BOSCAN, JUAN, a Spanish poet, celebrated as the introducer of Italian measures into Spanish literature, was born about the close of the 15th century. The exact date. is unknown, but it was probably a few years before 1500, He was of patrician birth and appears to have passed some years in military service. He died in 1510 at Perpignan, where he was residing with the duke of Alva. His poems were published in 1543 at Barcelona by his widow. They are divided into four books which mark out distinctly the stages of Boscan's poetical history. The first book contains light poems in the Old Castilian metres, resembling the Cancioneros. These were written in his youth, before 1526, in which year he became acquainted with Andrea Navagiero, ambassador from Venice. Navagiero urged him to adopt some of the Italian measures, and his advice gave a new turn to Boscan's activity. The second and third books contain a number of pieces in Italian metres, sonnets, canzones, and poems in blank verse, terra rim a, and octaves. The longest of these poems is the Hero and Leander, in blank verse. The fourth book contains his best effort, the Allegory, written in the maturity of his powers, and exhibiting great delicacy of imagination and skilful verso composition. He also published, in 1534, a translation of Balthasar Castiglione's Italian poem The Courtier. Boscan's greatest follower in the endeavour to mould Spanish poetry after Italian models was Garcilassa de la Vega, who is more celebrated than his master.

See Bouterwek, Spanish. Literature, vol. i.; Ticknor, History of Spanish Literature, vol. i.

he arrived in Emtd,ind. and was the next year made one of the lords of the Admiralty, and chosen an elder brother of the Trinity I I on o. In February 1755 he was appointed vice-admiral, and in April he intercepted the French squadron bound to North America, and took the "Alcide" and " Lys " of sixty-four guns each. Hocquart became his prisoner for the third time, and Boscawen returned to Spithead with his prizes and 1500 prisoners. For this exploit he received the thanks of Parliament. In 1758 he was appointed admiral of the blue and commander-in•chief of the expedition to Cape Breton, when, in conjunction with General Amherst, he took the fortress of Louisbourg, and the island of Cape Breton, - services for which he again received the thanks of the House of Commons. In 1759, being appointed to command in the Mediterranean, lie pursued the French fleet, and after a sharp engagement in Lagos Bay, took three large ships and burnt two, returning to Spithead with his prizes and 2000 prisoners. In December 1700 lie was appointed general of the marines, with a salary of £3000 per annum, and was also sworn a member of the privy council. He died at his seat near Guildford, January 10, 1761, in the 50th year of his agc.