138 B O C 
BOBR, a river of Lithnnia, which runs into the Dnieper, 
twelve miles fouth-fouth-eaft: of Rohaczow. 
BOB'RITZSCH, a town of Germany, in the circle of 
Upper Saxony, and country of Erzegebirg : four miles 
fouth-eaft of Freyberg. 
BOB'ROWNIK, a town of Poland, in the palatinate 
of Lublin : twenty-four miles weft-north-weft of Lublin. 
BOB'RUYSK, a townof Lithuania, in the palatinate of 
Min:k : th rty-tvvo miles weft of Rohaczow. 
BOB'TAlL,yi [from bob, in the fenfe of cut.] Cut tail; 
fhort tail : 
Be thy mouth or black or white, 
Or bobtail tike, or trundle tail, 
Tom will make him weep and wail. Shakefpeare. 
BOB'TAILED, adj. Having a tail cut, or (hort. 
BOB'WIG, f [from bob and wig.~\ A (hort wig. 
BOCABRI'TO, a town of North America, in the coun¬ 
try of New Navarre : fixty-five miles eaft of Cmola. 
BOCACHI'CA, a channel or entrance into the har¬ 
bour of Cai thagena, in South America. 
BO'CA ESCONDIDA, a bay of North America, in 
the bay of Campechy, on the coaft of Yucatan. Lat. 18. 
50. N. Ion. 74. W. Ferro. 
BOCA'GE, before the revolution, a (mall country of 
France, in Normandy, of which Vire was the capital. 
BO'CA GRAND, a bay of North North America, at 
the mouth of the river Zucar, on the fouth-eaft coaft of 
Cofta Rica. Lat. 10. 50. N. Ion. 65. 40. W. Ferro, 
BO'CALIEAU, a fmall illand, near the eaft coaft of 
Newfoundland. Lat. 48. 15. N. Ion. 52. 26. W. Greenwich. 
BOCA'NUM, anciently a town of Mauritania Tinge- 
tana, to the fouth of mount Atlas ; faid to be that of Mo¬ 
rocco, in Africa. 
BOCAR'DO, [in logic] the fifth mode of the third 
figure. In a fyllogifm in bocardo, the firft propofition is 
particular and negative, the fecond univerfal, and the 
middle term the fubjetft in the two firft propofitions ; as, 
1. Some animal is not man. 
2. Every animal is endued with fenfation. 
3. Therefore there is loinething endued with fenfation 
beiides man. 
BO'CAS (Las), a town of North America, in New Bif- 
cay : no miles eaft of Parmal. 
BOCASI'NE,yi A fort of linen cloth ; a fine buckram. 
BO'CA TORA, a bay of North America, in the Ca¬ 
ribbean Sea, on the coaft of Veragua. Lat. 8. 38. N. Ion. 
64 15. W. Ferro. 
BOC'CA., a town of Italy, in the duchy of Mantua, 
o;t he Comesfazzu: five miles north-north-eaft of Sa- 
bionetta. 
BOC'CA, f. in glafs making. The round hole in the 
working furnace, by which the metal is taken out of the- 
great pots, and by which the pots are put into the furnace. 
This is (Topped w ith a cover made of earth and brick, and 
removeable at pleafure, to preferve the eyes of the work¬ 
men from the violence of the hear. 
BOCC A'CE (John), an eminent writer, born at Cerfal- 
do, inTufcany,in 1313. His father defigned him for bufi- 
nefs, and placed him with a merchant of Florence; but, 
on declaring his averlion to trade, he was fent to ftudy the 
canon law. He dilliked this alfo, his paftion being for 
poetry ; nor could his father's commands, or the exhor¬ 
tations of his friends, induce him to fupprefs this inclina¬ 
tion. He put himfelf under the inftruiiion of Petrarch, 
and fought every where for the molt eminent mailers ; 
but, not having an income fufficient for his expences, he 
was reduced to the neceftity of being alTifted by others; 
and was particularly obliged to Petrarch, who furnifhed 
him with moneyas well as books. Boccace was a great 
admirer of tlie Greek language : he found means to get 
Homer tranflated into Latin for his own ufe ; and pro¬ 
cured a profe(for’s»chair at Florence for Leontius Pylao- 
tus, in order to have this poet explained by him. The 
republic of Florence honoured Boccace with the freedom 
B O C 
of that city, and employed him in public affairs, particu¬ 
larly to negociate the return of Petrarch ; but Petrarch 
not only refufed to return to Florence, but perfuaded Boc¬ 
cace alfo to retire from thence, on account of the faftions 
which prevailed in that republic. Having quitted Flo¬ 
rence, he went to Naples, where king Robert gave him a 
very kind reception. He conceived a violent atfeftion for 
the natural daughter of that prince, which made him re¬ 
main a confiderable time at Napes. He alfo made a long 
(lay in Sicily, where he was in high favour with queen 
Joan. When the troubles were abated at Florence, he 
returned thither: but foon retired to Certaldo, where he 
(pent his time in ftudy. His intenfe application brought 
on him a complaint in the ftomach, which put an end to 
his life, in 1375. Of all his compofitions his Decameron 
is the molt famous : it was received with applaufe by all 
Italy ; and it was fought after fo much the more eagerly, 
as pains were taken to fupprefs it, his dories being too 
licentious and fatirical on the monks. Boccace publifhed 
it in 1348, at a time when Florence was made defolate by 
a cruel plague. It may be reckoned among the fined of his 
writings, compofed for entertainment. His other writings 
are, 1. An Abridgment of Roman Hiftory, from Romu¬ 
lus to the Year of Rome 724. Cologne, 1534'. 2. Hiftory 
of Illuftrious Women. Bern, 1539. 3. Genealogy of the 
Gods, with a Treatife of Mountains, Seas, Rivers, Lakes, 
&c. Bafil, 1532. 4. Of the Fortunes of Illuftrious Men. 
This work begins at Adam, and ends at king John of 
France, taken prifoner by the Engiifti in 1.356. Printed af 
Paris, in folio- Thefe are in Latin. He wrote the follow¬ 
ing pieces in the Italian language. 1. 11 Philocalo. 2. 
La Fiammetta. 3. I.’Ameto. 4. II Labrinto d’Amore.. 
5. La Vita di Dante. 6. II Decameron, mentioned above. 
This writer was one of the firft who gave to the Italian 
language the graces, the fweetnefs, and elegance, which 
diftinguifti it from all- living languages. Boccace could 
not equal Petrarch, in poetry,.but his profe is recommended 
as a model dill. 
BOC'CALE, or Bocal, f. a liquid meaftire ufed at 
Rome, anfwering to what among us is called a bottle, be¬ 
ing equivalent to about an Englilh quart. Seven boccales- 
and an half make the rubbia.. 
BOCCALl'NI (Trajan), a fatirical wit, born at Rome, 
about the beginning of the 17th century. The method 
he took to indulge his turn for fatire was, by feigning that 
Apollo, holding his courts on Parnaftus, heard the com- 
plaiuts of the whole world, and gave judgment as the cafe 
required. He was received into the academies of Italy, 
where he gained great applaufe by his political difcourfes > 
and his elegant criticifms. The cardinals Borghefe and 
Cajetan having declared themfelves his patrons, he pub- 
lilhed his Ragguagli di ParnalTo, and Secretariadi Apollo, 
a continuation thereof; which works being, well received, 
he proceeded farther, and printed his Pietradi Paragone ; 
wherein he attacks the court of Spain, fetting forth their 
defigns again!! the liberty of Italy, and inveighing par¬ 
ticularly againft them for the tyranny they exercifed in 
the kingdom of Naples. The Spaniards complained of 
him in form, and were determined at any rate to be re¬ 
venged. Boccalini was frightened, and retired to Venice. 
Some time after, he was murdered in a fingular manner.. 
He lodged with one of his friends, who, having got up, 
early one morning, left Boccalini in bed. Within a minute 
after, four armed men entered his chamber, and gave him 
fo many blow s with bags full of fand, that they left him. 
for dead ; fo that his friend, upon lvis return, found him 
unable to utter one word. Great fearch was made at Ve¬ 
nice for the authors of this murder; and, though they 
were never difeovered, yet it was univerfally believed that 
they were fet to work by the court of Spain. Moreri 
tells us, that Boccalini was compofmg difeourfes on Taci. 
tus when he’w'as aftaffinated ; but Bayle affirms, that they 
were not only finiffied at that time, but had gone through 
two editions at Geneva. His Ragguagli di Parnaflb has 
been tranilated into Englifb, and many other languages. 
BOCCA, 
