The Life of Samuel Johnson - James Boswell [739]
Blackwell, Dr Thomas (1701–57), principal of Marischal College, Aberdeen, classical scholar and historian; author of An Enquiry into the Life and Writings of Homer (1735), Letters Concerning Mythology (1748) and Memoirs of the Court of Augustus (3 vols., 1753–63), pioneering studies in their field: 166, 168
Blagden, Sir Charles (1748–1820), physician: 477 n. a, 779
Blainville, H. de: 447
Blair, Dr Hugh (1718–1800), Church of Scotland minister and professor of rhetoric at Edinburgh University; man of letters; sermon against the Americans (1776) greatly offended J.B.; published Sermons in 1777: 192, 210, 294, 408, 410, 421, 543, 571, 575, 613, 616 and n. a, 637, 706, 707, 740 and n. a, 741, 817
Blair, Dr John (d. 1782), prebendary of Westminster, Church of England clergyman and chronologist; fellow of the Royal Society (1755); secretary to Edward, Duke of York; author of The Chronology and History of the World (1754): 740
Blair, Revd Robert (1699–1746), poet, author of The Grave (1743, 767 lines of blank verse; illustrated by Blake in 1808); minister in Haddington presbytery: 542n. a
Blair, Robert, of Avonton (1741–1811), son of the above, Solicitor-General of Scotland and Lord President of the Court of Session: 542
Blakeway, Revd John Brickdale (1765–1826), Church of England clergyman and antiquary; fellow of Society of Antiquaries (1807); author of A History of Shrewsbury (2 vols., 1825); elected to the ministry of the royal peculiar of St Mary’s, Shrewsbury: 9
Blanchetti, the Marquis and Marchioness: 470
Blaney, Mrs Elizabeth (d. 1694): 25, 971
Bloxam, RevdMatthew (1711–86): 687
Boccaccio, Giovanni (1313–75), Florentine writer and humanist, author of The Decameron: 475
Boccage, Madame du (1710–1802): 470, 478,946
Bochart, Samuel (1599–1667), scholar and linguist: 475
Bohme, Jacob, see Behmen
Boerhaave, Herman (1668–1738), Dutch physician and teacher of medicine; the subject of a short biography by S.J.: 10, 82, 460
Boethius, Anicius Manlius Severinus (480–524), early Christian philosopher, author of the De Consolatione Philosophiae, which exerted great influence in the Middle Ages, and was translated by (inter alios) King Alfred and Chaucer: 81, 327
Boethius, Hector (1465?-1536), Scottish historian and college head: 407, 909
Bohemian servant, J.B.’s, see Ritter, Joseph
Boileau-Despreaux, Nicolas (1636–1711), French neoclassical critic and poet: 20, 69, 142, 711, 670, 830, 958
Bolingbroke, Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount (1734–87): 713
Bolingbroke, Henry St John, 1st Viscount (1678–1751), Tory politician, diplomatist, author; Secretary for War (1704-8); Secretary of State for the North (1710); supported the Schism Bill against dissenting academies (1714); fled for France (1715); given earldom by the Pretender; Jacobite scapegoat for the fiasco of the 1715 rising; pardoned (1723); contributed to oppositional journal The Craftsman and author of Reflections upon Exile (1716); at the centre of Tory literary circle including Swift, Gay and Pope: 145, 162, 170, 177, 451, 650 n. a, 709, 711, 740 and n. a, 741, 790
Bolingbroke, Lady, divorced from the 2nd Viscount, see Beauclerk, Lady Diana
Bolingbroke (Marie Claire, Marquise de Villette), Viscountess (1675–1750), second wife of the 1st Viscount: 698
Bonaventure, St (c. 1217–74), leading medieval theologian, minister general of the Franciscan order, and cardinal bishop of Albano: 261
Bond, Mrs (fl. 1784), of Lichfield: 989 n. a
Bond, Phineas (1749–1815), Consul-General for the Middle and Southern States of America: 371
Boothby, Miss Hill (1708–56), friend of S.J., who was ‘almost distracted with grief when she died; likely target of S.J.’s attempts to remarry in 1753: 49, 795 n. a
Boothby, Sir Brooke (1710–89): 49
Borlase, Revd William (1695–1772), antiquary and naturalist; supplied samples of Cornish minerals to Pope; fellow of the Royal Society (1750); author of Observations on the Ancient and Present State of the Islands of Scilly (1756), lauded by S.J. in the Literary