Edmonton; afterwards in the same capacity at Hampstead, and ultimately went to the Rev. Mr Smith's at Camberwell, whom he assisted also in his ministerial duties. He subsequently became minister of an Inde Some writers have even accused him BOGUE, DAVID, the Rev., styled of having invented many details in the the Father of the London Missionary earlier part of the history; but from Society, was born at Hallydown, pathis charge of fabrication he has been rish of Coldingham, Berwickshire, vindicated by Mr Maitland in his Bio- February 18, 1750. He was the fourth graphical Introduction to Bellenden's son of John Bogue, Laird of HallyTranslation. "In forming a final down, and Margaret Swanston, his estimate," says Mr Maitland, "of the wife. He commenced his classical literary character of Boece, we must education at the school of Eyemouth, bear in mind, that when scholar-craft, and afterwards studied for the church in this country at least, was rare, he at the University of Edinburgh, and was a scholar, and contributed, by re-in due time was licensed as a preacher viving ancient learning, to dispel the of the gospel. In 1771 he went to gloom of the middle ages; and that, London, and was for some time emwhile the history of his country exist-ployed as usher in an academy at ed only in the rude page of the chroniclers who preceded him, or in the fading records of oral tradition, he embodied it in narrative so interest ing, and language so beautiful, as to be worthy of a more refined age." Dr Johnson, in his "Journey to the West-pendent chapel at Gosport. In 1780, ern Islands of Scotland," observes besides his clerical charge, he underthat "Hector Boethius may be justly took the duties of tutor to an Institureverenced as one of the revivers of tion in that town, for the education of elegant learning. The style of Boe- young men destined for the ministry, thius, though, perhaps, not always in connection with the Independent rigorously pure, is formed with great communion. At the same time, he diligence upon ancient models, and originated the design of a grand miswholly uninfected with monastic sionary scheme, which afterwards led barbarity. His history is written to the formation of the London Miswith elegance and vigour, but his sionary Society. Soon after he took fabulousness and credulity are justly an active part in the establishment of blamed. His fabulousness, if he was the British and Foreign Bible Society, the author of the fictions, is a fault and the Religious Tract Society. for which no apology can be made; the latter body he contributed the but his credulity may be excused in first of a series of very useful publicaan age when all men were credulous. tions. In 1796, he and the Rev. GreLearning was then rising on the world; ville Ewing of Glasgow, and the Rev. but ages, so long accustomed to dark- William Innes of Edinburgh, who, like ness, were too much dazzled with its himself, had left the Church of Scotlight to see anything distinctly. The land, and become Independent minisfirst race of scholars, in the fifteenth ters, agreed with Robert Haldane, century, and some time after, were for Esq. of Airdrie, who sold his estate to the most part learning to speak, rather furnish funds for the purpose, to go than to think, and were therefore out to India to preach the gospel to more studious of elegance than of the natives. The East India Comtruth. The contemporaries of Boe-pany, however, refused their sanction thius thought it sufficient to know to the undertaking, and the design what the ancients had delivered. The was in consequence abandoned; proexamination of tenets and of facts was videntially for them, as a massacre of reserved for another generation." Europeans afterwards took place at Boece is described as being discreet, the exact spot which had been fixed generous, affable, and courteous. station, upon for the missionary Το In where a seminary was to have been University; but in a short time he built for the education of mission-accompanied the boy Fletcher home aries. In 1815 the Senatus Academicus to his mother, who, on his father's of Yule College, North America, con- death, had married Colonel Bruce of ferred upon him the degree of D.D. Kennet, in Clackmannanshire, where Dr Bogue was in the practice of mak- he remained for about a year. ing an annual tour to the country in June 1697 he was licensed to preach behalf of the Missionary Society. In by the Presbytery of Dunse and one of these journeys, in which he had Chirnside; and in September 1699 he been requested to assist at a meeting was ordained to the living of Simprin, of the Sussex Auxiliary Society, he one of the smallest charges in Scotbecame unwell at the house of the land, not containing in his time above Rev. Mr Goulty of Brighton; and ninety examinable persons, and now after a short illness, died there, Octo- united to the parish of Swinton. ber 25, 1825, in the 75th year of his age. 1700 he married Catherine Brown of He was the author of " An Essay on Culross, whom, in his memoirs of the Divine Authority of the New Tes-himself, he describes as "a woman of tament," written at the request of the great worth; a stately, beautiful, and London Missionary Society, and which comely personage; of bright natural has been translated into the French, parts; an uncommon stock of pruItalian, German, and Spanish lan-dence, and of a quick and lively appreguages; also of "Discourses on the hension, and remarkably useful to the Millennium," and a "History of Dis-country side, through her skill in sursenters," the last of which was written gery." About this time he first bein conjunction with his friend, Dr came acquainted with a book which James Bennet, published first in 1808- proved of much service to him, and 12, and a second edition of which ap- occasioned a long and important conpeared in 1833. On the first appear-troversy in the Church of Scotland, ance of the "Evangelical Magazine," entitled "The Marrow of Modern Diin 1793, he contributed several power-vinity," written by Edward Fisher, ful articles to its columns. At the M.A., Oxford, 1627. It had been time of his death, he was President of brought into his parish from England the Seminary of Missions at Gosport. by one of his parishioners, who had BOSTON, THOMAS, a learned theo-been a soldier in the Civil Wars. logical writer, was born in the town 1702 he took the oath of allegiance to of Dunse, March 17, 1676. His pa- Queen Anne; and was a member of rents had some heritable property in the first General Assembly held under that neighbourhood; but Thomas, her Majesty in March 1703, which was being the youngest of seven children, suddenly dissolved by the commissionwas destined for the Scotish church. er, the Earl of Seafield, while discussHe received the usual elements of edu- ing an overture for preventing the cation at the grammar school of his marriage of Protestants with Papists. native place. In 1692 he went to the In May 1707 he was translated to EtUniversity of Edinburgh, where he terick, then one of the wildest parishes attended the usual course for three in the South of Scotland, where he years, and entered on the study of di- remained till his death. He was advinity. mitted, on the 1st of May of that year, the day which is remarkable in history as the commencement of the Union between Scotland and England. He abhorred the abjuration oath, and was one of those ministers of the Church of Scotland who refused to take it. To provide against the worst, In 1696, he for a short time taught a school at Glencairn; and was then appointed tutor to Andrew Fletcher of Aberlady, a boy nine years of age, grandson of Lady Mersington. His pupil being at the High School of Edinburgh, he had the opportunity of attending the Divinity class at the In man. from his manuscripts. The most remarkable of his posthumous pieces is the "Memoirs of his Life, Time, and Writings," written by himself, and published in one closely printed 8vo volume in 1776. He was survived by his wife, and by two sons and two daughters, whose descendants still remain near Etterick. he made over to his eldest son a house in Dunse, which he had inherited from his father, and assigned all his other goods to his precentor, John Currie, so that he might elude the penalty of five hundred pounds sterling, which was attached to the refusal to take the oath within a certain specified time; but the penalty was never demanded. Having devoted much of his attention BOSWELL, SIR ALEXANDER, to the study of the Hebrew accents, Bart., a distinguished literary antiwhich he was persuaded are the key to quary, eldest son of the biographer of the true version of the Hebrew text, Dr Johnson, the subject of the next he wrote an "Essay on the Hebrew article, was born October 9, 1775, and Accentuation," which was not publish- succeeded his father in the family ed till 1738, when it was brought out estate of Auchinleck, in Ayrshire. at Amsterdam under the care of the He was educated at Westminster learned David Mill, Professor of Ori- School, and afterwards sent to the ental Languages in the University of University of Oxford. With a lively Utrecht. In 1720 appeared "The imagination, he possessed a considerFourfold State;" being the substance able fund of humour; and some of of a series of sermons which he had his satirical pieces in verse occasionpreached on the depraved state of ally caused no little excitement in his It was received with much own circle. In 1803 he published a favour, and went rapidly through small volume, entitled "Songs, chiefly many editions. The work was at in the Scotish Dialect," several of first brought out under the auspices which have taken a permanent place of Mr Robert Wightman, Treasurer among the popular songs of his native to the City of Edinburgh, who pre- land; among which may be mentionfixed a preface, and added many of his ed, "Auld Gudeman, ye're a Drucken own emendations; but these Mr Bos- Carle;" "Jenny's Bawbee;" "Jenny ton could not agree to, and they were Dang the Weaver;" and "Taste omitted in the second edition. His Life's Glad Moments," a translation other writings of importance are, "A from the German. In 1810 he pubView of the Covenants of Works and lished, under an assumed name, an exGrace;" "Everlasting Espousals;"cellent poem in the Scotish vernacu"The Sovereignty and Wisdom of lar, entitled “Edinburgh, or the AnGod, displayed in the Afflictions of Men;" the well known work called "The Crook in the Lot;" "A short Illustration of the Shorter Catechism';" "Memorial concerning Personal and Family Fasting and Humiliation;" "Various Sermons and Communion Services," and notes on the "Marrow of Divinity," in which he ably sup. ports and illustrates the doctrine of grace. Mr Boston died May 20, 1732, in the 57th year of his age. His works have had a wide circulation, particularly his "Fourfold State." They were collected into a large folio volume in 1768; and in 1773 his "Body of Divinity," 3 vols. 8vo, was published cient Royalty, a sketch of former Manners, by Simon Gray;" in which he laments the changes that had taken place in the manners and customs of the inhabitants. In 1811 appeared "Clan-Alpin's Vow," a poetical fragment, founded on an event which took place on the eve of the marriage of James VI. to Anne of Denmark. He subsequently established a printing press at Auchinleck, from which he sent forth various pieces in prose and verse. In 1816 appeared "Skeldon Haughs, or the Sow is flitted," a tale, also in Scotish verse, founded on a traditionary story regarding an old Ayrshire feud between the Kennedys |