BLACKIE, JOHN STUART (1809-1895), Scottish scholar and man of letters, was born in Glasgow on the 28th of July, 1809. After attending classes at Edinburgh University (182 5 1826), Blackie spent three years at Aberdeen as a student of the ology. In 1829 he went to Germany, and after studying at Got tingen and Berlin he accompanied Bunsen to Italy and Rome. The years spent abroad extinguished his wish to enter the Church, and at his father's request he gave himself up to the study of law. By the time he was admitted a member of the Faculty of Advocates (1834) he had acquired a strong love of the classics and a taste for letters in general. A translation of Faust, which he published in 1834, met with considerable success. He was (May 1839) appointed to the newly-instituted Chair of Human ity (Latin) in the Marischal College. From the first his professorial lectures were conspicuous for the enthusiasm with which he en deavoured 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 185o, led to his appointment in 1852 to the professorship of Greek at Edinburgh, 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 favorite theme of his, especially in his later years; he adopted for himself a modern Greek pronuncia tion, 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 connec tion he displayed real sympathy with Highland home life and the grievances of the crofters. The foundation of the Celtic chair in Edinburgh University was mainly due to his efforts. He died in Edinburgh on the 2nd of March, 1895.
See Anna M. Stoddart, biography, John Stuart Blackie (1895); A. Stodart-Walker, Selected Poems of J. S. Blackie, with an apprecia tion (1896) ; Howard Angus Kennedy, Professor Blackie (1895) ; Letters of John Stuart Blackie (19o9), and Notes of a Life (19io) both edited by A. Stodart-Walker.