Blair 160 Blair ' (4to). He casually names a cosen Blague i. 427, ii. 116). He defended Kames, his ' the surgeon' as attending on the wounded.' intimate friend, when Kames's 'Essays on ' their author to a Neve's i. Abbot Wood's Morality exposed charge [Le Fasti, 577 ; Reg. ; of and answer Fasti, ii. 184; Reg. Whitgift, 3, 269; Keg. infidelity, brought Campbell's to Hume's Miracles under the G-rindall et Bancroft, Kennet; "Wood's Fasti, i. essay upon communications from Dean of notice of Hume i. 222, 227 ; present (TYTLER'S Kames, 198, Rochester, rectors of Bangor, Ewelme, Great 266). He was intimate with Henry Dundas, ii. &c. &c. Newcourt's , afterwards Lord and Braxted, ; Repertorium, Melville, through him 91-2.] A. B. G-. had some influence upon Scotch patronage. He declined to use it in order to succeed BLAIR, HUGH (1718-1800), divine, Robertson as principal of the university, but was born in Edinburgh 7 April 1718. His is said to have been annoyed at being passed father, John Blair, was an Edinburgh mer- over in favour of Dr. Baird. Blair encouraged chant, son of Hugh and grandson of Robert MacPherson to publish the 'Fragments of ' Blair, 1593-1666 [q.v.], chaplain to Charles I. Ancient Poetry in 1760, and eulogised their Hugh Blair was educated at Edinburgh, and merits with more zeal than discretion in ' A entered the university in 1730. An essay irepl Critical Dissertation on the Poems of Ossian, rot) KCI\OV, written whilst he was a student, the son of Fingal,' 1763. In an appendix to a was highly praised by Professor Stevenson and third edition (1765) he adduces some external always cherished by its author. Boswell says testimony to their authenticity. The essay that Blair with his Q-. was much admired at the time the substance (Johnson, 1760) cousin, ; Bannatyne, composed a poem on the resurrec- had been given in his lectures. These were tion, which was published as his own by a Dr. not published till 1783, when he resigned Douglas. He graduated as M.A. in 1739, and the professorship. He states in a note that * printed a thesis, De fundamentis et obliga- he had borrowed some ideas from a manu- tione legis naturae.' On 21 Oct. 1741 he was script treatise upon rhetoric (afterwards de- licensed to preach by the presbytery of Edin- stroyed) by Adam Smith, who had given the burgh. A sermon in the West church pro- first lectures in Scotland on the same subject cured him the favour of Lord Leven, through in 1748-51. Smith and his friends seem to whose interest he was ordained minister of have thought the acknowledgment insuffi- Colessie, Fife, 23 Sept. 1742. In July 1743 cient (HiLL, p. 266). The lectures expressed he returned to Edinburgh, where he was the canons of taste of the time in which elected as second minister of the Canongate Addison, Pope, and Swift were recognised after a contest. On 11 Oct. 1754 he was as the sole models of English style, and are appointed by the town council and gene- feeble in thought, though written with a ral sessions to Lady Tester's, one of the city certain elegance of manner. A tenth edition churches; and on 15 June 1758 was ap- appeared in 1806, and they have been trans- pointed, at the request of the lords of council lated into French. The same qualities are and session, to the High church, a charge obvious in the sermons, which for a long time which he retained during life. On 11 Dec. enjoyed extraordinary popularity. The first 1759 he began to read lectures upon compo- volume was declined by Strahan. Strahan, sition in the in 1760 the showed one of them to university ; August however, Johnson, town council made Mm of rhetoric who saii that he 'had read it with more professor ; and on 7 1762 a than to it is is to April regius professorship approbation ; say good say of rhetoric and belles lettres was founded, too little.' Strahan hereupon bought it for to which Blair was appointed with a salary 100/., and upon its success doubled the price. of 70Z. For a second volume he paid 3007., and for a These appointments indicate the general third and fourth 600/. each. The first ap- estimate of Blair's merits as and in a nineteenth edition preacher peared 1777 ; of the critic. He was one of the distinguished first volume and a fifteenth of the second literary circle which nourished at Edinburgh appeared in 1794. A fifth volume, with an throughout the century. He was a member, account of Blair's life by the Rev. Dr. Fin- with Hume, A. Carlyle, Adam Ferguson, layson, appeared in 1801. A pension of 200J. Adam Smith, Robertson, and others, of the a year was conferred upon the author in famous Poker Club (TYTLER'S Kames, iii. 78). 1780, which he enjoyed till his death. The He was on very friendly terms with Hume, sermons were translated into many languages, whose house he occupied during its owner's and until the rise of a new school passed as stay in France. Their friendship was not models of the art. They are carefully com- disturbed Blair's with Hume's he took a week over by sympathy posed ; one (BOSWELL'S as theological opponents, Hume judiciously Tour, ch. iii.), and they are the best examples avoided discussions of such matters (B of the sensible, if unimpassioned and rather Blair 161 Blair the son affected, style of the moderate divines of was appointed lieutenant-governor of time. They have gone through many editions. Virginia, Blair was appointed commissary, a esteem the Johnson seems to have had warm highest ecclesiastical office in the pro- for Blair, who had been introduced to him vince. By this office he had a seat in the in ! shortly before Boswell's first introduction council of the colonial government, presided that i over the trials 1763, and had been told by the doctor of clergymen a strangely * chil- mixed class at the many men, many women, and many | period and pronounced ' could have written Ossian sentence conviction of ' crimes or dren (BOSWELL'S | upon mis- Johnson, 24 May 1763). Blair omitted from demeanours.' * his published lectures a passage in which he Being deeply affected with the low state of both had censured Johnson's pomposity (BoswELL, , learning and religion' in Virginia, 1777). Blair is described by Hill and A. Car- he endeavoured to establish a college, and j lyle as very amiable, ready to read manu- set on foot a subscription with this object, of fall of harmless which, headed the lieutenant- scripts young authors, [ being by and and rather finical and his soon amounted to vanity simplicity, | governor council, in his dress and manners. He had con- 2,500Z. The project was warmly j supported siderable influence in the church, and was in the first assembly held by Sir Francis j reckoned as one of the leading men amongst ! Nicholson in 1691, and was recommended to ' ' the moderate divines. But his diffidence the sovereigns, William and in an ad- | Mary, disqualified him from public and dress prepared for the assembly Blair, speaking, j by he declined to become moderator of the which he was unanimously appointed to pre- married his cousin. \ sent. to general assembly. He He accordingly proceeded England ; Katharine Bannatyne, in April 1748, who died William and Mary favoured the plan; on long before him. He had a son who died in 14 Feb. 1692 a charter for the college was j infancy, and a daughter who died at the age granted, the Bishop of London being ap- of He his last sermon chancellor and Blair and twenty-one. preached | pointed president, before the for the Benefit of the Sons the was named ' William and Society | college Mary.' of the in the liberal Clergy the seventy-ninth year of i Among most contributors to the his age (1797). He died, after an illness of college was Robert Boyle. three days, on 27 Dec. 1800. Besides the On Blair's return to Virginia the opening writings above mentioned, Blair contributed of the college was repeatedly deferred, al- ' to the short-lived ' Edinburgh Review of though Blair's enthusiasm never waned. In ' 1755 a review of Hutcheson's Moral Philo- 1705 a destructive fire practically reduced the j sophy,' and of Dodsley's collection of poems. college buildings to ruins. Under the loyal His of notes led to the ' Chrono- of the new early system | support lieutenant-governor, Spo- ' logical Tables published by his relative, John tiswoode, the edifice was re-erected, and Blair. A collection of the 'sentimental classes were afterwards commenced. But, beauties' in his was in to the records of the it was writings published | according college, 1809, with a life by W. H. Reed. not until 1729 that Blair entered formally on the duties of his office as Blair [Life by Finlayson; Life by John Hill, 1807; president. Burton's Life of Hume A. was for some time of the council of ; Carlyle's Autobio- president and rector of graphy, pp. 291-4; Tytler's Life of Kames.l Virginia Williamsburgh. t L.S. In 1722 he published his one work : Our Saviour's Divine Sermon on the Mount, con- D.D. BLAIR, JAMES, (1656-1743), epi- tained in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters was born in Scotland is scopalian divine, (it of St. Matthew's Gospel, explained, and the believed in in 1656. Edinburgh) He was practice of it recommended in divers Sermons educated in ' one of the Scottish universities,' and Discourses,' 4 vols.