Then figh not fo, but let them go, And be you blithe and bonny. Shakespeare. For that fair female troop thou faw'ft, that feem'd Of goddeffes, fo blithe, fo fmooth, fo gay; Milton. Milton. Should he return, that troop fo blithe and bold, Precipitant in fear, would wing their flight. Pope. BLITHFIELD, a village in Staffordshire, near Paget's Bromley. BLITHFORD, in Suffolk, E. of Halesworth. BLITH-HALL, in Warwicksh. near Shuftock. * BLITHLY. adv. [from blithe.] In a blithe Frofty blafts deface The blithfome year: trees of their fhrivell'd fruits Are widow'd. Philips. * BLITHSOMNESS. See BLITHNESS. BLITON, a town in Lincolnshire, W. of Bliborough. BLITUM, the BLITE, or STRAWBERRY SPINACH: A genus of the digynia order, belonging to the monandria clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking in the 12th order, Holorace.x. The calyx is trifid; no petals; the feed is one, included in a berry-fhaped calyx. There are 3 fpecies, viz. I. BLITUM CAPITATUM, with flowers in cluftered heads at the joints and crown of the ftalks, is a native of Spain and Portugal, but has been long preferved in the British gardens, for the beauty of its fruit. It is an annual plant, with leaves fomewhat like thofe of the Spinach; the stalk rites 24 feet high; the upper part of the ftalk has flowers coming out in fmall heads at every joint, and is terminated by a little cluster of the fame; after the flowers are paft, the heads fwell to the fize of wood ftrawberries, and when ripe have the fame appearance, but are not eatable; they are full of purple juice, which ftains the hands of thofe who bruife them of a deep purple colour. 2. BLITUM TARTARICUM, with triangular acutely indented leaves, is a native of Tartary. vir Miller received the feeds from Petersburg. It rifes to near three feet high; the flowers come out from the fides of the ftalks, but are fmaller than thofe of the Capitatum, as is alfo the fruit. 3. BLITUM VIRGATUM, with small heads grow ing from the fides of the ftalks, is a gative of the S. of France and Italy. It feldom grows more than a foot high; the leaves are of the fame fhape with those of the Capitatum, but fmaller. The flowers are produced at the wings of the leaves, almost the kugth of the ftalk; they are fmaller, and not fo deeply coloured as the firft. All these fpecies bring annual, must be propagated with ed; and as they are very hardy, will fucceed in the common borders, if fown in March or April, covering the feed about half aninch deep with earth, and leaving the plants 5 or 6 inches afunder. When they come up, each must be fupported with a Tmall ftick, or they will be born down by the weight of the berries. BLIVE, adv. obf. Quickly; brifkly. Chauc. * BLOAT. adj. Swelled with intemperance; turgid. The bloat king. Shakespeare's Hamlet. (1.) To BLOAT. v. a. [probably from blow.] To fwell, to make turgid with wind: it has up, an intensive particle. His rude effays BLOATED FISH, or BLOATED HERRINGS, in our ftatutes, are thofe which are half dried, See Stat. 18. Car. I. c. 2. They are made by fteeping them in a peculiar brine, and then hanging them in a chimney to dry. *BLOATEDNESS. n. f. [from bloat.] Turgidnefs; fwelling; tumour-Laffitude, lazinefs, bloatedness, and fcorbutical spots, are fymptoms of weak fibres. Arbuthnot. BLOATING, in medicine, a pulling up of the exterior habit of the body, lodged chiefly in the adipofe cells. It is filed by phyficians EMPHYSEMA. * BLOBBER. n. f. [from blob.] A word ufed in fome counties for a bubble.-There fwimmeth alfo in the fea a round flimy substance, called a blobber, reputed noisome to the fish. Carea. BLOBBERLIP. n. f. [from blob, or blobber, and lip.] A thick lip. They make a wit of their infipid friend, His blobberlips, and beetlebrows commend. Dryden. BLOBBERLIPPED. adj. Having fwelled or *BLOBLIPPED. thick lips.-A blobberlipped fhell, feemeth to be a kind of muffel. Grea. -His perfon deformed to the highest degree: flat nofed, and blobberlipped. L'Eftrange. (1.) BLOCK, Daniel, a portrait painter, was born at Stettin in Pomerania in 1580, and gave early proofs of a good genius; which induced his parents to place him as a difciple with Jacob Scherer. His extraordinary merit recommended him to the Prince of Mecklenburg, who retained him in his fervice for 44 years; during which, he painted the portraits of his whole family at full length, as large as life, and in the antique habit. He alfo painted portraits of Chriftian IV. K. of Denmark, and Guftavus Adolphus K. of Sweden. By his agreeable manner of colouring, and the ealy attitudes of his figures, his paintings became fo acceptable, that before the decline of lite, he had acquired a very large fortune; but unfortunately he perties. In this fenfe, we say a chopping block; a jugar-finer's block; a smith's block, &c. he loft it all, in a few hours, by a plundering party, and with great difficulty his own life was preferved. He died in 1661. (2.) * BLOCK. n. f. [block, Dutch; bloc, Fr.] 1. A heavy piece of timber, rather thick than fong. 2. A mafs of matter.-Homer's apotheofis confits of a groupe of figures, cut in the fame block of marble, and rifing one above another. Addon. 3. A maffy body.--Small causes are fufficient to make a man uneafy, when great ones are not in the way for want of a block, he will stumble at a straw. Swift. 4. A rude piece of matter; in contempt.-When, by the help of wedges and beetles, an image is cleft out of the the trunk of fome tree, yet after the fkill of fome artificer to fet forth fuch a divine block, it cannot one moment fecure itfelf from being eaten by worms. Stilling fleet. 3. The piece of wood on which hats are formed. Some old writers ufe block for the hat itfelf.-He wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block. Shakespeare. 6. The wood on which criminals are beheaded. Some guard the traitors to the block of death, Trafon's true bed, and yielder-up of breath. Shakespeare. -At the inftant of his death, having a long beard, after his head was upon the block, he gently drew his beard afide, and faid, this hath not offended the king. Bacon. (9.) BLOCK, MOUNTING, an eminence ufually of ftone, but in fteps or notches, ferving as a help to mount on horseback. These were much in ufe among the ancients, who were unacquainted with ftirrups. The Romans erected them at proper ftations all along their great roads. See ANABA THRA. (10.) BLOCKS, in fea language, pieces of wood belonging to ships, in which the thivers or pulleys are placed, and wherein the running ropes go. Of these fome are fingle, fome double; and fome have 3, 4, or 5 fhivers in them. They are named and diftinguished by the ropes they carry, and the ufes they ferve for. See PULLEY; and Plate XXII. (11.) BLOCK, SPRING, an invention of Mr Hopkinfon of Philadelphia, to affift a veffel in failing, The principles of it are thus explained, in his paper published in the Tranfactions of the American Philofophical Society. The mafts, yards, and rigging of a fhip receive the first impulfes of the wind. All thefe are in fome degree elaftic. Every twisted rope is a spiral spring, and every spar capable of being a little bent. But let us suppose that the ropes were all compofed of ftraight ftrands, that the mafts and yards were inflexible, and the fails made of thin light wood; in fuch a cafe, I fuppofe that the vetiel, in failing by the wind, I'll drag him thence, would make but little head-way, whatever the Even from the holy altar to the block. Dryden. fhape of her bottom might be, but would expend 7. 40 obftruction; a ftop.-Can he never dream, the force of the wind in heeling, and Яipping to that the fufering for righteousness fake is our fe- leeward. If this is true, her failing must be con licity, when he fees us run fo far from it, that no fiderably affifted by any means that fall increase ime is block enough in our way to stop our flight? the acting fpring of her tigging. For this purpose Decay of Piety. 8. A fea term for a pully. 9. AI have contrived what I call a fpring block, to be blucahead; a fellow remarkable for ftupidity.- The country is a defert, where the good Gain'd, inhabits not; born's not understood: There men become beafts, and prone to all evils; In cities, blocks. Donne. What tongueless blocks were they, would they not ípeak? Shakespear's Richard III. BLOCK, in architecture, ftatuary, &c. a piece of marble from the quarry, before it has reced any form. (4) BLOCK, in bowling, the fame with JACK. BLOCK, in carving of wood, is a form made of pear tree, box, or other hard and clofe-grained wood, free from knots on which figures are cat revo, with knives, chiffels, &c. BLOCK, in falconry, the perch whereon a bed of prey is kept. It is covered with cloth. Block, in geography, a small island of United States, belonging to Rhode-Ifland, ly 1. S. S. W. of Newport. It was incorparated in 1672, by the name of New-Shoreham wup. It is a divifion of Newport county, and is the most foutherly land in the ftate. In 144, it contained 635 free inhabitants, and 147 They are noted for making excellent cheefe. Tre flores abound with great variety of fish. (8) BLOCK, in mechanic arts, a large piece of wood where on to faften work, or to fashion 2; frength and stability being the requifite proVOL. IV. PART I. -Ties. applied to fuch parts of the rigging as will admit of it with fafety and convenience, and where its operations will be most advantageous; but parti cularly to the fheet-ropes, and if practicable to the dead eyes, in lieu of what are called the chains. In Plate XXXIX. A. fig. 5. is a block made in the ufual manner, having a ring or eye B, at one end. C, is a spiral spring, linked at one end to the hook DE, and at the other to the ring F, which is to be annexed by a staple to the timber-head, or by some other means, to the place where it is to be applied. The spring C muft be of well tempered fteel, and proportioned in strength to the service it is to perform. Within the cavity or pipe, formed by the fpiral spring, there must be a chain of fuitable ftrength, called a chinck chain (represented feparate at G,) connected by links to the hook DE, and ring F. When the spring is not in action, this chain is flack; but when the fpiral spring is extended by the force of the wind, as far as it can be without danger of injury, the check-chain muft then begin to bear, to prevent its farther extenfion, and, if ftrong enough, will be an effectual fecurity againft failure. Fig. 6. reprefents part of the gun-wale of a foop, with the spring blocks in action, one of them hooked to a staple in the timber head, and the other to the corner of the jib. My expectation is, that a veffel thus furnished will be lefs liable to heel, that fhe will receive the impulfes of the wind to better advanG and is under the protection of fome block-houses. Raleigh. tage, and fail with a more lively and equable motion, than if rigged in the common way." (12.) BLOCK, VOYAL. See VOYAL. To BLOCK. . a. [bloquer, Fr.] 1. To fhut up; to inclose, so as to hinder egrefs; to obftruct. The ftates about them fhould neither by encrease of dominion, nor by blocking of trade, have it in their power to hurt or annoy. Clarendon.-' it. They block the caftle kept by Bertram ; But now they cry, down with the palace, fire Dryden, 2. It has often up, to note claufure. Recommend it to the governor of Abingdon, to fend fome troops to block it up, from infesting the great road. Clarendon-The abbot raises an army, and blocks up the town on the side that faces his dóminions. Addifon. (1.) BLOCKADE. n. f. [from block.] A fiege carried on by shutting up the place. The enemy was neceffitated wholly to abandon the blockade of Olivenza. Tatler. Round the goddess roll Broad hats and hoods, and caps, a fable fhoal; Thick, and more thick, the black blockade extends. Pope. (2.) BLOCKADE, in the art of war, the blocking up a place, by pofting troops at all the avenues leading to it, to keep fupplies of men and provifons from getting into it; and by thefe means propofing to starve it out, without making any regular attacks. (3.) BLOCKADE, TO RAISE A, is to force the troops that keep the place blocked up from their pofts. To BLOCKADE. v. a. [from the noun.] To shut up by obstruction. Huge bales of British cloth blockade the door, A hundred oxen at your levee roar. Pope. BLOCK AND BLOCK, in fea language, is a phrase ufed, when on hauling any tackle, haulyard, or the like, to which two blocks belong, the two meet and touch; fo that they can haul no farther, BLOCK-BATTERY, in the military art, denotes a wooden battery 'on 4 wheels, moveable from place to place, whereby to fire en barbe, or over the parapet; fometimes also used in galleries and cafemates, where room is wanted. BLOCKFIELD, a village in the county of Surry, near E. Grinsted. (2.) BLOCK-HOUSES are made of wood, mount. ed on rollers, or on a veffel, and ferve either on the water, or in counter-fcraps and counter-approaches. The name is alfo applied to a brick or ftone fort built on a bridge, or the brink of a river, ferving not only for its defence, but for the command of the river above and below. BLOCKING, in middle age writers, a kind of burial ufed for perfons who died excommunica ted. * BLOCKISH. adj. [from block.] Stupid; BLOCKISHNESS. n. f. [from blockish.] Stupidity; dullness. BLOCKLAND, Anthony, hiftory and portrait painter, was of a noble family, and born at Montford in 1532. He learned painting under Francis Floris, whofe manner he always followed; and became an artist of great diftinction, by imitating the taste of the Roman fchool. His genius was beft adapted to grand compofitions, of which he defigned many at Delft and Utrecht. The airs of his heads were noble, and the profiles of his fe male figures approached near to the tafte of Parmigiano. Several of his works are in excellent gufto, particularly a Venus, and the history of Jofeph and his Brethren. He died in 1583. (1.) BLOCKLEY, a parish of England, in Worcestershire, surrounded by Gloucestershire; where the bishops of Worcester had a park and an elegant palace, before the reformation. (2,3.) BLOCKLEY, two English villages, viz. 1. in Gloucestershire between Camden and Stow; and, 2. in Worcestershire, in the above parish, (No. 1.) 7 m. S. E. of Evesham. It has fairs on the 2d Tuef. after Eafter and O. Michaelmas. * BLOCK-TIN. n. f. [from block and tin.] So the tradesmen call that which is pure and unmixed, and yet unwrought. Boyle. BLOCK-WOOD, a name fometimes given in our laws to LocwooD. 23. Eliz. c. 9. BLOCKY, among jewellers, an epithet given 4 * BLOCKHEAD. n. S. [from block and head:] to a diamond when its fides are too upright, by A stupid fellow; a dolt; a man without parts.—its TABLE and COLLET being too large. Your wit will not fo foon out as another man's will; it is ftrongly wedged up in a blockhead. Shakespeare. We idly fit like stupid blockheads, Our hands committed to our pockets. Hudibras. A blockhead rubs his thoughtless skull, And thanks his stars he was not born a fool. Pope. * BLOCKHEADED. adj. [from blockhead.] Stupid; dull.-Says a blockheaded boy, these are villainous creatures. L'Erange. (1.) * BLOCK-HOUSE. n.f. [from black and house. A fortrefs built to obftruct or block up a país, commonly to defend a harbour.-His entrance is guarded, with block-houses, and that on the town's fide fortified with ordnance. Carew: -Rochester water reacheth far within the land, BLOCKZIL, or a fortress of Over-yffel in BLOCZIL, the United Provinces, feated on the river Aa, where it falls into the Zuider Zee. It has a port fufficient to contain 200 veifels, and ferves to defend thofe fhips that crois the fea. It has fix good baftions, and feveral other regular fortifications. It is 8 m. N. W. of Stenwick: Lon. 5. 39. E. Lat. 52. 44. N. BLODERIT, adj. Obf. blubbered. Chaut. BLODWALL, a village in Shropshire, S. of Ofweftry. BLODWORTH, a village in Nottinghamshire, S. of Sherwood Foreft. BLODWYTA. See BLOODWIT, § 2. (1.) BLOEMART, Abraham, painter of landfcape, cattle, hiftory, and portraits, was born at Gorcum in 1564, according to Houbraken, but according according to Sandrart, in 1567, and lived moftly graceful attitudes, and an expreffion full of life. at Utrecht. In his youth he imitated the works His landfcapes are enriched with elegant architecof Floris, but his own genius proved his principal ture, with baffo-relievos, and mutilated statues, director. He formed a manner peculiar to him- in a fine tafte; and rendered ftill more pleafing felf, making nature his model, particularly in his by a good colour, by animals of different kinds, cattle, in which he excelled. He died in 1647. and excellent figures.-His beft works are admiHe left 4 fons all artists. red in all parts of Europe, and afford large prices: but fome of his pictures feem rather too much laboured, and thefe are proportionably lefs valued. (1) BLOEMART, Cornelius, the youngest fon of Abraham, was born in 1603 at Utrecht. The frit principles of drawing and painting he learned from his father; but his inclination for engraving led him to apply wholly to the purfuit of it. He firft ftudied under Crifpin de País, and afterwards Went to Rome, to perfect himself from the works of the greatest masters: And where he died in a very advanced age. His manner of engraving was not only quite original, but the fource from which we may trace that ftyle in which the greatest French mafters excelled, who worked with the graver only. He covered the lights upon his diftances, and the other parts of his plates which required tinting, with great care. The lights, on the diftant hills, trees, buildings, &c. in the engravings prior to his time, had been left quite cicar, and by fo many white spots in various parts of the fame defign, the harmony was deftroyed, the fubject confufed, and the principal figures prevented from relieving with any ftriking effect. By this judicious improve ent, Bloemart gave to bis prints a more finished appearance, than all the laboured neatnefs even of Jerom Wierix had been Capable to produce. He drew correctly, but from his engraving entirely with the graver, the extreuties of his figures are heavy, and his heads are not always equally beautiful or expreffive. In the mechanical part of the works, few have excelled him, either in clearness or freedom of execution. H's great fault, however, is want of variety. The naked parts of his figures, the draperies, and the buck-ground, are equally neat, and engraved precicly in the fame manner. Hence the effect is Bit; and the flesh, for want of fufficient diftinctico, appears cold. His works are justly held in benimation. They are very numerous, yet many of them difficult to be procured. (1.) BLOEMEN, John Francis VAN, firnamed by the Italians, Orizonti. See ORIZONTI. (2.) BLOEMEN, Norbert VAN, brother of the preceding, was a painter of portraits and converfations; but in merit was very inferior to his brothers, (N. 1 & 3.) although he had a good deal of employment. 3) BLOEMEN, Peter VAN, a celebrated painter, born at Antwerp, was alfo brother to John Francis, (N. 1.) with whom he lived for feveral yan at Rome. As foon as he found himself competently skilled in colouring, penciling and degting, he returned to his native city, where, 10 1699, he was appointed director of the acadeEy. His compofition is rich, and his pictures are Fenerally filled with a number of figures. His fubJets are, fquadrons of cavalry, encampments, artry, battles, Italian fairs, markets, and feftivals; in which he showed great correctnefs in drawing, and an elegance in the manner of dreffing his figures; whom he frequently reprefented in oriental babits. He defigned horfes in an admirable ftyle; and in his battles gave them abundance of fpirit, BLOIS, a town of France, in the department of Loire and Cher, and ci-devant province of Blaifois, feated on the Loire, partly on a plain, and partly on an eminence, in one of the most agreeable countries in France. The caftle is the ornament of this city. At the first view, it seems to be two distinct buildings; but it is joined by a paffage cut out of the rock. Joining to this, on the W. fide, is the tower of Chateau Regnaud, which may be feen 20 miles diftant. At the E. end of this is another small tower, partly ancient. and partly modern. That part of the caftle which was built by the Duke of Orleans, in 1632, is a fuperb edifice, but unfinished. The court, before it, where the church of St Saviour is built, is very large, and was formerly used for tourna ments. The most remarkable thing in this caftle is a fine long gallery, adorned with many curious pieces; it is in the midft of two gardens, one of which is full of fruit trees, and the other of parterres, fountains, cafcades, and marble ftatues brought from Italy. On all the gates of the city there is the image of the Virgin Mary, who it was believed, freed the natives from the plague in 1631. There are feveral churches, of which that of St Solenne, the cathedral, is the handfomest. The font of the Jefuits church is decorated with the Doric, lonic, and Corinthian orders. The town-houfe ftands in a street which terminates at the quay, where there is a public walk, that has a fine profpect on the Loire, over which there is an elegant bridge that leads to Vienne. There are a few houfes on the bridge, and a tower at each end. About 4 of a mile from the city, the water runs down the clefts of a rock into a large aqueduct, by which it is conveyed into a refervoir near the walls, and thence diftributed by leaden pipes through the city. The trade of Blois is chiefly in wine and brandy; but the inhabitants alfo make fome ferges and ftuffs, and they are noted for making fine watches. The city has the appearance of an amphitheatre, the streets being laid out like rows of feats above each other upon the hill. It was anciently a place of royal refidence, and Lewis XII. was born in it. French language is faid to be spoken in its greatest purity at Blois. It is fituated 80 m. S. W. of Verfailles, 47 N. E. of Tours, and 100 S. W. of Paris. Lon. 1. 25. E. Lat. 47. 35. N. The BLOIS, BOLE OF. See BLESENSIS BOLUS. * BLOMARY. n. f. The first forge in the iron mills, through which the metal paffes, after it has been firft melted from the mine. Dia. BLOMBERG, Barbara, a young lady of quality in Ratifbon, who was doubtless mistress of the emperor Charles V. as the cenfented to pafs for the mother of his natural fon, the celebrated. Don JOHN of Auftria; who died in the belief that he was his mother, and recommended her and G& her er regularity of morals, and equal capacities, had before undertaken it without fuccefs. Le Blond next fet on foot a project for copying the cartoons of Raphael in tapestry, and made drawings from the pictures for that purpose. Houses were built and looms erected at the Mulberry Ground at Chelfea; but the expences being too great, or the contributions not equal to the first expectations, the fcheme was fuddenly defeated, and Le Blond difappeared, to the no finall difatisfaction of those who engaged him. From hence he went to Paris, where he died, in 1740, in an hofpital. He was author of a treatife, in French, on Ideal Beauty. It was published in 1732, and has fince been tranflated into English. her fon Pyramus Conrad, whom he afterwards had by her husband, to the patronage of Philip II. in the belief that the was fo, and that he was his uterine brother. Accordingly Philip, to keep up the deception, patronifed them both; for he fent for Barbara into Spain, and fettled her with a handfome equipage at Mazote, in the royal monaftery; and gaze a pension of 30 crowns per month to Pyramus, whom he placed under the D. of Parma, to learn the art of war. Some au thors have doubted whether he had any connection with the emperor; but Mr Bayle juftly obferves, "is is very unlikely that the lady was lefs complying as to the being, than as to the feeming to be; for commonly the latter is more dreaded than the former, and a woman would think her. felf very unhappy to go through the laft, without the firft." A humorous dialogue of the dead has been wrote in the characters of Barbara and Lucretia. BLOMIE, adj. Obf. blooming. Chauc. (1.) BLONDEL, David, a protestant minister, diftinguished by his skill in ecclefiaftical and civil hiftory, was born at Chalons fur Marne, and admitted minifter at a fynod of the ifle of France, in 1614. He was afterwards made an honorary profeffor with a fuitable penfion, by the national fynod of Charenton. On the death of Voffius, he was chofen profeffor of hiftory in Amfterdam, whither he went in 1650. He wrote, 1. A de fence of the reformed churches of France. This was in anfwer to the bishop of Luffon, afterwards the celebrated cardinal Richelieu. 2. A work against the decretal epiftles. 3. De Epifcopis et Prefbyteris: 4. Pfeudo Ifidorus: 5. A Treatife of the Sybils, wherein he proves their oracles falfe: 6. A Treatife concerning Pope Joan, wherein he offended fome of his proteftant friends, by difcrediting the story of the female pope: 7. De Formula Regante Chrifto: 8. Confiderations religieux et politiques; on the war between the republics of England and Holland: and fome other pieces. Bayle informs us that he had a fingular way of ftudying; he lay on the floor, and had round about him the neceffary books for the work he had in hand." He died in 1655, aged 64. BLOND, Chriftopher LE, painter of portraits in miniature, and all fubjects on paper, was born in 1670. Few circumstances relative to his education or life are mentioned, till he became known at Rome in 1716, as painter to Count Martinetz, ambaffador at that court. At the folicitation of Overbeke he went to Amfterdam, where he was employed to paint fmall portraits for bracelets, rings, and fnuff-boxes; of which, although they were painted in water-colours, yet the colouring was as lively and natural, as if they had been painted in oil. However, finding his fight much impaired by the minutenefs of his work, he difcontinued it, and attempted the ufe of oil with fuceefs. After spending fome years in the Low Countries, he went to England, and fet up a new method of painting mezzotinto plates in colours, fo as to imitate the pictures of which they were copies. In this manner he executed feveral large plates, from pictures of the greatest masters, and (2.) BLONDEL, Francis, M. D. profeffor of phydifpofed of the prints by lottery. But thofe who fic in the Univerfity of Paris, was a very learned obtained the prizes, (Mr Strutt fays,) appear not man, but of a peculiarly bigotted, litigious temto have held them in great estimation. "The per, and full of prejudices in favour of old fyfprints (he adds) poffefs merit, exclufive of their tems. He was a great enemy to chemistry, and novelty; but, in general, the colours are flat oppofed the ufe of antimony and the Peruvian and dirty; and the drawing is frequently very in- bark. The cures performed by the bark he afcorrect" But Mr Pilkington fays, "The artis cribed to magic; and is faid to have affirmed that imitated his models with fuch exact resemblance," those who used it committed a mortal fin, and fuch correctness of outline, fuch fimilarity of colour and expreffion, that at firft they amazed every beholder who viewed them at a proper diftance; and many of thofe prints are ftill extant, which are much efteemed by perfons of good tafte." And Mr Walpole obferves, that fome heads, co boured progreffvely, according to their feveral gradations, bear witness to the fuccefs and beauty of his invention. He had another merit with which few inventors begin; for he communicated his fecret in a thin quarto, intitled "Coloritto, or The harmony of colouring in painting reduced to mechanical practice, under eafy precepts and infallible rules." His method was performed by feveral mezzotinto plates for one piece, each expreffing different fhades and parts of the piece in different colours. He was not, however, it is faid, the original inventor of that method, but took it from Laftman and others, who, with much great made an implicit pact with the devil." He wrote a book upon Emetics; and a treatife De Pleuri tides and died in 1682. (3.) BLONDEL, Francis, M. D. was another French phyfician, who flourished about the fame time with the preceding, (N. 2.) and wrote a treatife on the baths of Aix La Chapelle, intitled Thermarum Aquifgranenfium et Forcetanarum Defcriptio: Congruorum quoque ac falubrium ufuum Balneationis et potationis elucidatio: printed at Aix in 12mo, in 1671. (4.) BLONDEL, Francis, regius profeffor of ma thematics and architecture, was employed in feveral negociations, arrived at the dignity of marfhal de camp and counfellor of state, and was appointed to teach the dauphin mathematics; he was alfo made member of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, and director of the Academy of Architecture. He died at Paris in 1686, aged 68. He |