'filled with profound reverence...' 'blair vii p.375' and 'since the time that heaven began...' 'blair's ser vii p.26'
Unknown
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Elisabeth or Eliza Duncan
[Mary Wollstonecraft] 'told Everina that she had been reading Hugh Blair's "Letters on Rhetoric" and found them "an intellectual feast".'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Wollstonecraft Print: Book
'At the same time [as undertaking studies in Italian], I went on studying Blair's Rhetoric [...] and inclining mightily to every kind of book or process which could improve my literary skill'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Harriet Martineau Print: Book
'In the room is a library to which we can at any time resort, consisting of Tillotson, Blair, Howe and Watt's Sermons, Sherlock on Death, Watts' world to come, Rollin's "Ancient History", Josephur, Hervey's "Meditations", Hervey's letters, Edwards on the religions, Affections, Pope, Kirke White, Cowper, Milton, Henry + Scott's Commentary, Sherlock on a Future state, etc, etc. Of these made some use of Blair, Rollin, Hervey, Sherlock on Death, Dr Johnson's poems, etc.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: John Cole Print: Book
'Read in Sir Phillip's "Personal Tour" - curios of natural history... Read a portion of Blair on death.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: John Cole Print: Book
'Read B[isho]p Andrew's Devotions & various other prayers. Read Blair's Sermon 'On our ignorance of good & evil in this life' [...] Read portions of Bryant 'On the plagues of Egypt' [...] In the Evening read Archp. Tellotison's Sermon 'On the happiness of heaven', which I found interesting & in simple language... Read sev.l Poetical pieces suitable to this sacred day among others Edmaston's delightful sonnet.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: John Cole Print: Book
'Read Blair's sermon on the Divine Presence, with other appropriate proceedings. Evening had social prayers and read aloud a sermon.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: John Cole Print: Book
'Used B[isho]p Andrew's exct Prayers both mg & aftn - read one of Blair's sermons morng. Evg read one of B[isho]p Moore's sermons.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: John Cole Print: Unknown
'The Day was beautifull and I enjoyed the sweetness of the weather in riding walking and sitting out in the fields with a book - "Charles Grandisson" I am but at the second volume much amuses me I have begun to read also in English Robertsons history of America and Blairs lectures on Rhetoric and belles lettres - We have bought these books at Basle where they are well printed and cheap'.
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth (Betsey) Wynne Print: Book
'I had almost forgotten to thank [you] for my books - they are just such as I wanted. "Blair" is an excellent piece - and very cheap. I am only sorry you sent it at all: I was in no particular want of it & you ought certainly to have done with the money whatever your situation required. - One is apt to be put about, when obliged to equip for such an expedition as yours. - The Italian grammar is hardly calculated for me - but answers in the mean time. The Novelle morale is an excellent book for the purpose'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Carlyle Print: Book
'Finished the perusal of Blair's "Lectures on Rhetoric". The praise of ingenuity, of a judgment in general correct, and a taste for the most part timidly correct, I can readily allow him; but to no higher order of merit in a critic...'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Green Print: Book
Hugh Stuart Boyd to Elizabeth Barrett, 10 January 1843:
'I have been reading a good deal of Dr Blair's Dissertation upon Ossian. The Miss Smiths can
bear witness, that before I read it, I made several of the remarks which I afterwards found in
Blair.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Hugh Stuart Boyd Print: Book
'I meant to inform you, that besides those books already mentioned, I sent for Bishop Horne's Sermons, 4 vols. Carr's Sermons, Blairs Sermons, 5vols. Scott's Christian Life, 5vols. several leaned and sensible expositions of the Bible; Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible, with the Fragments; Josephus' Works, Prideaux's Connections, 4vols. Mrs H. More's Works, and various other excellent Works. For some time one sermon was read on every Sunday, but soon Mrs L. began to like them, and then two or three were read in the course of the week; at last one at least was ready every day, and very often part of some other book in divinity, as Mrs. L said that she preferred such kind of reading far beyond the reading of novels.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: James Lackington Print: Book
' [publisher Mr Strahan] received from Johnson on Christmas-eve, a note in which was the following paragraph:
"I have read over Dr. Blair's first sermon with more than approbation; to say it is good, is to say too little".'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Manuscript: Unknown
' [letter from Johnson to Boswell] Dr. Blair is printing some sermons. If they are all like the first, which I have read, they are [italics] sermones aurei, ac auro magis aurei [end italics]. It is excellently written both as to doctrine and language.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Manuscript: Unknown
' [letter from Johnson to Boswell] Please to return Dr. Blair thanks for his sermons. The Scotch write English wonderfully well.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Book
' [Johnson] praised Blair's sermons: "Yet", said he, (willing to let us see he was aware that fashionable fame, however deserved, is not always the most lasting,) "perhaps, they may not be re-printed after seven years; at least not after Blair's death".'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Book
'He [Johnson] said, "I read yesterday Dr. Blair's sermon on Devotion, from the text 'Cornelius, a devout man.' His doctrine is the best limited, the best expressed: there is the most warmth without fanaticism, the most rational transport. There is one part of it which I disapprove, and I'd have him correct it; which is, that 'he who does not feel joy in religion is far from the kingdom of heaven!' There are many good men whose fear of GOD predominates over their love. It may discourage. It was rashly said. A noble sermon it is indeed. I wish Blair would come over to the Church of England".'
Century: Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Unknown
'shall insert as a literary curiosity. [The letter is given. It begins as follows]
"TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ.
DEAR SIR,
In the year 1763, being at London, I was carried by Dr. John Blair, Prebendary of Westminster, to dine at old Lord Bathurst's; where we found the late Mr. Mallet, Sir James Porter, who had been Ambassadour at Constantinople, the late Dr. Macaulay, and two or three more. The conversation turning on Mr. Pope, Lord Bathurst told us, that "The Essay on Man" was originally composed by Lord Bolingbroke in prose, and that Mr. Pope did no more than put it into verse: that he had read Lord Bolingbroke's manuscript in his own hand-writing; and remembered well, that he was at a loss whether most to admire the elegance of Lord Bolingbroke's prose, or the beauty of Mr. Pope's verse..."'
Century: Reader/Listener/Group: James Boswell Manuscript: Letter
'Sir Joshua Reynolds praised "Mudge's Sermons". JOHNSON. "'Mudge's Sermons' are good, but not practical. He grasps more sense than he can hold; he takes more corn than he can make into meal; he opens a wide prospect, but it is so distant, it is indistinct. I love "Blair's Sermons". Though the dog is a Scotchman, and a Presbyterian, and every thing he should not be, I was the first to praise them. Such was my candour." (smiling.)'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Book
From Ellen Nussey's reminiscences of her schoolfriends Charlotte Bronte and Mary Taylor:
'A time came that both Charlotte and Mary were so proficient in schoolroom attainments there was no more for them to learn, and Miss Wooler [teacher] set them Blair's "Belles Lettres" to commit to memory. We all laughed at their studies. Charlotte persevered, but Mary took her own line, flatly refused, and accepted the penalty of disobedience, going supperless to bed for about a month before she left school.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Charlotte Brontë Print: Book
