Sebastian de, an eminent French musician. In the former part of his life he had been prebendary and chapel-master of the cathedral church of Straßburg; but afterwards became grand-chaplain, and also maître de chapelle in the cathedral of Meaux. There is extant of his a work entitled Prodromus musici. He was author also of a very useful book, entitled Dictionnaire de musique, printed at Amsterdam, in folio, 1723; and afterwards at the same place in octavo, without a date. At the end of this book is a catalogue of authors ancient and modern, to the amount of 900, who have written on music; divided into classes, wherein are interspersed many curious observations of the author relating to the history of music. By Mr. Boivin's Catalogue général des livres de musique for the year 1729, it appears that Broissard was the author of two sets of motets, as also of nine Léçons de Tenebres therein mentioned. It seems that these several publications were at a time when the author was far advanced in years; for Walther takes notice, that in the Mercure Galante, he is mentioned as an abbe and composer, so early as the year 1678.

BROTHÈL-houses, lewd places, being the common habitations of prostitutes. King Henry VIII. by proclamation, in the 37th year of his reign, suppressed all the flews or brothel-houses which had long continued on the bank-side in Southwark, contrary to the law of God and of the land. A brothelman was a looile idle fellow; and a femme bordellet, or brothellet, a common whore. And borellet is a contraction for brothelman. See Bawdy-House.