a Greek name, now in common use for the north wind. Pezron observes, that anciently Boreas signified the north-east wind blowing at the time of the summer solstice. The Greeks erected an altar to Boreas. He is represented on the temple at Athens with his robe before his mouth, as if he felt the cold of the climate over which he presides, agreeably to the description of Ovid, who calls him gelidus tyrannus, "the shivering tyrant," Met. vi. ver. 711. But he is usually described by the Roman poets as violent and impetuous; ibid. ver. 686—ver. 707. In painting, he is generally represented like an old man with a horrible look, his hair and beard covered with snow or hoar frost, with the feet and tail of a dragon. M. Spierlingius has a treatise in praise of Boreas, wherein he shows the honours paid to him by antiquity. Boreas, according to this author, purifies the air, renders it calm and salubrious, preserves buildings from decay, drives away the plague and other noxious diseases, and expels locusts and other vermin hurtful to the grounds.

BORDEL, Peter, a learned physician, was the son of James Borel who published several poems, and was born at Castris in 1620. He applied himself to the study of physic, of which he was created doctor, and practised with great success in the city of Castris. Towards the end of the year 1653, he went to Paris, and was soon after made physician in ordinary to the king. In 1674, he was received into the academy of sciences, and distinguished himself by writing a great number of works. The most esteemed are: 1. Historiarum et observationum medico-physicarum centuria quarta. 2. Bibliotheca chymica, duodecimo. 3. De vero teleopii inventore, cum brevi omnium consipicillorum historia. He died in 1678.

BORDELLI, John Alphonsus, a famous philosopher and mathematician, born at Naples the 28th of January 1608. He was professor of philosophy and mathematics in some of the most celebrated universities of Italy, particularly at Florence and Pisa, where he became highly in favour with the princes of the house of Medici; but having been engaged in the revolt of Messina, he was obliged to retire to Rome, where he spent the remainder of his life under the protection of Christina queen of Sweden, who honoured him with her friendship, and by her liberality towards him softened the rigour of his hard fortune. He continued two years in the convent of the regular clergy of St. Pantaleon, called the phous scholae, where he instructed the youth in mathematical studies. He died there of a pleurisy, the 31st of December 1679, in the 72nd year of his age. He wrote in Latin, 1. Euclid restored. 2. The theory of the influence of the planets in medicine, deduced from physical causes. 3. Of percutive force. 4. Of natural motions depending upon gravity. 5. An historical and meteorological account of the burning of Mount Etna, in the year 1669. 6. Of the motion of animals; and several other works, some of which are in Italian.