B L A 



B L A 



king's bench, till his death. Towards the end of the year 1779, 

 a dropfical difeafe, occalioned chiefly by early application, 

 and by nei^kdl of exercife, made rapid advances, and termi- 

 nated in his death, Feb. 14th 1780, in his 56th year. In 

 private life, judge Blackftone was diftinguifhed for mildnefs 

 and benevolence, and for every domeftic and focial virtue. 

 In ftudiesand avocations that contributed to eftablidi his own 

 reputation, and to benefit both his contemporaries and pof- 

 terity, he was eminently affiduous ; and the intervals of ki- 

 fure which he enjoyed in the later period of his life were 

 devoted to fchemes of local improvement in the neighbour- 

 hood where he refided, or to great public undertakings. 

 The two volumes of Reports, which he left in MS. have 

 been publifhed fince his death, in 2 vols, folio, with a pre- 

 face containing memoirs of his life ; but their merit is faid 

 not to correfpond with the fame of the author. He alfo 

 left in MS. feveral fmall poetical pieces ; and his notes on 

 Shakefpear inferted in Mr. Malone's Supplement, (hew 

 how well he underftood, and how capable he was of appre- 

 ciating, the excellence of that author. Life prefixed to 

 Blackftone's Reports. Gen. Biog. 



Blackstone, in Geography, a fmall river of America, 

 which has its fource in Ramfhorn pond, in Sutton, Mafla- 

 chufetts ; and, paffing through Providence, difcharges itfelf 

 into Narraganfet bay, at Brillol, receiving in its courfe fe- 

 veral tributary ftreams. 



BLACKSTONIA, in Boltwy. See Chlora. 



BLACflCWALL, Anthony, in Biography, a native of 

 Derbylhire, was admitted a fizar of Emanuel college, in the 

 univci-fity of Cambridge, in 1690. Having taken the degree 

 of M. A. in 1698, he became head-mafter of the free-fchool 

 at Derby, and lefturer of the paridi of All-hallows in that 

 town. In 1706, he excited notice by an edition of the 

 ♦' Moral Sentences of Theognis," with a new Latin verfion, 

 together with notes and eme.tdations. He alfo publiflied, in 

 1 7 18, " An Introduftion to the Claflics," l2mo. in which 

 he difplays their exccticnce, gives directions for ftudying 

 them with advantage, and illultrates thofe rhetorical figures 

 by which language is elevated and adorned. In 1722, he 

 was appointed head-mafter of the free fchool at Market 

 Eofworth, in Leiccfterlhire ; and in this fituation he pre- 

 pared for the prefs his principal work, entitled " The Sacred 

 Claffics defended and illuftrated ; an eflay humbly offered 

 towards proving the purity, propiiety, and eloquence of 

 the writers of the N. T. in 2 parts, 4to." This was pub- 

 lifhed in 1725 ; and a fecond edition in 8vo appeared in 

 1727. After his death, a fecond voiuine was publifhed under 

 the title of " The Sacred Claffics defended and illuftrated, 

 the fecond and lalt volume, in 3 parts," 8vo. 1731. The 

 dcfigp of the author, in this elaborate and learned work, was 

 to vindicate the writers of the New Teftament from the 

 charge of barbarifm in their language, and to fliew that the 

 words and phrafes which they have ufed are to be found in 

 the moft approved claffical writers. Man)' of the obfcurities 

 and feeming faults he attributes to tranfpofitions and mif- 

 tranflations, and he urges the neceffity of a new verfion. 

 See Bible. This book has been highly valued by b:blical 

 fcholars ; and a Latin tranflation of it was publifhed at 

 Leipfic, in 1736, by Chriftopher Wolfius. Neverthelefs it 

 has been thought by feveral very competent judges to be 

 written with more zeal than folidity ; and Dr. George 

 Campbell, in his Preliminary Diflertation to his Verfion of 

 the four Gufpels, has attacked the fundamental ptinciple of 

 the work, and made feveral particular flriclures upon it. 

 Mr. Blackwall was eminently diftinguifiied as afchoolmafter, 

 and formed many good fcholars, among whom was Riciiard 

 Dawes, author of the Mifcellanea Critica. In his fchool he 

 ufed a Latin grammar compoftd by hlmfelf, and publifhed 



in 1728 without his name. Sir Henry Atkins, tart., who 

 had been one of his fcholars, prefented him in 1726, with 

 the valuable reftory of Clapham, in Surry ; but he rcfigned 

 it in 1729, and returned to Market Bofworth, where htdieJ 

 in 1730. 



BLACKWATER, in Geography, the name of four 

 rivers in England and Scotland. That of England rifes 

 near the middle of the county of Effex, and falls into the 

 mouth of the Thames, where it forms a fpacious bay called 

 Black water bay. Thofe of Scotland are, ift. in Bamffhire, 

 2d. in Berwickfhire, and 3d. in Perthftiire. 



Blackwater, the name of feveral rivers in Ireland, one 

 of which is ver)- confiderable. This rifes in the mountains 

 vhich feparate the counties of Limerick and Kerry ; and, 

 taking a fouthern direflior, divides the latter county from 

 the county of Cork for about 12 miles. After paffing at 

 the foot of Slieve-logher mountain, from which it receives a 

 large fupply of water, it runs weilernly acrofs the northern 

 part of the county of Cork, which is about 45 Englifh 

 miles. In this courfe it pafTes the flourifhing towns of 

 Mallow and Fermoy, to the former of which it was naviga- 

 ble in lord Orrei^'s time, and receives the rivers Alio,. 

 Awbeg, and Funcheon, befides many fnialler ftreams. A 

 few miles below Fermoy, it enters the county of Waterford, 

 and continues in the fame direclion for 12 miles, when, tav. 

 ing paffed the ancient city of Lifmore, it bends nearly at a 

 right angle to the fouth at Cappoquin. At this town it be- 

 comes navigable, and in its courfe receiving the river Bride, 

 and opening into two or three fpacious loughs, it flows into 

 the fea a little below the town of Youghal, which is fituated 

 on its weftern bank. This river paffes for almoft the whole of 

 its courfe, which, without making any allowance for its great 

 windings, is about 90 Englifh miles, thiough a rich and 

 well-wooded country, " equally remarkable," fays Mr. 

 Young, " for beauty of proipeft and fertility of foil." 

 The banks are crowded with a number of fine feats, fome 

 of which, as Dromana and Lifmore caftle, may vie with 

 tliofe in any country, and have furniflKd artifts with beauti- 

 ful landfcapes. The cyder made in its neighbourhood is 

 held in great eftimation, being preferred to the beft im- 

 ported from England, and of courfe brings a very h'gh price. 

 The Irilh name of this river was Auniduff, or yiivln-Julh, 

 the black river, and alfo Avtin-more, the great river, to dif- 

 tinguifh it from the Aivleg, or Aiji'in leg, which runs into 

 it. The latter is the Mulla of the immortal Spenfcr, who 

 had an eftate on its banks, where he refided for a long tiine- 

 In his marriage of the Thames, he has mentioned the 

 Biackwater and feveral of its tributary ftreams, though not 

 with geographical accuracy, as the Alio does not rife near 

 Slievelogher, but has the Biackwater between it and that 

 mountain. 



•' Swift Auniduff, which of the Englifhmaa 

 Is called Biackwater, and the Litfar deep. 

 Sad Trowis that once his people overran. 

 Strong Alio tumbling from Slicveloeher fteep, 

 And MuU.i mine, whofe waves Iwhilom taught to weep." 

 Spcnfer's Fairy queen, b. iv. c. 11, 

 — 2. Another river, called Biackwater, rifes in the county 

 of Tyrone, and, for the greater part of its courfe, di- 

 vides that county from thofe of Monaghan and Armagh. 

 The linen manufadlure is exterfively carried on in its neigh- 

 bourhood, fo that there are many bleach-greer.s. The flou- 

 r.fliing little towns of Aughnacloy, Caledon, Biackwater 

 town, Moy, &c. are on its banks ; and its n.^vigation to 

 Lough Neagh, into the fouth-wcilcrn angle of which it 

 pours its waters, has been improved at a confiderable na- 

 tional expence, on account of the colHeries at Drumglafs, 

 in the county of Tyrone. — 3. A river Biackwater rifts in! 



the 



