ability, and success, which for a period of more than fifty years accompanied all his ministerial labours in that conspicuous and difficult charge, sufficiently evince the wisdom of their choice. His discourses from the pulpit were composed with uncommon care, and attracted universal admiration. In June 1757 the University of St Andrew's shewed its discernment, by conferring on him the degree of Doctor in Divinity; an academical honour which at that time was very rare in Scotland. His fame as a preacher was by this time established, but no production of his pen had yet been given to the world, except two Sermons, preached on particular occasions, some translations, in verse, of passages of Scripture for the Psalmody of the church, and the article on Dr Hutcheson's "System of Moral Philosophy," in the 66 Edinburgh Review;" a periodical work begun in 1755. Of this work two numbers only appeared, in which his learned friends Dr Adam Smith, Dr Robertson, and Mr Wedderburn, afterwards Earl of Roslin, had a principal share. Having now found sufficient leisure, from the laborious duties of his profession, to turn his attention to general literature, he began seriously to think on a plan for teaching to others that art which had contributed so much to the establishment of his own fame. Encouraged by the success of his predecessors, Dr Smith and Dr Watson, and the advice of his friend Lord Kames, he prepared, with this view, a course of Lectures on Composition, and having obtained the approbation of the University, he began to read them in the College on the 11th of December 1759. To this undertaking he brought all the qualifications requisite for executing it well; and along with them a weight of reputation which could not fail to give effect to the lessons he should teach. Accordingly, his first course of Lectures was well attended, and received with great applause. In August 1760 the Town Council of Edinburgh instituted a Rhetorical class in the University, under his direction, as an addition to the system of academical education. And in April 1762, on a representation to his Majesty, setting forth the advantages of the institution as a branch of academical education, the King was graciously pleased to" erect and endow a Professorship of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres in the University of Edinburgh, and to appoint Dr Blair, in consideration of his approved qualifications, Regius Professor thereof, with a salary of £.70.” 66 In 1760 he was made the instrument of introducing into the world, "Fragments of Ancient Poetry, collected in the Highlands of Scotland, and translated from the Gaelic or Erse language," in 12mo, to which he prefixed a Preface. These "Fragments" were communicated by Mr Macpherson, and followed, in the same year, by Fingal" and "Temora," published by him as translations of complete and regular epic poems, the production of Ossian, a Highland bard of remote antiquity. Being himself persuaded of their being completely genuine, he published, in 1762, A Critical Dissertation on the Poems of Ossian, &c. in proof of their antiquity, and illustrative of their beauties, which spread the reputation of its author throughout Europe. Of those who attended to the subject, a greater number were disposed to agree with him as to the beauty of the Poems, than as to their authenticity. At the head of this set of critics was Dr Johnson, who in his "Journey to the Western Islands," strenuously maintained their being altogether a forgery. Mr Macpherson, the pretended translator, carefully reserved his latent claims to the rank and merit of an original poet, and did not conceal from those with whom he was particularly intimate, that the poems were entirely his own position. * com In 1778 he edited the first uniform edition of the Works of the British Poets which appeared in these kingdoms, printed at Edinburgh, in 42 volumes, for Messrs Creech and Balfour. The elegance of this edition is no compensation for its incompleteness; the contracted list of authors marked out by the editor including none of those who have been denominated our older classics, except Milton and Cowley. His industry and taste were also exercised, about this time, in superintending an edition of the Works of Shakespeare, printed at Edinburgh, by Martin and Wotherspoon, in 10 volumes. Though his productions for the pulpit had long furnished instruction and delight to his own congregation, yet it was not till the year 1777 that he gave to the world the first volume of his Sermons, which was printed at London, in 8vo, for Messrs Strahan and Cadell, London, and had a very extensive sale. It is remarkable, that when he transmitted his manuscript to the printer, Mr Strahan, after keeping it by him for some time, wrote a letter to him, declining the publication. Having, however, sent one of the sermons to Dr Johnson, for the sake of his opinion, he received from him, after the unfavourable letter was dispatched, the following note: "I have read over Dr Blair's first sermon with more than approbation; to say it is good, is to say too little. It is excellently written, both as to doctrine and language."+ * Anderson's Life of Johnson, 3d edit. p. 342. Soon after, Mr Strahan had a conversation with Dr Johnson concerning the publication, and very candidly wrote again to Dr Blair, enclosing Dr Johnson's note, and agreeing to purchase the volume for one hundred pounds. This volume was followed, at different intervals, by three others, each succeeding volume increasing the sale of the former. One hundred pounds were given for the first volume, which, in consequence of the extensive sale, the proprietors doubled. They gave him £.300 for the second; and £.600 for each of the third and fourth volumes. These discourses experienced a success unparalleled in the annals of pulpit eloquence. They circulated rapidly and widely wherever the English tongue extends, were soon translated into almost all the languages of Europe, and were judged worthy of a public reward by his Majesty, who, in the year 1780, granted the author a pension of £.200, which continued till his death. It is said, that they were read to the Royal Family by the Earl of Mansfield, and that the Queen honoured them with her approbation, and took an active part in procuring him this proof of the royal favour. Hitherto, the writers of sermons, among the Scottish preachers, had produced no models of a refined and polished eloquence. Their discourses abounded in cold divisions, metaphysical discussion, or loose and incoherent declamation. Among his contemporaries, some preachers had distinguished themselves by the good sense, sound reasoning, and manly simplicity of their pulpit compositions. "But the polish of Dr Blair, which gave elegance to sentiments not too profound for common comprehension, nor too obvious to be uninteresting, was wanting to render this species of composition popular, and generally pleasing. By employing the utmost exertions of a vigorous mind, and of patient study, to select the best ideas, and to prune off every superfluous thought, by taking pains to embellish them by all the beauties of language and elegant expression, and by repeatedly examining, with the severity of an enlightened critic, every sentence, and erasing every harsh and uncouth phrase, he has produced the most elegant models of pulpit composition that have yet appeared in these kingdoms."* In the enjoyment of the praise of polished eloquence, there are other men who participate with Dr Blair; but in the application of talents and of learning, to render mankind wiser or better, there are few literary characters who can claim an equal share; and, though the highest praise is due to his compositions for the pulpit, considered as the productions of genius and of taste, yet, when they are regarded in this more important light, they entitle him to that still more honourable fame, which is the portion of the wise and good alone, and before which all literary splendour disappears. After reading his course of Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres in the University above twenty years, he retired from the discharge of his academical duties in 1783. His academical prelections constitute an era in the history of the progress of taste and elegance in Scotland. His classical taste, his aversion from refinement and scepticism, his good intentions, his respect for received opinions, his industry, and his experience in the art of teaching, enabled him to present to young men, aiming at literary composition, a most judicious, elegant, and comprehensive system of rules for forming their style, and cultivating their taste. The same year, he published his Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, in 2 vols. 4to. which brought him a * Anderson's Life of Logan; Works of the British Poets, vol. xi, page 1082. |