BLAIR, Huort, an eminent Scotch divine and man of letters, was h. at Edinburgb, April 7, 1718. IIe entered the university of his native city in 1730, where he soon became noted for his diligence; and an Essay on the Beautiful, which he wrote when a stialont, gave his preceptors a high idea of his ability and taste. In Oct., 1741, B. was licensul as a preacher of the Established church; and after occupying successively the churches in Fifeshire, Canongate church in Edinburgh, and Lady Yester's, he was pro moted in 1758 to the highest position attainable by a Scotch clergyman—one of the charges of the High church, Edinburgh. His discourses, which display little power or originality of thought, and which derived nothing from the delivery of their author, were greatly admired by "persons of the most distinguished character and eminent rank" in Scotland on account of their polished style. In 1750, B. commenced a seriea of lectures on Composition to classes in the university, and three years afterwards, a new chair of rhetoric and belles-lettres, with a of £70 a year, being created by the crown, B. was made professor. He held this appointment until 17S3, when he resigned;
and in the same year published his Lectures, which obtained a reputation far beyond their merits, and one that time has by no means sanctioned. His -first volume of Ser mons appeared in 1777, with the approval of Dr. Johnson, who had read them, and proved a great success. George III. showed his appreciation of them by bestowing on B., in 1780, a pension of £200 a year. He also published three other volumes of Sermons, and prepared a fourth, which was printed after his death, which took place Dec. 27, 1799. They were all as successful as the first one. Opinion about their merits has much changed since the date of their publication; they are now considered as moral essays rather than sermons. B.'s critical acumen was not great; he believed in the authenticity of Ossian's poems, which he strenuously defended.