A protestant Boanerges, visiting Birmingham, sent an invitation to Dr. Newman to dispute publicly with him in the Town Hall.--E. Yates, _Celebrities_, xxii. [Illustration] Boanerges or "sons of thunder" is the name given by Jesus Christ to James and John, because they wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans.--Mark iii. 17. BOAR (_The_), Richard III., so called from his cognizance. The bristled boar, In infant gore, Wallows beneath the thorny shade. Gray, _The Bard_ (1757). In contempt Richard III. is called _The Hog_, hence the popular distich: The Cat, the Rat, and Lovell the dog, Rule all England, under the Hog. ("The Cat" is Catesby, and "the Rat" Ratcliffe). _Boar (The Blue)_. This public-house sign (Westminster) is the badge of the Veres earls of Oxford. _The Blue Boar Lane_ (St. Nicholas, Leicester) is so named from the cognizance of Richard III., because he slept there the night before the battle of Bosworth Field. BOAR OF ARDENNES (_The Wild_), in French _Le Sanglier des Ardennes_ (_2 syl._), was Guillaume comte de la Marck, so called because he was as fierce as the wild boar he delighted to hunt. The character is introduced by sir W. Scott in _Quentin_ _Durward_, under the name of "William count of la Marck." BOB'ADIL, an ignorant, shallow bully, thoroughly cowardly, but thought by his dupes to be an amazing hero. He lodged with Cob (the water-carrier) and his wife Tib. Master Stephen was greatly struck with his "dainty oaths," such as "By the foot of Pharaoh!" "Body of Cæsar!" "As I am a gentleman and a soldier!" His device to save the expense of a standing army is inimitable for its conceit and absurdity: "I would select 19 more to myself throughout the land; gentlemen they should be, of a good spirit and able constitution. I would choose them by an instinct,... and I would teach them the special rules ... till they could play _[fence]_ very near as well as myself. This done, say the enemy were 40,000 strong, we 20 would ... challenge 20 of the enemy; ... kill them; challenge 20 more, kill them; 20 more, kill them too; ... every man his 10 a day, that's 10 score ... 200 a day; five days, a thousand; 40,000, 40 times 5,200 days; kill them all."--Ben Jonson, _Every Man in his Humour_, iv. 7 (1598). Since his [_Henry Woodward, 1717-1777_] time the part of "Bobadil" has never been justly performed. It may be said to have died with him. --Dr. Doran. The name was probably suggested by Bobadilla first governor of Cuba, who superseded Columbus sent home in chains on a most frivolous charge. Similar characters are "Metamore" and "Scaramouch" (Molière); "Parolles" and "Pistol" (Shakespeare); "Bessus" (Beaumont and Fletcher). (See also BASILISCO, BOROUGHCLIFF, CAPTAIN BRAZEN, CAPTAIN NOLL BLUFF, SIR PETRONEL FLASH, SACRIPANT, VINCENT DE LA ROSE, etc.) BOBOLINKON. Christopher Pearse Cranch calls the bobolink: Still merriest of the merry birds, and Pied harlequins of June.