Nicholas Anthony, a very singular Frenchman, was born at Paris in 1722, and died there in 1759, aged only 37. During his education, he is said to have come out of the college of Beauvais almost as ignorant as he entered into it; but struggling hard against his unaptitudes to learn, he at length overcame it. At seventeen, he began to study mathematics and architecture; and in three or four years made such a progress, as to be useful to the baron of Thiers, whom he accompanied to the army in quality of engineer. Afterwards he had the supervision of the highways and bridges; and he executed several public works in Champagne, Burgundy, and Lorraine. The author of his life, in the Dictionnaire des Hommes célèbres, writes, that in this province a terrible spirit discovered itself in him, which he himself did not suspect before; and this was, it seems, the spirit of "thinking philosophically." In cutting through mountains, directing and changing the courses of rivers, and in breaking up and turning over the strata of the earth, he saw a multitude of different substances, which (he thought) evinced the great antiquity of it, and a long series of revolutions which it must have undergone. From the revolutions in the globe, he passed to the changes that must have happened in the manners of men, in societies, in governments, in religion; and he formed many conjectures upon all these. To be farther satisfied, he wanted to know what, in the history of ages, had been said upon these particulars; and Boulanger that he might be informed from the fountain head, he learned first Latin and then Greek. Not yet content, he plunged into Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldaic, and Arabic; and acquired so immense an erudition, that, if he had lived, he would have been one of the most learned men in Europe; but death, as we have observed, prematurely took him off. His works are, 1. *Traité du Désertisme Oriental*, 2 vols 12mo; a very bold work; but not so bold and licentious as, 2. *L'Antiquité desville*, 3 vols 12mo. This was posthumous. 3. He furnished to the *Encyclopédie* the articles Delage, Corveé, and Société. 4. He left behind him in MS. a Dictionary, which may be regarded as a concordance in ancient and modern language. As a man, he is said to have been of a sweet, calm, and engaging temper; which, however, it is very difficult to reconcile with the dark, impetuous, ardent spirit, that appears to have actuated him as a writer.

**Boulanger**, John, an engraver, who flourished towards the end of the last century, was a native of France. His first manner of engraving appears to have been copied, in some degree, from that of Francis de Poilly; but soon after he adopted one of his own, which, though not original, he however greatly improved: He finished the faces, hands, and all the naked parts of his figures, very neatly with dots instead of strokes, or strokes and dots. The effect is singular enough, and by no means unpleasing: only, in some few instances, he has opposed the coarse graving of his draperies, and back-ground, so violently to the neater work of the flesh, that the outline of the latter is thereby rendered hard, and the general appearance of it flat and chalky. This style of engraving has been carried to its greatest perfection in the present day, particularly in England. He did not draw the naked parts of his figures correctly, or with fine taste. His draperies are apt to be heavy, and the folds not well marked. However, his best prints possess much merit, and are deservedly held in great esteem.

**Boulay**, César, was born at St Ellier, a village of Maine in France; and became professor of humanity at the college of Navarre, regester, rector, and historiographer of the university of Paris. He died in 1678, after having published several works. The principal of them are, *A History of the University of Paris*, in Latin, 6 vols folio; and the *Treasure of Roman Antiquities*, in 1 vol. folio.

**Boulcolaca**, among the modern Greeks, denotes the spectre of some wicked person who died excommunicated by the patriarch, reanimated by the devil, and causing great disturbance among the people; of which many strange stories are told. The word is Greek, and is sometimes written βουκολακας, boulkolakos; and supposed to be derived from βυργας, or βυργα, "mud," and λακας, a "ditch," on account of the filthiness of the sight.

**Boulder-wall**, a kind of wall built of round flints or pebbles, laid in strong mortar, and used where the sea has a beach cast up, or where there are plenty of flints.

**Boulette**, in the manege. A horse is called boulette, when the fetlock, or pattern-joint, bends forward, and out of its natural situation, whether through violent riding, or by reason of being too short-jointed, in which case the least fatigue will bring it.

**Boulogne**, Lewis, painter to the French Boulogne king, and professor of the academy of painting, distinguished himself by his art; and died at Paris in 1674, aged 65. There are three of his pictures in the church of Notre Dame.—He left two sons who were admired for their skill in painting. The elder, who is well known under the name of Bon Boullon, was first instructed by his father; after which we went to perfect himself in Italy, and for that purpose the king allowed him a pension; at his return, he was made professor of the academy of painting. Louis XIV. employed him in adorning several of his palaces; and there are a great number of his pictures at Paris. His talents for copying the pictures of the great Italian masters were so very extraordinary, that he frequently deceived the greatest judges. He died in 1717.—Lewis Boullon, his brother, after being also instructed by his father, gained the prize of painting at 18 years of age; upon which he obtained the king's pension. He set out for Italy at his brother's return, and acquired great skill in designing and colouring. At his return to Paris he was much employed; and at length became director of the academy of painting, knight of the order of St Michael, and first painter to the king. Louis XIV. allowed him several pensions, and raised him and his posterity to the rank of nobility. He embellished the church of the Invalids, the chapel of Versailles, &c.

**Boullon**, Bon de, a painter of some eminence, was born at Paris in 1649. From his father Louis de Boulogne he learned the first principles of the art; but went to Rome in order to perfect himself from the works of the best masters. He abode in Italy five years. He excelled in history and portrait. His talents for copying the pictures of the great Italian painters were so very extraordinary, that he frequently deceived the greatest judges. He died at Paris in 1717, aged 68.

**Boulogne**, Louis de, born at Paris in 1654, was the younger brother of the preceding; and like him learned from his father the first principles of painting, and afterwards went to Rome to complete his studies. His works, on his return, were so much esteemed, that Louis XIV. honoured him with the order of St Michael, and, after the death of Antony Coppell, appointed him his principal painter. He chiefly excelled in historical and allegorical subjects. He died at Paris in 1734, aged 80 years.

**Boulogne**, a large sea-port town of Picardy in France, and capital of the Boulognois, now called the department of the Straits of Calais, with a harbour, and formerly a bishop's see. It is divided into two towns; the higher, and the lower. The former is strong both by nature and art; and the latter is only surrounded with a single wall. The harbour has a mole for the safety of shipping, which at the same time prevents it from being choked up. The lower town is inhabited by merchants, and has three large streets, one of which leads to the high town, and the other two run in a line on the side of the river. It is situated at the mouth of the river Lianeuse, and 14 miles south of Calais. E. Long, 1. 42. N. Lat. 50. 42.

**Boulognois**, a territory of France, in the north part of Picardy, about 30 miles in length and 20 in breadth. The chief town is Boulogne, and the chief trade