Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

150 BODIN-JBODON1.
political revolution. Ie afterwards, how- man poet and scholar, born at Greifensee.
ever, submitted to Henry IV. He died, near Zurich, July 19, 1698. Although
1596, at Laon, of the plague. His great he produced nothing remarkable of his
work is that entitled De la Republique, in own in poetry, he helped to open the way
which he gave the first complete essay for the new German literature in this detowards a scientific treatise on politics, partment. He was the antagonist of Gottand, guided by his own experience, sought sched, in Leipsic, who aspired to be the
to strike out a middle course between the literary dictator of the day, and ]ad emadvocates of monarchy and democracy. braced the French theory of taste, while
His Delwnnonmanie, and his Theatrum Uni- B. inclined to the English. He has the
versce.Naturce (Lyons, 1596), show how honor of having had Klopstock and Wiesuperstition and learning were Lunited in land among his scholars. B. was, for a
his character; but the charge of atheism, long time, professor of history in Switzerwhich is grounded particularly on a work land. He was a copious and indefatigable
entitled Heptaplomeron, proceeds from the writer, entertained many incorrect views,
religious indiflerence which was noticed but was of service, as we have already
in him by his contemporaries. said, to the German literature, which was
BODLEIAN LIBRARY. (See Libraries.) then in a low and barbarous state. He
BoDLEY, sir Thomas; the founder of died at Zfirich, 1783.
the Bodleian library at Oxford. He was BODONI, Giambatista, superintendent of
born at Exeter, in 1544, and educated the royal press at Parma, chief printer of
partly at Geneva, whither his parents, who his Catholic majesty, member of several
were Protestants, had retired in the reign academies of Italy, knight of several high
of queen Mary. On the accession of orders, was born, 1740, at Saluzzo, in
Elizabeth, they returned home, and he Piedmont, where his father owned a
completed his studies at Magdalen col- printing establishment. I-e began, while
lege, Oxford. He afterwards became a yet a boy, to employ himself in engraving
fellow of Merton college, and read lectures on wood. His labors meeting with sucon the Greek language and philosophy. cess, he went, in 1758, to Rome, and was
He went to the continent in 1576, and made compositor for the press of the
spent four years in travelling. He was Propaganda. By the advice of the suafterwards employed in various embassies perintendent, he made himself acquainted
to Denmark, Germany, France and Hol- with the Oriental languages, in order to
land. In 1597, he returned home, and qualify himself for the kind of printing
dedicated the remainder of his life to the required in them. He thereby enabled
reestablishment and augmentation of the himself to be of great service to this press
public library at Oxford. This he accom- by restoring and putting in place the
plished, procuring books and manuscripts types of several Oriental alphabets, which
himself, both at home and abroad, at a had fallen into disorder. The infant don
great expense, and, by his influence and Ferdinand, about 1766, had, with a view
persuasions, inducing his friends and ac- of diffusing knowledge, established a printquaintance to assist in his undertaking. ing-house in Parma, after the model of
Sir Robert Cotton, sir Henry Savile, and those in Paris, Madrid and Turin. B. was
Thomas Allen, the mathematician, were placed at the head of this establishment,
among the principal contributors on this which he made the first of the kind in
occasion. The library was so much aug- Europe, and gained the reputation of
mented, that sir Thomas B., who was having far surpassed all the splendid and
knighted at the accession of James I, was beautiful productions of his predecessors
induced to erect an additional structure in the art. The beauty of his type, ink
for the reception of the increasing quan- and paper, as well as the whole managetity of valuable books and manuscripts. ment of the technical part of the work,
He died in London, 1612, and was interred leaves nothing for us to wish; but the
in the chapel of Merton college, in the intrinsic value of his editions is seldom
university. He bequeathed nearly the equal to their outward splendor. His
whole of his property to the support and Homer is a truly admirable and magnifiauligmentation of the library, which has cent work; indeed, his Greek letters are
1been so much enriched by subsequent the most perfect imitations that have been
bIenefactions, that it is, at present, one of attempted, in modern times, of Greek
the most magnificent institutions of the manuscript. His splendid editions of
kind in Europe. (See Reliqgice Bodlei- Greek, Latin, Italian and French classics
mnce, London, 1703.) are highly prized. Hle died at Padua,
BoDMER, John Jacob; a celebrated Ger- Nov. 29, -1813.