CHARACTERS. 



801 



A philosopher without pride, a 

 scholar without pedantry, a student 

 without seclusion, a moralist with- 

 out nioroseness, a patriot without 

 faction, and a christian without 

 guile ; aflable in his manners, 

 courteous in his conversation, dig- 

 nified in his deportment, cheerful 

 in his temper, warm in his affections, 

 ardent in his friendships, mild in his 

 resentments, and unshaken in his 

 priixciples. The great object of his 

 life was usefulness, and the grand 

 spring of all his actions was religion. 

 — With such a singular union of 

 estimable endowments, and with 

 scarcely a single distinguishable fail- 

 ing to cast a shade on their collec- 

 tive splendour, who that knew him 

 can avoid dwelling on his memory 

 with pleasure ? a pleasure indeed 

 accompanied with sensations of the 

 most poignant regret, yet such as 

 compels the heart to vent itself in 

 the exclamation — 



" Heu ! qiianto minss est com reliquis 



versari 

 Qup.m tui tneiuinissc." 



Brief Memoirs of Robert Blair, Au- 

 thor of (he celebrated Poem of the 

 Grave, by Dr. Anderson. 



The life of a country clergyman, 

 constantly engaged in the duties of 



his profession, the practice of the 

 domestic virtues, and the occupa- 

 tions of literature, however res- 

 pectable such a character may be, 

 can afford but slender materials for 

 biography. 



The facts stated in the present ac- 

 count were communicated to the 

 compiler of a collection of his poem^ 

 in conversation with his son, Robert 

 Blair, esq. solicitor general to his 

 majesty forScotlaud, and his cousin, 

 the learned and amiable Dr. Blair, 

 one of the ministers of the high 

 church, and professor of rhetoric 

 and belles lettres in the university 

 of Edinburgh^ 



Robert Blair was the eldest son 

 of the rev. David Blair, one of the 

 ministers of Edinburgh, and chaplain 

 to the king. His mother was 

 Euphemia Nisbct, daughter of 

 Archibald Nisbct, esq. of Carfin. 

 His grandfather was the rev. Robert 

 Blair, born at Irvine, in 1593, a dis- 

 tinguished Scottish clergyman in the 

 time of the civil wars ; a descendant 

 of the ancient and respectable fa- 

 mily of Blair, of Blair in Ayrshire.* 



He was born at Edinburgh, in 

 1699, received a liberal education in 

 its university, was afterwards sent 

 abroad by his father for improve- 

 ment, and passed some time on the 

 continent. Alter undergoing the 

 usual trials appointed by the 

 church, he was ordained minister of 

 Athelstaneford, 



t lie lias written a part f)f his o« n life, wliich was continued by Mr. Row, and 

 printed at Edinbiirj;li in \7:a. His fatlic-r, .luliii Blair, an adventurer at sea, was 

 hoii 10 Alexander Blair, of W'nidy, a youii!;er hrother of Blair of Blair. Ilis mother, 

 Beatrix Muir, was of the ancient family of Howallan ; she lived an hundred 

 years. He had three brothers, the two elder of whom were honoured with the 

 office of provost, or chief magistrate, of Irvine ; and William was first aregent (pro- 

 fessor of philosophy) in the university of Glasgow, and afterwards minister of Dur>- 

 barton. Robert himself was a regent in the university of Glasgow, afterwards 

 minister of Bangor in Ireland, and finally at St. -Andrew's, in Scotland. He wedded 

 Beatrix Hamilton, a descendant of the family of Barduuwie, who died August 27 

 W>6, in I lie seventy-third year of her age. 



Vol. XLVII. 3 F 



