But all this, with so much more, was now past and gone; Pope was the only one of his old friends whom Bolingbroke found still remaining to receive him on his return home from his second exile; and he survived for only about two years; and in that short space they quarrelled and became bitter enemies.
[The following statement has recently been made on the authority of the Court Journal:—"A most extraordinary discovery, which, for obvious reasons, is sought to be kept a profound secret, has taken place in an old ruined house at Triel, near Versailles. An immense chest, full of gold and silver coins of English stamp, has been found concealed in one of the cellars, where it had been carefully walled up. From the papers and documents contained likewise in the chest, it has become evident that the house was once inhabited by Bolingbroke, who must have lain concealed here during the period wherein his whereabouts has always remained a puzzle to biographers and historians. In one of his letters he mentions that 'his retreat is convenient to the Seine,' and the house in question is found to possess a subterranean passage leading down to the water's edge. The money is evidently the result of the subscription raised by the party of the Pretender, for want of which the latter was prevented from striking a decisive blow. At present papers and coin remain in the hands of the owners of the house."]
Besides a few pamphlets and other political papers which he published in his lifetime, Bolingbroke left a mass of manuscript behind him, most or all of which has been given to the world since his death. His printed works make 5 vols. 4to.; besides which there are two collections of his letters, one in 2 vols. 4to., or 4 vols. 8vo., the other, consisting of French letters, in 3 vols. 8vo. The most remarkable of his writings are, a long and elaborate letter to Sir William Windham, written apparently about 1716, being a vindication of his political life down to that date, which was first published the year after his death; his short tract, entitled "Reflections upon Exile" (partly a translation from Seneca), and his "Letters on the Study and Use of History," also published together in 1752; and his "Idea of a Patriot King," which was published in his lifetime, with a prefatory notice signed by David Mallet, the poet, speaking with great asperity of Pope, then lately dead, who, in his admiration of the piece, had a short time before sent the manuscript, which had been lent to him, to the press without the knowledge of the author. The reason why he reserved nearly all that he had written to be published only after his death, was no doubt the infidel character of his whole system of philosophy, and his aversion to expose himself to what penalty or inconvenience the avowal of such sentiments might draw upon him. "Having loaded a blunderbuss, and pointed it against christianity," Samuel Johnson remarked, "he had not the courage to discharge it himself, but left half-a-crown to a hungry Scotchman to pull the trigger after his death." The merit of whatever Bolingbroke has written lies much more in the style than in the thought. He is frequently ingenious, but seldom or never profound; nor is his rhetoric of a brilliant or imposing character. There is no richness of imagery, nor even much peculiar felicity of expression; yet it always pleases by its clear and easy flow, and it rises at times to considerable animation, and even dignity.
He was twice married, the second time to a French lady, a niece of madame de Maintenon, with whom he lived in great affection till he lost her only the year before his own death; but he had no family by either wife. His peerage was inherited by his nephew, Lord St. John, the son of his half-brother; and from him is descended the present viscount, who thus enjoys both titles.—G. L. C.
BOLIVAR, Gregory de, a Spanish Observantine friar of the first half of the seventeenth century, who laboured with success as a missionary in Mexico and Peru, and prepared a work on the geography and history of those countries, which, however, has never been published. Another work of his, "Memorial de Arbitrios para la reparacion de Espana," was published at Madrid in 1626.—J. S., G.
BOLIVAR, Simon, was born in 1783 at Caraccas, of a noble family of Venezuela. He received his education principally in Europe, visited Paris during the Revolution, and travelled in the United States also, where he probably imbibed that love for free institutions which, on his return home, prompted him to join the ranks of the Venezuelan patriots. They declared their independence in 1811, and Bolivar, holding a colonel's commission under General Miranda, was intrusted with the defence of Puerto Cabello, an important position, which, however, he was unable to retain, and ere long the successes of the royalist leader, Monteverde, compelled him to seek refuge in Curaçoa. Thence he repaired to New Granada, joined the patriots of that province in their struggle, and rendered great service to their cause by taking in succession Teneriffe, Mompox, Ocana, and Cucuta, with other Spanish posts on the Magdalena. His heart, however, was set upon the liberation of Venezuela, and the next year found him entering that country with a force that scarcely exceeded five hundred men. The people rallied to his standard; he drove the royalists from the western provinces, and pressed on towards the capital, proclaiming war to the death against the Spaniards, in retaliation for the cruelties practised by Monteverde. Similar successes of Marino having liberated the eastern provinces also, that general was forced to shut himself up in Puerto Cabello, and a convention of the patriots at Caraccas invested Bolivar with the power of dictator. But the struggle was not ended. A new and formidable opponent appeared in the person of Boves, who, after a series of sanguinary battles, re-established the authority of Spain, and Bolivar was again compelled to seek safety in New Granada, where he distinguished himself by the capture of Santa Fe de Bogota. On the appearance of Morillo with an overwhelming force, he retired to Jamaica, and thence to Hayti, where he organized a new expedition, while Arismendi raised again the standard of independence in Margarita. In the campaign that followed, the Spaniards sustained a series of disastrous defeats, and Bolivar, in conjunction with Santander, re-established the cause of freedom in New Granada. Strengthened by these victories, the dictator speedily resumed operations in Venezuela, at the head of a powerful army, to which England contributed supplies of men and military stores. Complete success now crowned his efforts. The battle of Carabola, fought in June, 1821, decided the independence of his native country, and in August of the same year, Venezuela and New Granada united to form the republic of Colombia, Bolivar being elected president. He subsequently commanded the patriot forces in Peru, and there also, notwithstanding the factions which impeded his progress for a time, he was ultimately successful. The republic of Bolivia, formed under his auspices, and called after his name, proclaimed him its perpetual protector, and intrusted him with the preparation of its constitution, continuing him for another year in the dictatorship with which he had been invested during the struggle. His conduct in this office has been suspected, but if we except the fact that he showed no desire to lay down his authority and return home, there is little evidence that he sought to add Bolivia to his Colombian presidency. A congress was summoned, his proposed constitution was laid before it; on its declining to give a decision, and requesting that the matter should be sent down to the provinces, Bolivar did so, and it was by the unanimous voice of the provincial assemblies, that he was nominated president for life. Meanwhile difficulties had arisen in Colombia. Paez, who held command in Venezuela, being accused of oppressive measures, refused the control of the general government, and actual hostilities were only prevented by the willingness of both parties to await the decision of Bolivar. His return had the effect of restoring quiet, but mistrust of his designs was now prevalent. Accordingly, in the beginning of 1827, he resigned his presidency, and declared his intention of retiring into private life. This step being opposed by Santander, and a majority of the congress, he resumed office, and summoned a national convention at Ocana to decide what measures should be adopted for the restoration of harmony. Serious differences, however, disturbed its deliberations, and it was ultimately dissolved, by the secession of the deputies friendly to Bolivar. In the course of the same year, 1828, he issued a decree by which he assumed the supreme power, and, as the people were generally favourable to him, he continued to hold the reins of government till his death in December, 1830. His character will be in some points variously estimated, but no one can deny him the credit of eminent abilities, military and administrative. He fought the battle of South American independence with a constancy and a disinterestedness not often equalled; and it was probably the suspicions of others, as much as his own faults, that required him to pen, a few days before his death, an address to his country, in which he asserted his integrity, complained of the aspersions cast upon him, and declared that he would die happy if his death should promote the peace and glory of Colombia.—W. B.
