BOULLOUGNE, MAGDELAINE DE,
Was born at Paris in 1644. She painted historical pieces, but excelled in flowers and fruits. She died in 1710. Her sister, Genevieve, painted in the same style, and with equal merit. She died in 1708, aged sixty-three.
BOURETTE, CHARLOTTE,
Whose first husband was M. Curé, was a French poetess and lemonade-seller, called la Muse limonadiere. She was born at Paris in 1714, and died there in 1784. Madame Bourette kept the Café Allemand, and was celebrated for her numerous productions in prose and verse. Her writings introduced her to the notice of several sovereigns, princes, and princesses of the blood royal, and many of the most celebrated men of her time. Her poetry is careless and prosaic, but her prose compositions poetic and brilliant. She also wrote a comedy, "The Coquette Punished," which was acted with success in the Théatre Français.
BOURGAIN, THERESE,
Engaged at the Théatre Français, in Paris, acted the parts of heroines in tragedy, and the young artless girls in comedy. She was a native of Paris. Palissot encouraged her, and the celebrated Dumesnli, then eighty years old, gave her instructions. "Pamela," (by F. de Neufchateau,) "Melanie," (by La Harpe,) and "Monime," (a character in "Mithridat," by Voltaire,) were her most successful parts in tragedy; but in comedy she was greater. She avoided the common fault of most actresses who wish to excel in both kinds, namely, the transferring of the tragic diction to that of comedy, which latter requires, in dialogue, an easy, free, and well-supported style. If she did not reach the accomplished Mile. Mars, her graceful vivacity, sufficiently aided by study and art, had peculiar charms. She acted also male parts, and her triumph in this kind was the "Page," in the "Marriage of Figaro." She was one of the members of the Théatre Français, whom Napoleon had selected to entertain the congress of kings at Erfurt; at the demand of Alexander the First, she went, 1809, to St. Petersburg, where she was much applauded as Eugenia; in Königsberg, she gave recitations before the late Queen Louisa of Prussia, who rewarded her liberally; and in the same year she returned to Paris, where justice has always been done to her eminent talents.
BOURGET, CLEMENCE DE,
A lady born of respectable parents at Lyons. She possessed so much merit as a writer, a musician, and a poetess, that she was presented to two monarchs, who passed through Lyons, as the greatest ornament of her native city. She died of a broken heart, in consequence of the loss of her lover, John de Peyrat, who fell at the siege of Beaurepaire, in 1561. She was the contemporary of Louise Labbé, la belle Corrdiére, and was very much attached to her, but the conduct of Louise at length compelled her more exemplary friend to withdraw her friendship.
BOURIGNON, ANTOINETTE,
Was a celebrated religious enthusiast, and founder of a sect
