BOSBOS

Bosa the impression of an ox, and chiefly obtained among the Athenians and Delians; being sometimes also struck of gold. From this arose the phrase Bos in lingua, applied to those who had taken bribes to hold their tongue. BOSA, a maritime town in the western part of the island of Sardinia, with a castle, a good port, and a bishop's see. It is seated on the river Bosa, to the north-east of an island of the same name; and has good salt-pits. E. Long. 8. 30. N. Lat. 40. 19. BOSCAGE, the same with a grove or thicket. BOSCAGE, in a law sense, is that food which trees yield to cattle; as mast, &c. But Manwood says, to be quit of boscage is to be discharged of paying any duty for windfall wood in the forest. BOSCAGE, among painters, denotes a landscape representing much wood and trees. BOSCAN (John), a Spanish poet of the 16th century, born at Barcelona. He was the friend of Garcilasso de Viga, another Spanish poet. These two were the first who made any great improvement in the poetry of their nation, and their pieces were printed together. Boscan, who died about the year 1542, principally succeeded in sonnets. BOSCAWEN (Edward), a brave British admiral, was the second son of Hugh late lord viscount Falmouth. Having early entered into the navy, he was, in 1740, captain of the Shoreham; and behaved with great intrepidity as a volunteer under admiral Vernon, at the taking of Porto Bello. At the siege of Carthage, in March 1740-1, he had the command of a party of seamen who resolutely attacked and took a battery of 15 twenty-four pounders, though exposed to the fire of another fort of five guns. Lord Aubrey Beauchamp being killed at the attack of Boca-Ceica, captain Boscawen succeeded him in the command of the prince Frederic of 70 guns. In May 1742, he returned to England, and married Frances daughter of William Glanville, Esq; and the same year was elected representative for Truro in Cornwall. In 1744, he was made captain of the Dreadnought of 60 guns; and soon after he took the Media, a French man of war commanded by M. Hoquart, the first king's ship taken in that war. May 3. 1747, he signalized himself under the admirals Anson and Warren, in an engagement with the French fleet off Cape Finisterre, and was wounded in the shoulder with a musket ball. Here M. Hoquart, who then commanded the Diamond of 56 guns, again became his prisoner; and all the French ships of war, which were ten in number, were taken. On the 15th of July, he was made rear-admiral of the blue, and commander in chief of the land and sea forces employed on an expedition to the East Indies; and, on the 4th of November, sailed from St. Helen's, with six ships of the line, five frigates, and 2000 soldiers. On the 29th of July 1748, he arrived at St. David's, and soon after laid siege to Pondicherry; but the men growing sickly, and the monsoons being expected, the siege was raised, and Mr. Boscawen showed himself as much the general as the admiral in his retreat. Soon after he had news of the peace, and Madras was delivered up to him by the French. In April 1750, he arrived at St. Helen's in the Exeter, and found that in his absence he had been appointed rearadmiral of the white. He was the next year made one of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, and chosen an elder brother of the Trinity-house. In February 1755, he was appointed vice-admiral of the blue. On the 19th of April, sailing in order to intercept a French squadron bound to North America, he fell in with the Alcide and Leys of 64 guns each, which were both taken: on this occasion M. Hoquart became his prisoner a third time, and he returned to Spithead with his prizes and 1500 prisoners. In 1756, he was appointed vice-admiral of the white; and in 1758, admiral of the blue, and commander in chief of the expedition to Cape Breton; when, in conjunction with general Amherst, and a body of troops from New England, the important fortrefs of Louisbourg and the whole island of Cape Breton was taken, for which he afterwards received the thanks of the House of Commons. In 1759, being appointed to command in the Mediterranean, he arrived at Gibraltar, where hearing that the Toulon fleet, under M. de la Clue, had passed the Straits, in order to join that at Brest, he got under sail, and on the 18th of August saw, pursued, and engaged the enemy. His ship, the Namur of 90 guns, losing her main-mast, he shifted his flag to the Newark; and, after a sharp engagement, took three large ships, and burnt two in Lagos-bay, and the same year arrived at Spithead with his prizes and 2000 prisoners. On December 8. 1760, he was appointed general of the marines with a salary of £. 3000 per annum, and was also sworn one of the privy-council. He died in 1761. BOSCH (Jacob Vanden), a painter of still life, was born at Amsterdam in 1636, and painted summer fruits of various kinds, peaches, pears, apples, plums, nectarines, and cherries, with extraordinary neatness of pencil. He painted all his objects after nature, and imitated every sort of fruit, with so great truth and delicacy, with such natural and transparent colour, that they appeared delicious, and almost real. He died in 1676. BOSCHAERTS (Thomas Willeborst), a celebrated painter, was born at Bergen-op-zoom; and, like the great painters who flourished at that time, began to draw, when very young, in the books that were intended for other studies. Preferring his pencil to every thing else, he drew his own picture, by his resemblance in a looking-glass, so like, that those who saw it were astonished. This he did before he had the least instruction from any one, and when he was only 12 years of age. Upon this his parents sent him to a master, that he might follow the bent of his genius; but his first master being only an indifferent painter, and incapable of satisfying his earnest desire of learning, he left him, and engaged himself with Gerard Segers; under whom, after four years practice, he proved a most accomplished artist. Antwerp being at that time the seat of arts, where there was a conflux of the most eminent painters, he thought it the fittest place for his improvement; and there executed such a number of noble pieces as added greatly to the splendor of that wealthy city. In 1642, Henry Frederick prince of Orange, and his son prince William, employed him in their service; in which he continued several years, and made those excellent pieces that are to be seen in that prince's palace at the Hague and other parts of Holland, Holland, and painted portraits for most of the persons of quality that were then living. He died in the flower of his age, in 1670. BOSCO, or BOSCUI, a town of Italy, in the Milanese, seated on the river Oibe. E. Long. 9. 44. N. Lat. 44. 53. BOSCOI, or BOSCII, in ecclesiastical history, denotes a species or tribe of monks in Palestine, who fed on grass like the beasts of the field. The word is Greek, βοσκός, q. d. "grazers;" formed from βοσκός, pastor, "I feed." The Boscoi are ranked among the number of Adamites, not so much on account of their habit, as food. They took no care about provision; but when eating-time came, or any of them was hungry, went into the fields, with each his knife in his hand, and gathered and eat what he could find. BOSEA, GOLDEN-ROD TREE: A genus of the digynia order, belonging to the pentandria class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 53d order, Scabridae. The calyx is pentaphyllous; there is no corolla; and the berry is monospermous. Of this genus there is but one species, viz. the vervumora. This is a native of the Canary islands, and also of some of the Caribbees. It hath been long an inhabitant of the British botanic gardens, but hath never been observed to flower in this country. It is a pretty strong woody shrub, growing with a stem as large as a middling person's leg; the branches come out very irregular, and make considerable shoots every summer, which should be shortened in the spring. These branches retain their leaves till towards the spring, when they fall away, and new leaves are produced in their place. It may be propagated by cuttings planted in the spring; and the plants must be housed in winter, for they are too tender to bear the open air at that season of the year.