 

 his prcfence imparted comfort to the fick and dying, 

 and fold his goods in order to furnidi himfclf with meaii,s 

 for relieving their indigence and diflrefs. He alfo convened 

 feveral provincial councils and fynods, and obtained their 

 fandlion in enaCling and enforcing various ufeful regulations 

 for the government of the church. His inceffant labours 

 and aullerities impaired his feeble conftitution, and termi- 

 nated his courfe of aftive and exemplary fervice at the early 

 age of -;7 years, in 1584; and pope PaulV. bellowed 



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upon him, in 1610, the honours 01 canonizTion. For 

 faints in the calendar better dcfei ved this dilliiiCiion. I'.or- 

 romeo's writings on fubjedts of faith aud morals were nume- 

 rous ; they were collei'ted in 5 vols. fol. and printed at 

 Milan ill 1747. His " A6l» Ecelcfiac Mediolaucnfis" wa» 

 publillicd in folio, in 1519. Mortri. Nouv. Diit. Hill. Fabr. 

 nib. Gra:c. t. \\. p. 718. The lite of Borromco was puh- 

 lillied by I'cre Touron, in 3 vols. l2mo. Paris, 1761. 



BORROMIKI, Fr.ANCis, an Italian architt^, W3» 

 born in F599, at Biffoiia, in the diocefe of Como, and 

 ftnd'cd fculptnre firll at Milan, and afterwards at Rome. 

 Under the patronage of Maderno, his relation, who was tlic 

 arcliiteil of St. Peter's, he directed his principal attenlioa 

 to arthitedure ; and upon the death of Maderno in 2629, he 

 woiked under his luccedor Btriiini ; and prctefted by pope 

 Urban VI II. he was employed about the church of Sapienzia 

 and the Baiberini palaces. At length he became the rival 

 of Bernini ; and acquired fuch a degree of reputation., that 

 the king of Spain engaged him to furnidi a dcfign for the 

 enlargement ot his palace at Rome ; and though it was 

 never executed, he received a liberal rccompcnce in money, 

 and was honoured with the order of St. James. The pope 

 alfo bellowed upon him the ordjr of Chrill, and a penfion, 

 In tills career of profperity, the extravagance of lii-i talle in- 

 curred the cenfure of feveral critics ; and he was clinrged,. 

 by Bernini, with corrupting the found principles of the 

 art. The chuiiour agaiull him prevailed, and his rival ob- 

 tained the diredtion of a building for which he had prepared 

 the defigns ; upon which he retired in difgull into I.oni- 

 bardy. On his return, he employed himfelt in preparing a 

 fet of grotcfques for engraving ; but the mortification he 

 experienced preyed upon his fpirits, and produced occafional 

 derangement of mind ; and in one of his paroxyfms, he feizcd 

 a fword and gave himfelf a mortal wound, in his 68th year, 

 Borromini afiefted fingularity, and indulged a capricious and 

 fantallic talle in his defigns and decorations, which was 

 utterly incanfifient with fimphcity and propriety. Accord- 

 inglv fome have rcprefented his ilyle in architefture as rc- 

 fembling the literary flylc of Seneca, and of the poet Ma- 

 rino. A'ain of his own imagined fuperiority, and jealous of 

 his brethren, he declined to concur with them ; and before 

 his death, deftroyed all his defigns, left any other architcdt 

 fhould pafs them oft as his own. His beft work, ainojig 

 many performances, in churches and palaces at Rome, 

 which blend ftriking beauties with fingularity, is accounted 

 to be the college of the Propaganda. The oratory of the 

 Chiefa Nova, and the houfe of the fathers are alfo ad- 

 mired. D'Argenville. Gen. Biog. 



BORROWDALE, in Geosmphy, a piaurefque diftria 

 of Cumberland, near Kefwick, foutli of l3erwtnt-lake, com- 

 mencing at the cataradl of Lowdore, and fpreading itj 

 tremendous rocks in a vail fweep round the head of the 

 lake, at the dillance of about half a mile from the Ihore, 

 which is bounded by meadow-land to the brink of the 

 water. The afpeft of thcfe rocks, with the fragments that 

 have rolled from their fummits, and which lie on each fide 

 of the road, prepare the curious traveller for the awful 

 ruin to which he approaches in the gorge or pafs of Borrow- 

 dale, that opens from the centre of the amphitlieatre, which 

 bounds the head of Derwent-water. Dark rocks yawn at its 

 entrance, and difclofe a narrow pafs, running up hetweeo 

 mountains of granite, that are ihivered into almoll every 

 pofiible form of honor. Above, the whole fcene refeaiblcS 

 the accumulations of an earthquake or volcanic eruption, 

 fplintercd, fhivered, and amalfed in piles over one another. 

 Huge cliffs have rolled down into the glen below, where, 

 however, remains 3 miniature of the moll delightful palloral 



K Z beauty 



