B L A 
with a preface, in which is given a critique on the work 
at large, 8vo. 1776. The objeftions, here rendered pal¬ 
pable, hill remain unanfvvered. It is laid to be the pro¬ 
duction of Mr. Bentham, and is highly worthy of perufal, 
being written with liberality and fpirit. He was likewife 
fieverely attacked by one of the keened polemical writers 
in the paper w ar of that day ; namely, Junius. This cir- 
cumdance probabiy drengthened the averdon Dr. Black- 
done exprelfed to parliamentary attendance; where, he 
1'aid, “ amidd the rage of contending parties, a man of mo¬ 
deration mult expeft to meet with no quarter from either 
fide.” In May, 1770, he became a junior judge in the 
court of king’s bench ; and, in June, was removed to the 
fame fituation in the common pleas. On this promotion, 
he refigned the recorderfhip of Wallingford ; a town in 
which lie had redded, more or lefs, at his villa called Pri¬ 
ory Place, from about 1750. 
Having now obtained the fummit of his widies, otiurn 
cum dignitate, he redded condantly in London ; and, when 
not occupied in the formalities of his calling, was always 
engaged in fome fcheine of public utility. The lad of 
this kind was framing the aft of parliament for providing 
detached houfes of hard labour for convifts, as a fubdi- 
tute for transportation. A few weeks before he died, his 
abidance was requeded by the late Sir George Downing’s 
trudees, in preparing a body of datutes foS his new foun¬ 
dation at Cambridge : but, before any thing could be done 
in it, the hand of death was upon him. His conditution, 
hurt by the gout, a nervous diforder, and corpulency, 
occadoned by midnight dudies, and an averdon to exer- 
cife, broke him up too early. About Chridmas, 1779, be 
was feized with a violent Ihortnefs of breath; and, though 
this was foon removed, tire caufe remained : for, on coming 
to town to attend Hilary term, he was attacked again. 
This brought on drowlinefs and a finpor ; fo that he be¬ 
came for fome days aimod totally infenfible, and expired 
February 14, 1780, in bis 56th year. Since his death, 
Jiavebeen publilhed, from his original MSS. according to 
the directions of his will, Reports of Cafes determined in 
the feveral Courts of Weftminder Hall from 1746 to 1779. 
With a preface, containing memoirs of his life, two vols. 
folio. But, “ we mud not always rely on the words of 
reports, though under great names. Mr. Juftice Black- 
ftone’s reports are not very accurate;” per lord Mansfield 
in Hallel v. Simpfon. Sec Douglafs’s Reports, 2d edit. 
1793, note. 
BLACK-STONES, a mountain of Ireland, in the coun¬ 
ty of Kerry : twelve miles wed of Killarney. 
BLACKSTO'NI A, /. in botany. See Chlora. 
BLACK-STRAKES, a range of planks immediately 
above the wales in a fhip’s fide. They are always covered 
with a mixture of tar and lamp-black. 
BLACK'TIIORN, f. [from black and thorn .] The 
fame with the doc. See Plum, of which it is a fpecies. 
BLACK-WADD, f. in mineralogy, one of the mod 
remarkable ores of manganefe. It is of a dark brown co¬ 
lour, partly in powder, and partly indurated and brittle. 
If half a pound of it be dried before a fire, and aftefwards 
fudered tp cool for about an hour, and then two ounces 
of linfeed oil be gradually poured on it, mixing the whole 
loolely, like barm with flour, little clots will be formed ; 
and, in fomething more than half an hour, the whole will 
grow hot, and at lad burd into a flame. The tempera¬ 
ture of the room, where this experiment was repeated, 
was about thirty degrees of Fahrenheit; and the heat this 
ore was expofed to, while drying, might be about 130 
degrees. According to Wedgwood’s analysis, too parts 
of black-wadd contain 43 of manganefe, as much of iron, 
4’5 of lead, and near 5 of micaceous earth. 
BLACK'WALL (Anthony), a native of Derbyfhire, 
was admitted fizer in Emanuel college, Cambridge, Sep¬ 
tember 13, i$oo; proceeded B. A. in 1694, and went out 
M- A. 1698. He was appointed head mafler of the free- 
fcliool at Derby, and lefturer of All-hallows; and, in 
1706, he didinguifhed himfelf in the literary world by 
VoL.JII. J1O1 ttS, 
B L A 8t 
Theognidcs Megarcnfis Sentential Morales, nova Latina 
Verfione, Notis et Emendationibus, explanatae et exor- 
natre : una cum variis Leftionibus, &c. 8vo. Whild at 
Derby lie alfo publiflied, An Introduction to the Claflics; 
containing a fliort difcourfc on their excellencies, and di- 
reftions how to fludy them to advantage: with an eflay 
on the nature and ufe of thole emphatical and beautiful 
figures which give flrength and ornament to writing, 
1718, 121110. In 1722, he was appointed head mafler of 
the free-fchool at Market-Bofworth, in Leiceflerflfirfe; 
and, in 1-25, appeared, in quarto, his greatefl and mofi 
celebrated work, The Sacred Claflics defended and illuf- 
trated. A fecond volume (completed but a few weeks 
before his death) was publiflied in 1731. To this volume 
was prefixed a portrait of the author by Vertue, from an 
original painting. Both volumes were reprinted in 4to, 
Lipfire, 1736. Mr. Blackvvull had the felicity to bring 
up many excellent fcholars in his feminaries at Derby and 
Bofworth ; among others, the celebrated Richard Dawes, 
author of the Mifcellanea Critica, and Sir Henry Atkins, 
Bart, who, being patron of the church of Clapham, in 
Surry, prefented him, Oftober 12, 172 6, to that reftory, 
(then fuppofed to be worth 300I. a year) as a mark of his 
gratitude and efteem. This happened late in Mr. Black- 
wall’s life. The grammar, whereby he initiated the youth 
under his care into Latin, was of his own compofmg ; and 
fo happily fitted to the purpofe, that in 1728 he was pre¬ 
vailed upon to make it public. Early in 1729 he refigned 
the reftory of Clapham, and retired to Market-Bofworth, 
where he was equally refpefted for his abilities and con¬ 
viviality. He died there, April 8,-1730. 
BLACK'WATER, a pleafant village on the great wef- 
tern road, between Baglhot and Bafingftoke, fo named 
from a fiream running on a bed of iron-ftone and dark 
pebble, which gives it a black appearance. This village 
has a large annual fair, on the 8th of November, for 
black cattle of a hardy breed. 
BLACK'WATER, a river of England, in the county 
of Eflex, which is at firfl a continuation of the river Pant; 
increafing in its courfe, by the addition of other rivers and. 
brooks, and efpecially by the Chelmer at Malden, it then 
becomes wide enough to be called a bay, and ten miles 
below joins the main ocean. 
BLACK'WATER, a river of Ireland, which runs int» 
Lough Neagh, five miles north-north-eaft from Charle- 
mont. 
BLACK'WATER, a river of Ireland, which runs into 
the fea near Youghal, in the county of Cork. 
BLACK'WELL (Alexander), fon of a dealer in knit- 
liofe at Aberdeen, where he received a liberal education, 
ftudied phyfic under Boerhaave at Leyden, took the degree 
of M. D. and acquired a proficiency in the modern lan¬ 
guages. On his return home, happening to flay fome 
time at the Hague, he contrafted an intimacy with a 
Swedifh nobleman. Marrying a gentleman’s daughter in 
the neighbourhood of Aberdeen, he propofed praftifing 
his proieffion in that part of tire kingdom; but in two 
years, finding his expeftations difappointed, he came to 
London, where he met with flill lefs encouragement as a 
phyfician, and commenced correftor of the prefs for Mr. 
Wilkins, a printer. After fome years fpent in this em¬ 
ployment, he fet up as a printer himfelf; and carried on 
feveral large works till 1734, when he became a bank¬ 
rupt. In what manner he fubfifted for five or fix years 
fubfequent to this event we do not learn, unlefs it 
was by the ingenuity of his wife, who publiflied A cu¬ 
rious Herbal, containing 500 Cuts of the molt ufefiil 
Plants which are now iifed in the Praftice of Phyfic, en¬ 
graved on folio Copper-plates, after Drawings taken from 
the Life, by Elizabeth Blackwell. To which is added a 
Ihort Defcription of the Plants, and their common Ules in 
Phyfic, 1739, 2 vols. folio. In or about the year 1740 he 
went to Sweden, and, renewing his intimacy with the no¬ 
bleman he knew at the Hague, again airurned the medical 
profeflion, and was very well received in {hat capacity j 
Y till 
