Hero, apparently, she entered upon the higher prophetic phase of her life. " God revealed great secrets to her," which she began to proclaim; and soon she gathered around her a few ardent disciples. Her prophetic views were spe cially expounded in one of her books published at this time at Amsterdam, entitled The Light of the World. Some of her disciples formed the design of settling in the island of Noordstrand in Holstein. At first she seems to have de clined to join them, but afterwards set out for the purpose. She did not remain long, disturbances having arisen not only against her opinions, but in the ranks of her own followers. Shu was evidentlyimpatient of sharing her influence with any one, and is said to have been of very difficult and self-willed
temper. She returned to Holland, and died there in 1G80.It is difficult to give any estimate of A. Bourignon s cluracter and opinions. So far as appears, she was a visionary of ths ordinary type, only distinguished by the rare persistency and audacity of her pretensions. Amidst all her enthusiasms she seem to have known how to look after her own interests. She is said never to have given alms to the poor, not even to the hospital which she super intended. She was willing to assist with her hand, but not with her money. Her main idea about religion was that it was a mere internal ecstasy, independent of both church and Bible. She had innumerable visions, from which source she chiefly drew her religious inspiration and knowledge. Among others she saw in vision Antichrist and Adam before the Fall ; and she describes the appearance of tho form3r minutely, even to the colour of his hair. Her visions and views she gave to the world in numerous treatises and pamphlets.
Her followers in Holland seem to have dwindled rapidly away, if they ever had any of the life of a distinct sect ; but, strangely, her influence revived in Scotland in the beginning of the 18th century, so much so as to be a source of alarm to the Presbyterian Church, and to call forth not only one but several Acts of the General Assembly in denunciations of her doctrines and earnest caution against their contagion. These Acts are found severally in 1701, 1709, and 1710; and even at this last date it is alleged that " the gross heresies and errors going under the name of Bourignianism are greatly prevailing in the bounds of the national church." This is the explanation, no doubt, of the fact that Bourignianism is amongst the heretical sects which the clergy of the Church of Scotland are taken bound to "disown" at their ordination in a series of questions appointed to be put in 1711. Tho very name, however, is now generally unknown in Scotland, notwithstanding this strange survival of it; and should any one turn to the Act of Assembly of 1701, which professes to enumerate the opinions of M. Antonia Bourignon, and describes them as " impious, pernicious, and damnable," he will hardly get more light as to the nature of these opinions than elsewhere. They present an unintelligible conglomeration without coherency or order, such subjects as the denial of elec tion, the permission of sin, and the bondage of the will bjing mixed up with the quality of Christ s human nature, tho perfection of the present life, and " that generation takes place in heaven, and that there are no true Christians in the world." Mile. Bourignon s works were published in French at Amsterdam in 168G, in 19 vols. 8vo. Her Vie cxterieure, by herself, to be found in the first volume is the chief authority for the earlier part of her life. La Vie continuee de Mile. Bourignon, which occupies the whole of the second volume (author s name not given), treats of her life at length, but in a semi-legendary manner. Three of lier works at least have been translated into English, An Abridgment of the Liyht of the World, London, 1786; A Treatise of Solid Virtue, 1699; The Restoration of the Gospel Spirit, 1707.
BOURNE, Vincent, one of the most able modern writers of Latin verse, was born at Westminster towards the close of the 17th century. In 1710 he became a scholar at Westminster school, and in 1714 entered Trinity College, Cambridge. He graduated in 1717, and obtained a fellowship three years later. Of his after life exceedingly little is known. It is certain that he passed the greater portion of it as usher in Westminster school. He died on 2d December 1747. During his lifetime he published several small collections of his Latin poems, and in 1772 there appeared a very handsome 4to volume containing all Bourne s pieces, but also some that did not belong to him. The Latin poems are remarkable not only for perfect mastery of all linguistic niceties, but for graceful ex pression and genuine poetic feeling. A number of them are translations of English poems, and it is not too much to say that the Latin versions almost invariably surpass the originals. Cowper, an old pupil of Bourne s, Beattie, and Lamb have combined in praise of his wonderful power of Latin versification.
BOURNEMOUTH, a watering-place in the south of England, situated on the Hampshire coast about five miles from Christchurch. Its sheltered situation and desirable winter climate began to attract notice about 1840 ; and now it possesses five or six hotels, several churches, a library and reading-room, assembly-rooms, baths, and tho usual accompaniments of a frequented watering-place. In 1855 a sanatorium for consumptive patients was erected by subscription, and various establishments of a similar nature have since been founded. A pier 800 feet long was opened in 1861, and in 1870 railway communication was afforded by a branch of the South- Western from Ring- wood. The climate is remarkable for tho equability of its temperature. According to observations from 1862 to 1872 the average maximum by day in July is 71 9, and the average minimum by night in January 35 0- 6. Tho rainfall is about 30 inches in the course of the year, and the subsoil carries off water with great readiness. Tho surrounding country is extremely beautiful ; and tho buildings of Bournemouth itself are picturesquely disposed on the slope of a richly wooded hill, Population in 1871, 5906.
early friend and biographej of Napoleon, was born at Sens in 1769. His friendship with Napoleon began at the military academy of Brienne, where they were class-fellows, but they did not meet for some time after leaving school, as Bourrienne s humble birth precluded him from military service. In 1789, having embraced the career of diplomacy, he was sent as attache" to Vienna, and thence proceeded to Leipsic where he studied for some time. In 1792 he returned to Paris and renewed his close acquaintance with Bonaparte. Towards the close of the same year he was sent as Secretary of Legation to Stuttgart, but the fall of the monarchy a few months later threw him out of office. He was imprisoned for a short time by the Saxon Govern ment as an adherent of the Revolution, and did not return to Paris till 1795. In the following year, after a slight coldness between the friends, Napoleon invited Bourricnne to become his private secretary. The offer was accepted, and for six years the two lived on the most intimate and friendly terms. It was during this period that he accompanied Napoleon to Egypt. In 1802 implication in the disgraceful failure of the army-contractors Coulou caused his admissal. Three years later, however, he was sent as charge d affaires to Hamburg. There he was ac cused of peculation, and was in consequence recalled and compelled to pay one million francs into the public treasury. Bourrienno never forgave this ; ho became one of
Napoleon s bitterest enemies, and after the first abdication