He was likewise involved in a controversy respec ting the famous case of the Middlesex election. In the House of Commons, he gave it as his opinion, that an expelled member was not eligible to the same parliament ; and this doctrine appearing to contra dict the language of his Commentaries, he was keenly exposed for his inconsistency by the celebrated Ju nius, and by other writers of inferior distinction. On this occasion he certainly defended himself with great ingenuity : . but his subsequent conduct added considerable weight to the charge which had been preferred against him ; for, in the next edition of •his work, he inserted the case of expulsion, of which no previous notice bad been taken,• among the dis qualifications to sit in parliament.
Blackstone's real merits, and, what is generally of greater consequence. his servile devotion to the mi nistry, were not suffered to pass unrewarded. On the resignation of Mr Dunning in 1770, he was of fered the situation of solicitor general, which natu rally leads to the highest offices of the law • and, on his declining it, he was appointed one .of the justices of the court of common pleas. In this honourable
and tranquil station he continued till the time of his death, which happened, in •consequence of a dropsy, on the 14th of February 1780. His health, which had .been considerably impaired by the labours of his early years, by an unfortunate aversion from exer cise, and perhaps by some habits of excess, had been declining :for some time.; but it had begun seri ously to fail towards the latter end of the preceding year.
The private character of Blackstone seems to have been highly estimable for mildness, benevolence, and every social and domestic virtue. A love of business, and useful employment, was one of the ruling pas . sions of his life ; and the leisure which he enjoyed during his latter years, was devoted to schemes of improvement mprovement in the neighbourhood where he resided, or to great public undertakings. He left, in manuscript, two volumes of reports, which have been published since his death, but without adding much to his reputation as a lawyer. See Life of Black stone, prefixed to his Reports; and Aikun's General „lliozraphy, vol. ii. p. 177. (e)