general. A translation of Faust, which he published in 1834, met with considerable success. After a year or two of desultory literary work he was (May 1839) appointed to the newly-instituted chair of Humanity (Latin) in the Marischal College. Difficulties arose in the way of his installation, owing to the action of the Presbytery on his refusing to sign unreservedly the Confession of Faith; but these were eventually overcome, and he took up his duties as professor in November 1841. In the following year he married. From the first his professorial lectures were conspicuous for the unconventional enthusiasm with which he endeavoured to revivify the study of the classics; and his growing reputation, added to the attention excited by a translation of Aeschylus which he published in 1850, led to his appointment in 1852 to the professorship of Greek at Edinburgh University, in succession to George Dunbar, a post which he continued to hold for thirty years. He was somewhat erratic in his methods, but his lectures were a triumph of influential personality. A journey to Greece in 1853 prompted his essay On the Living Language of the Greeks, a favourite theme of his, especially in his later years; he adopted for himself a modern Greek pronunciation, and before his death he endowed a travelling scholarship to enable students to learn Greek at Athens. Scottish nationality was another source of enthusiasm with him; and in this connexion he displayed real sympathy with Highland home life and the grievances of the crofters. The foundation of the Celtic chair at Edinburgh University was mainly due to his efforts. In spite of the many calls upon his time he produced a considerable amount of literary work, usually on classical or Scottish subjects, including some poems and songs of no mean order. He died in Edinburgh on the 2nd of March 1895. Blackie was a Radical and Scottish nationalist in politics, but of a fearlessly independent type; he was one of the “characters” of the Edinburgh of the day, and was a well-known figure as he went about in his plaid, worn shepherd-wise, wearing a broad-brimmed hat, and carrying a big stick. His published works include (besides several volumes of verse) Homer and the Iliad (1866), maintaining the unity of the poems; Four Phases of Morals: Socrates, Aristotle, Christianity, Utilitarianism (1871); Essay on Self-Culture (1874); Horae Hellenicae (1874); The Language and Literature of the Scottish Highlands (1876); The Natural History of Atheism (1877); The Wise Men of Greece (1877); Lay Sermons (1881); Altavona (1882); The Wisdom of Goethe (1883); The Scottish Highlanders and the Land Laws (1885); Life of Burns (1888); Scottish Song (1889); Essays on Subjects of Moral and Social Interest (1890); Christianity and the Ideal of Humanity (1893). Amongst his political writings may be mentioned a pamphlet On Democracy (1867), On Forms of Government (1867), and Political Tracts (1868).
See Anna M. Stoddart, John Stuart Blackie (1895); A. Stodart-Walker, Selected Poems of J. S. Blackie, with an appreciation (1896); Howard Angus Kennedy, Professor Blackie (1895).
BLACK ISLE, The, a district in the east of the county of
Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, bounded N. by Cromarty Firth,
E. by Moray Firth, S. by Inner Moray Firth (or Firth of Inverness)
and Beauly Firth, and W. by the river Conon and the parish of
Urray. It is a diamond-shaped peninsula jutting out from the
mainland in a north-easterly direction, the longer axis, from
Muir of Ord station to the South Sutor at the entrance to Cromarty
Firth, measuring 20 m., and the shorter, from Ferryton Point
to Craigton-Point, due north and south, 12 m., and it has a coast-line
of 52 m. Originally called Ardmeanach (Gaelic ard, height;
manaich, monk, “the monk’s height,” from an old religious house
on the finely-wooded ridge of Mulbuie), it derived its customary
name from the fact that, since snow does not lie in winter, the
promontory looks black while the surrounding country is white. Within
its limits are comprised the parishes of Urquhart and Logie Wester,
Killearnan, Knockbain (Gaelic cnoc, hill; bàn, white),
Avoch (pron. Auch), Rosemarkie, Resolis (Gaelic rudha or ros
soluis, “cape of the light”) or Kirkmichael and Cromarty. The
Black Isle branch of the Highland railway runs from Muir of Ord
to Fortrose; steamers connect Cromarty with Invergordon and
Inverness, and Fortrose with Inverness; and there are ferries,
on the southern coast, at North Kessock (for Inverness) and
Chanonry (for Fort George), and, on the northern coast, at
Alcaig (for Dingwall), Newhallpoint (for Invergordon), and
Cromarty (for Nigg). The principal towns are Cromarty and
Fortrose. Rosehaugh, near Avoch, belonged to Sir George
Mackenzie, founder of the Advocates’ library in Edinburgh,
who earned the sobriquet of “Bloody” from his persecution of
the Covenanters. Redcastle, on the shore, near Killearnan
church, dates from 1179 and is said to have been the earliest
inhabited house in the north of Scotland. On the forfeiture of
the earldom of Ross it became a royal castle (being visited by
Queen Mary), and afterwards passed for a period into the hands
of the Mackenzies of Gairloch. The chief industries are
agriculture—high farming flourishes owing to the great fertility of
the peninsula—sandstone-quarrying and fisheries (mainly from
Avoch). The whole district, though lacking water, is picturesque
and was once forested. The Mulbuie ridge, the highest point
of which is 838 ft. above the sea, occupies the centre and is the
only elevated ground. Antiquarian remains are somewhat
numerous, such as forts and cairns in Cromarty parish, and
stone circles in Urquhart and Logie Wester and Knockbain
parishes, the latter also containing a hut circle and rock
fortress.
BLACKLOCK, THOMAS (1721–1791), Scottish poet, the
son of a bricklayer, was born at Annan, in Dumfriesshire, in
1721. When not quite six months old he lost his sight by smallpox,
and his career is largely interesting as that of one who
achieved what he did in spite of blindness. Shortly after his
father’s death in 1740, some of Blacklock’s poems began to be
handed about among his acquaintances and friends, who arranged
for his education at the grammar-school, and subsequently at
the university of Edinburgh, where he was a student of divinity.
His first volume of Poems was published in 1746. In 1754 he
became deputy librarian for the Faculty of Advocates, by the
kindness of Hume. He was eventually estranged from Hume,
and defended James Beattie’s attack on that philosopher.
Blacklock was among the first friends of Burns in Edinburgh, being
one of the earliest to recognize his genius. He was in 1762
ordained minister of the church of Kirkcudbright, a position which
he soon resigned; in 1767 the degree of doctor in divinity was
conferred on him by Marischal College, Aberdeen. He died on
the 7th of July 1791.
An edition of his poems in 1793 contains a life by Henry Mackenzie.
BLACKMAIL, a term, in English law, used in three special
meanings, at different times. The usual derivation of the
second half of the word is from Norman Fr. maille (medalia; cf.
“medal”), small copper coin; the New English Dictionary
derives from “mail” (q.v.), meaning rent or tribute.
(1) The primary meaning of “blackmail” was rent paid in labour, grain
or baser metal (i.e. money other than sterling money), called
reditus nigri, in contradistinction to rent paid in silver
or white money (mailles blanches).
(2) In the northern counties of England (Northumberland, Westmorland
and the bishopric of Durham) it signified a tribute in money, corn,
cattle or other consideration exacted from farmers and small owners
by freebooters in return for immunity from robbers or moss-troopers.
By a statute of 1601 it was made a felony without benefit
of clergy to receive or pay such tribute, but the practice
lingered until the union of England and Scotland in 1707.
(3) The word now signifies extortion of money or property by
threats of libel, persecution, exposure, &c. See such headings
as Coercion, Conspiracy, Extortion, and authorities quoted
under Criminal Law.
BLACKMORE, SIR RICHARD (c. 1650–1729), English physician
and writer, was born at Corsham, in Wiltshire, about
1650. He was educated at Westminster school and St Edmund
Hall, Oxford. He was for some time a schoolmaster, but finally,
after graduating in medicine at Padua, he settled in practice
as a physician in London. He supported the principles of the
Revolution, and was accordingly knighted in 1697. He held
the office of physician in ordinary both to William III. and
Anne, and died on the 9th of October 1729. Blackmore had a
