A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Bourignon, (Antoinette)
BOURIGNON, (ANTOINETTE) a famous Enthusiast. Born 1616, died 1680, at Lisle, in Flanders.
At her birth, she was so ugly that a consultation was held in the family for some days, about stifling her for a monster. She grew better, and they spared her. At four years of age she not only took notice of the immoral lives of the people of Lisle, but was so disturbed thereby, as to desire a removal into some more christian country. She would not join in the sports of other children, and soon began to inflict on herself voluntary penances.
Her father promised her in marriage to a Frenchman. Easter-day, 1630, was appointed for the nuptials; to avoid which, she fled, in the habit of a hermit, but was stopped at Blazon, a village of Hainault, on suspicion of her sex. The minister of that place rescued her from an officer of horse. He observed something extraordinary in her, and mentioned her to the archbishop of Cambray, who persuaded her to give up the idea of living as a hermit, and sent her home. But fresh proposals of matrimony being made to her, she ran away a second time; and going to the archbishop, obtained a licence to set up a small society in the country, with some other maidens of her taste and temper. The Jesuits, however, opposing; it, the licence was soon retracted, and Antoinette obliged to withdraw into the country of Liege, whence she returned to Lisle, and passed many years away in a private and recluse way of life, in devotion and great simplicity; so that when her patrimonial estate fell to her, she resolved at first to renounce it; but changing her mind, as she was satisfied with a few conveniences, spent little, and bestowed no charities, her wealth daily increased.
Her resolution to remain single, without embracing a conventual life, exposed her to the addresses of many lovers, either of herself or her fortune. Upon this, she had recourse to the provost, who sent two men to guard her house. Soon after the nephew of the minister of St. Andrew's, near Lisle, also fell in love with her; and as her house was in the neighbourhood, made frequent attempts to force an entrance. She threatened to quit her residence, if she was not delivered from this troublesome suitor. The uncle drove him from his house. Upon which he became desperate, discharged a musket through her chamber window, and gave out that she was his espoused wife. The preacher at length relieved her from the disgrace this charge brought upon her, by declaring from the pulpit, that the report was a falsehood.
In 1658, she was made governess of an hospital at Lisle, having taken the order and habit of St. Austin. But here again she fell into fresh trouble. A strange idea got abroad, that the hospital was infected with sorcery, insomuch that all the young girls in it had an engagement with the devil. Upon which the governess was taken up, and examined by the magistrates of Lisle; nothing could be proved against her. But, to prevent farther prosecutions, she retired to Ghent, in 1662. Here she supposed her spiritual blessings were increased. Many learned and pious persons took her part, particularly De Cort, the superior of the Molines, a theologist, who had been secretary to Cornelius Jansen. He engaged her to write her religious sentiments, and she composed 3 vols, intituled La Lumiere du Monde, which has been thought her best work; though she wrote many others on the same subject. These productions occasioned much dispute between the Jesuits and those who protected her. They ran at last so high, that she was equally persecuted by both parties. De Cort dying in 1660, left her his heir; but this inheritance brought her into new troubles. A multitude of law-suits were commenced to prevent her enjoying it; nor were her doctrines and religious principles spared on the occasion. She left Holland in 1671, to go into Noor Strandt.
In her way thither she stopped at several places, where she dismissed some disciples, who, she found, followed her for interest; and wrote so much, that she thought it convenient to set up a press, where she printed her books in French, Dutch, and German. One piece, among others, was intituled, the Testimony of Truth, in which she handles the ecclesiastics very severely. Two Lutheran ministers wrote some books, wherein they declared, that people had been beheaded and burnt for opinions not much less supportable than hers. The Labbadists also wrote against her, and her press was prohibited. Upon this she retired to Hensburgh in 1673, in order to get out of the storm, but was discovered and treated so ill by the people, who supposed her a sorceress, that she was glad to get away. They persecuted her from city to city; and, in 1676, she went to Hamburgh, as a place of more security; but no sooner was her arrival known than they endeavoured to seize her. She concealed herself for some days, and then went to Oestfrise, where she obtained protection from the baron Latzbourg, and was made governess of an hospital.
Our devotee, when she accepted this charge, declared that she consented to contribute her industry both to the building and distribution of the goods, and the inspection of the poor; but without engaging any part of her estate; for which she alledged two reasons; one, that her goods had been already dedicated to God for the use of those, who sincerely sought to be true christians; the other, that men and all human things are very inconstant. It was on this account that she found persecutors also in Oestfrise, which obliged her to go to Holland in 1683, where she died at Francker the same year.
She would never suffer her picture to be taken. Her constitution was so good, that, notwithstanding all her fatigues, she seemed to be but forty years of age when she was above 60, and never used spectacles, though continually reading or writing. Her principles were nearly the same with those of the quietists; excluding all external worship, and requiring a cessation of reason and understanding, that God might spread his divine light over the mind.
She had more disciples in Scotland than in any other country; not only laymen, but some of their teachers embraced her doctrines; and her principal book was published there, in English, entitled, the Light of the World, in 1696: her Traites de la solide Virtue, et Avis Salutaire, are said, by Mrs. Thicknesse, to be written in such a strain of christian piety, that they must obtain the approbation of all good men. She composed 18 vols, in octavo.