of twenty years in this independent state, he died on the 9th of October, 1682, when he wanted but four months of four-score, and was two days afterwards interred in the vault of his family, at Ridge in Hertfordshire. As to what appears from his writings, he seems to have had strong parts, a lively imagination, and, in consequence of these, some very singular opinions. His style was manly, flowing, and less affected than could be expected, considering the times in, and the subjects on, which he wrote. A Latin fragment, published by his son, in his "Oracles of Reason," better explains his sentiments than all the rest of his works, and demonstrates that he was a man of an irregular way of thinking.

He

Mr. Warton, in the life of his great ancestor, says very justly, that his "Voyage into the Levant" is the voyage of a sceptic; it has more of the philosopher than the traveller, and would, probably, never have been written, but for the purpose of insinuating his religious sentiments. Yet his reflections are so striking and original, and so artfully interwoven with the thread of his adventures, that they enliven, instead of embarrassing the narrative. had the art of colouring his paradoxes with the resemblance of truth, and so little penetration had the orthodox court of Charles I. that merely on the merit of this book, he was appointed one of the band of pensioners. For the first forty years of his life he was a boon companion, and much given to raillery; but in the other forty, of a serious temper, and a water drinker. He married in 1647, dame Hester Manwaring, relict of sir William Manwaring, of Cheshire, knight, daughter and coheiress of Christopher Wase, of Upper Holloway, in the county of Middlesex, esq. by whom he left three sons and one daughter.

The rest of the works he published were, 1." Six Comedies, written by John Lilly, under the title of Court Comedies," by the care of Mr. Henry Blount, London, 1632, 8vo. 2. A satire, entitled "The Exchange Walk," in 1647. This, Mr. Wood says, some of his relations informed him, fell from the pen of sir Henry Blount, though his sons knew nothing of it. 3. "An epistle in praise of Tobacco and Coffee," prefixed to a little treatise, entitled Organum Salutis," written by Walter Rumsey, esq. 1657, 8vo.

Biog. Brit.-Warton's Life of Pope, p. 206.-Wood's Ath, vol. II.

BLOUNT (JOHN), called in Latin Blondus, or Blundus, a very eminent divine in the thirteenth century, was edu cated in the university of Oxford, and went afterwards for his improvement to Paris, where he quickly distinguished himself, among many of his learned contemporaries, by the vivacity of his wit. On his return into England, he again settled himself at Oxford, and read divinity lectures there with universal applause. Wood says he was the first that lectured on Aristotle both in Paris and Oxford. The reputation of his learning obtained him also several other preferments, particularly those of prebendary and chancellor in the church of York. In 1232, the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury being vacant by the death of Richard Wethershed, and the rejection of two of his successors, Ralph Nevil, bishop of Chichester and chancellor of England, and John, sub-prior of Canterbury, by the pope, Dr. Blount was, by the chapter of Canterbury, elected archbishop. He did not, however, enjoy that dignity; for the pope immediately objected to him, and after a summary inquiry into the validity of his election, declared it void, for several reasons, of which our historians take notice, though very probably Bale has hit upon the true, although not the ostensible cause, namely, that his abilities rendered him obnoxious to the court of Rome, or, as Bale expresses it, that he was more learned than that court wished an archbishop to be.

Many of our modern writers, and particularly bishop Godwin, fall into frequent inaccuracies concerning this prelate, sometimes mistaking his sirname, and sometimes confounding him with Richard Blount, bishop of Lincoln. After his return from Rome, and being deprived of his high dignity, he retired once again to Oxford, and, as Leland tells us, consoled himself under his misfortunes, by an ardent application to his studies. In this manner he spent sixteen years, during which time he composed several learned works, and amongst them various commentaries on the Holy Scriptures. He was celebrated by his contemporaries for the elegance of his style, and for the extensiveness of his learning. John Ross, of Warwick, no contemptible historian, and who did not live above a century after his time, speaks of him as a prodigy of science. This very learned, though unfortunate person, having attained to a good old age, and to a high reputation for his knowledge, prudence, and piety, died in 1248,

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having always shewn an equanimity of mind, which demonstrated him worthy of the highest station, by enabling him to bear with fortitude his fall from thence.

Leland, in his life of this learned person, owns ingenuously, that he was so unlucky as never to have met with any of those writings which rendered our author's memory famous, adding a doubt whether any of them were extant. Bale, in the first edition of his work, omitted this life; and when he added it afterwards, he only copied Leland, adding that Blount had written "Summarium Sacræ Facultatis," lib. 1. "Disceptationes aliquot," lib. 1. and several Commentaries on the Scriptures. Pits transcribes Bale, adding the censure mentioned above; yet takes no notice of any other works than those which Bale had before noted, and, which is very remarkable, does not give us the beginning of any of them, as his custom always is, wherever he had seen such books, or could meet with any accounts from other people who had seen them. It is therefore more than probable, that he spoke slightingly of his talents, in order to support the credit of the see of Rome, by lessening the reputation of a person whom it had so vehemently persecuted.'

BLOUNT (SIR THOMAS POPE), an eminent writer towards the close of the seventeenth century, was the eldest son of sir Henry Blount before mentioned, and was born at Upper Holloway in the county of Middlesex, Sept. 12, 1649. He was carefully educated under the eye of his father, who took care to acquaint him with the several branches of polite literature most worthy the notice of a person of his rank; and so great was the improvement he made under so able an instructor, that, even in his junior years, he was considered both as a judicious and learned man, and on this account, as well as for other marks of worth and genius, he was, by king Charles II. advanced to the degree of a baronet, by a patent dated Jan. 27, 1679, in the thirtieth year of his majesty's reign, and in the lifetime of sir Henry Blount his father. He was elected burgess for St. Alban's in Hertfordshire, in the parliaments in the thirtieth and thirty-first of king Charles II. and was knight of the shire in three parliaments after the Revolution, having also the honour to be elected commissioner of

Biog. Brit. from Leland.-Bale.-Pits-Wood's Annals, by Gutch, vol. I. and III.

accounts for the three last years of his life by the house of commons. He always distinguished himself as a lover of liberty, a sincere friend to his country, and a true patron of learning. His strong attachment for literature and criticism, and his extensive acquaintance with the best writers in all ages and sciences, appeared fully in the “Censura," which he composed, first for his own use and satisfaction, and then published in the universal language for the benefit of others. His talents for original remark appear from his essays, which, in point of learning, judgment, and freedom of thought, are certainly no way inferior to those of the famous Montaigne. His knowledge and modesty are equally conspicuous in another piece of his, wherein he presents the public with the fruits of his reading on natural history, without depriving those from whom he drew his knowledge, of any part of their reputation. What he has written on poetry was likewise drawn together for his own information, and afterwards sent abroad for public use. Having thus satisfied in his riper years, the great expectations which his friends had of him in his youth, having been steady to one party, without violence towards others, after acquiring honour in his several public characters, esteem in private conversation, and affection in domestic life, he quietly ended his days at his seat at Tittenhanger, June 30, 1697, in the forty-eighth year of his age, and was buried the eighth of July following, in the vault of his family, at Ridge in Hertfordshire. He married Jane, daughter of sir Henry Cæsar, of Benington Place in the county of Hertford, knight, and by her left issue five sons and nine daughters, but the baronetage is now extinct.

His "Censura Celebrium Authorum" was first printed at London, 1690, fol. and was reprinted at Geneva, 1694, 4to, and 1710, 4to. This compilation, a work of great erudition and labour, is well known to the critic and the literary historian, but cannot be compared, as Niceron has attempted, with Baillet's "Jugement des Savans," Baillet reporting the opinions of others in his own words, but Blount transcribes them literally, which adds considerably to their value. His "Essays," which were published 1697, 8vo, are on the following subjects: popery, learning, education and custom, the ancients, passion, &c. His "Natural History, containing many, not common observations, extracted out of the best modern authors," was

published 1693, 12mo; and his "Remarks on Poetry," 1694, 4to. This is a species of Censura confined to the poetical class, and was honoured with the approbation of lord Mulgrave, the most elegant critic of that age. Upon the whole, sir Thomas Pope Blount, as he was the most learned, appears to have been the most useful of the family, and most deserving the veneration of posterity.'

BLOUNT (THOMAS), a miscellaneous writer of the seventeenth century, was born 1618, at Bardsley in Worcestershire, the son of Myles Blount, of Orleton in Herefordshire, who was the fifth son of Roger Blount of Monkland in the same county. He appears to have supplied the want of an university education by diligent application, and after studying the classics, entered himself of the Inner Temple, and was in due course admitted to the bar. Being, however, a Roman catholic, he never pleaded, but after some time resided mostly at Orleton. A sedentary life having much impaired his health, and the popish plot breaking out in 1678, he was so hurried from place to place, that the fatigue brought on a palsy, of which he died at Orleton, Dec. 26, 1679. Whether by this mention of the popish plot, his biographer means that he was concerned in it, does not appear. Wood seems to insinuate that he was only alarmed, as he was known to be a zealous Roman catholic. He was, however, a man of general knowledge, and an industrious and useful writer. His works are, 1. "The Academy of Eloquence, or complete English rhetoric," 1654, 12mo, often reprinted. 2. "Glossographia, or a Dictionary of hard words," Lond. 1656, 8vo. Of this there have been at least five editions. 3. "The Lamps of the Law, and the Lights of the Gospel," ibid. 1658, 8vo. 4. "Boscobel; or the history of his majesty's escape after the battle of Worcester," ibid. 1660. 5. Boscobel, the second part, with the addition of the "Claustrum regale reseratum," or the king's concealment at Trent in Somersetshire, published by Mrs. Anne Windham of Trent," ibid. 1681. Both these now are among the scarce and high-priced curiosities of the seventeenth century. Extracts are given from them in the Addenda to lord Clarendon's History. 6. "The Catholic Almanac for 1661-2-3, &c." 7. Booker rebuked; or animadversions on Booker's Almanac." 8. "A Law

Biog, Brit.-Warton's Pope, 207.-Wood's Ath, vol. II.