. i., published by M. de Boislisle.

BOISROBERT, FRANCOIS LE METEL DE (1592-1662), French poet, was born at
Caen in 1592. He was trained for the law, and practised for some time at
the bar at Rouen. About 1622 he went to Paris, and by the next year had
established a footing at court, for he had a share in the ballet of the
_Bacchanales_ performed at the Louvre in February. He accompanied an
embassy to England in 1625, and in 1630 visited Rome, where he won the
favour of Urban VIII. by his wit. He took orders, and was made a canon
of Rouen. He had been introduced to Richelieu in 1623, and by his humour
and his talent as a raconteur soon made himself indispensable to the
cardinal. Boisrobert became one of the five poets who carried out
Richelieu's dramatic ideas. He had a passion for play, and was a friend
of Ninon de l'Enclos; and his enemies found ready weapons against him
in the undisguised looseness of his life. He was more than once
disgraced, but never for long, although in his later years he was
compelled to give more attention to his duties as a priest. It was
Boisrobert who suggested to Richelieu the plan of the Academy, and he
was one of its earliest and most active members. Rich as he was through
the benefices conferred on him by his patron, he was liberal to men of
letters. After the death of Richelieu, he attached himself to Mazarin,
whom he served faithfully throughout the Fronde. He died on the 30th of
March 1662. He wrote a number of comedies, to one of which, _La Belle
Plaideuse_, Moliere's _L'Avare_ is said to owe something; and also some
volumes of verse. The licentious _Contes_, published under the name of
his brother D'Ouville, are often attributed to him.

BOISSARD, JEAN JACQUES (1528-1602), French antiquary and Latin poet, was
born at Besancon. He studied at Louvain; but, disgusted by the severity
of his master, he secretly left that seminary, and after traversing a
great part of Germany reached Italy, where he remained several years and
was often reduced to great straits. His residence in Italy developed in
his mind a taste for antiquities, and he soon formed a collection of the
most curious monuments from Rome and its vicinity. He then visited the
islands of the Archipelago, with the intention of travelling through
Greece, but a severe illness obliged him to return to Rome. Here he
resumed his favourite pursuits with great ardour, and having completed
his collection, returned to his na