or BALLANTINE, WILLIAM, a Scotch writer who flourished in the beginning of the 17th century, was professor of humanity or belles lettres at Edinburgh, and master of requests to James I. of England. But the former is supposed to have been only nominal, or early given up, and the latter also to have consisted in the name only, since he appears to have resided almost constantly at Paris, where by the favour of his sovereign, he was enabled to live in easy circumstances. There he published, in 1608, his Cicero Principis, a singular work; in which he extracted from Cicero's writings detached passages, and comprised them into one regular body, containing the rules of monarchical government, with the line of conduct to be pursued, and the virtues proper to be encouraged, by the prince himself; and the treatise, when finished, he dedicated, from a principle of patriotism and gratitude, to the son of his master, Henry, then prince of Wales. Four years afterwards, namely, in 1612, he proceeded to publish another work of a similar nature, which he called Cicero Consul, Senator Senatusque Romanus, in which he treated, with much perspicuity, and a fund of solid information, on the nature of the consular office, and the constitution of the Roman senate. Finding these works received, as they deserved, with the unanimous approbation of the learned, he conceived the plan of a third work, De Statu prisci Orbis, which was to contain a history of the progress of government and philosophy, from the times before the flood to their various degrees of improvement under the Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans. He proceeded so far as to print a few copies of this work, in the year 1615, when it seems to have been suggested that his treatises, De Statu Principis, De Statu Republicae, and De Statu Orbis, being on subjects so nearly resembling each other, there might be a propriety in uniting them into one work, by republishing the two former, and entitling the whole Bellendenus De Statu. With this view, he recalled the few copies of his last work that were abroad, and after a delay of some months, published the three treatises together, under their new title, in 1616. These pieces have been lately reprinted by an ingenious political editor, who has thought proper to inscribe them to Mr Burke, Lord North, and Mr Fox, whose respective portraits are prefixed to each dedication, and whose talents and virtues he celebrates and defends in a preface of 76 pages, containing a very free and bold discussion of our public men and measures in very classical language, and a strong and satirical representation, under borrowed names of antiquity, of the chiefs of the other party, or the present ministry. Bellenden wrote another work, published after his death, Bellerophon, in fabulous history, the son of Glaucus king of Epirus, happening accidentally to kill his brother, fled to Proetus king of Argos, who gave him a hospitable reception: but Sthenobea, his queen, falling in love with the beautiful stranger, and finding that nothing could induce him to injure his benefactor, she accused him to her husband of an attempt to violate her honour. Proetus, however, not being willing to act contrary to the laws of hospitality, sent him to Iobates king of Lysia, and the father of Sthenobea, with letters desiring him to be put to death: whence the proverb Bellerophontis literas affert, equivalent to Literae Uriae. That prince, at the receipt of these letters, was celebrating a festival of nine days, which prevented Bellerophon's destruction. Iobates, however, sent him in the mean time to subdue the Solymi, the Amazons, and Lysians, and thought to get rid of him by exposing him to the greatest dangers; but by his prudence and courage he came off victorious. Iobates next employed him to destroy the Chimera; when Minerva or according to others, Neptune, in consideration of his innocence, furnished him with the horse Pegasus, by whose assistance he killed the Chimera. Iobates, on his return, being convinced of his truth and integrity, and charmed with his heroic virtues, gave him his daughter Philonoe in marriage, and declared him his successor: which when Sthenobea heard, she killed herself. Bellerophon at length growing vain with his prosperity, resolved, by the assistance of Pegasus, to ascend the skies; when Jupiter checked his presumption, by striking him blind in his flight; on which he fell down to the earth, and wandered till his death in contempt and misery: but Pegasus mounting into heaven, Jupiter placed him among the constellations.

Belles Lettres. Whether we consult the voluminous dictionaries of the French language, or those treatises that profess to point out the method of studying and teaching the belles lettres, we find not, in the one or the other, either a clear definition, or a succinct explication of the words belles lettres, nor any summary of those sciences which are comprehended under that general and collective denomination. It appears to be a vague term, under which every one may include whatever he thinks proper. Sometimes we are told, that by the belles lettres is meant, the knowledge of the arts of poetry and oratory; sometimes that the true belles lettres are natural philosophy, geometry, and other essential parts of learning; and sometimes, that they comprehend the art of war, by land and sea: in short, they are made to include all that we know, and whatever we please; so that, in treating on the belles lettres, they talk of the use of the sacraments, &c.* Some comprehend under this term, all those instructive and pleasing sciences which occupy the Belles memory and the judgment, and do not make part either of the superior sciences, of the polite arts†, or (See Arts) of mechanic professions; hence they make history, Polite chronology, geography, genealogy, blazonry, philology, &c. the belles lettres. In a word, it were an endless task to attempt to enumerate all the parts of literature which different learned men have comprehended under this title. Nor would it be of any use to the reader for us to pretend to fix the true import of the term. Whatever arts or sciences it may be supposed to include, they are severally explained in the course of this work.

Belle-Ville, a town of France, in the department of the Rhone, seated near the river Saone. E. Long. 4° 46'. N. Lat. 45° 5'.