Protestant Exiles from France/Volume 2 - Book Third - Chapter 12 - Section II
Boyer.
Abel Boyer, to whose annals historians and biographers are so much indebted, was descended from an influential burgess family in Castres. He was born in 1664, and was a student in Puylaurens; but the Revocation prevented him from completing his college education in France. He then went as a senior student to Geneva, and again removed to Franeker. He came to England in 1689, and resided forty years, wielding his pen with diligence and success. He died at Chelsea, 16th November 1729, aged sixty-five. To the public his “Royal Dictionary, French and English,” is the only memento of his name, except perhaps his “History of Queen Anne,” in one volume folio. With a declared view to the service of posterity he had constantly compiled pamphlets and volumes (anonymous, but usually well known to be his), containing documents and news concerning public men and measures, the memory of which might have otherwise perished, at least as to minute details. His “Life of King William III.” extended to three volumes. The “Account of the Earl of Galway’s Conduct in Portugal and Spain” was (I think) compiled by Boyer. His Folio “Queen Anne” grew out of his annual volumes, which would have been called Annual Registers, but which he named “The Annals of Queen Anne.” He also brought out “Annals of King George.” To suit readers who preferred greater brevity, he founded, and during his life edited, the periodical chronicle named “The Political State of Great Britain;” which lived from 1711 to 1739. His last work was "The Great Theatre of Honour and Nobility, 1729.”
Boyer had been French master to William, Duke of Gloucester, who died 24th July 1700, aged ten years and five days. In Boyer’s “Life of William III.” (vol. iii., p. 457) there is a good portrait of that Prince. It was this connection with the heir-presumptive to the throne that gave rise to the title of “Boyer’s Royal Dictionary.” The first edition was published in 1699; and the standard edition in 1729, the latter being superintended by Zach. Loquet (probably a refugee). This was the first good dictionary ever published — being not only a vocabulary for pur-i poses of translation, but also an interpreting dictionary of both languages, French and English.
I must refer to his English translation, printed in 1708, of a French account of the “Siege of Toulon,” because it shews what a good Englishman he had become. He introduces a few marginal notes, for instance, “Here the Author shews himself an absolute stranger to the affairs of Great Britain” — “Here the Author runs into such extravagant suppositions, as seem to be calculated for the meridian of the French mobb only” — “Here’s an abominable untruth, for ’tis certain that the French were superior in numbers to the Allies” — “Here’s a cluster of French rhodomontadoes and chimerical suppositions! I believe with a design to feed that nation with the hopes of an approaching Peace on their monarch’s terms.”
Boyer was a great dealer in anecdotes. For instance, he concludes the preface of the third Volume of his “History of William III.,” thus:—
Some of my friends would have persuaded me to animadvert upon a book entitled, “The Life ol William III., late King of England, and Prince of Orange,” which indeed is but an undigested abridgement of my two first volumes. . . . . But I think it unnecessary to take any further notice of it. . . . . As for such as will suffer themselves to be imposed upon, I content myself to tell them what a shrewd nuncio from the Pope at Paris was repeating to crowds of ignorant people that kneeled and gaped for his Benediction:— QUI VULT DECIPI, DECIPIATUR.