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 had previously done duty as told of William Edmonstoune Aytoun [q. v.] Perhaps his best service to the Edinburgh University was his long and energetic labour in connection with the founding and endowment of the Celtic chair, instituted in 1882, shortly after he had become an emeritus professor.

During the whole of his Edinburgh career he had been growing in public favour, till his genial eccentricities were relished as the living expression of a robust and versatile nature. His boundless good-humour made amends for his brusque manner and for his somewhat random thrusts, frankly delivered with great gusto in his cawing, cackling voice. With a rich fund of Scottish pre-judices he combined a very outspoken superiority to local and sectarian narrowness. He became the most prominent feature of the patriotic and literary life of Edinburgh, and as a breezy lecturer made his personality felt in all parts of Scotland. Always fond of moving about, his public appearances became still more frequent after his retirement from his chair. He kept up his love of foreign travel; his last visit to Greece was in 1891. Till May 1894, when he was attacked with asthma, his health and strength were marvellous. His last public appearance was at the opening of the college session in October 1894. He died at 9 Douglas Crescent, Edinburgh, on 2 March 1895, and, after a public funeral service in St. Giles's Cathedral, was buried in the Dean cemetery on 6 March. He left 2,500l. to the Edinburgh University for a Greek scholarship, limited to its theological students. His portrait was painted (1893) by Sir George Reid. His clear-cut features, shrewd grey eyes, and long white hair (for some time during the fifties he had worn a curious grey wig) were made familiar in countless photographs, engravings, and caricatures, which reproduced his jaunty air, the plaid thrown about his shoulders, his huge walking staff, and his soft hat with broad band. He never wore spectacles. He married, on 19 April 1842, Eliza, third daughter of James Wyld of Gilston, Fifeshire, but had no issue. His half-brother, George S. Blackie, professor of botany in the xmiversity of Tennessee, died in 1881, aged 47.

It is difficult to classify Blackie's writings, in which prose and verse were often inter-mingled. Nothing he has written has kept so permanent a place as his hymn, 'Angels holy, high and lowly,' written by the banks of the Tweed on his wedding tour (1842) and first published in 'Lays and Legends' (1857).

His chief publications were : 1. 'Faust. . . translated into English Verse,' 1834, 8vo; 1880, 8vo. 2. 'On Subscription to Articles of Faith,' Edinburgh, 1843, 8vo. 3. 'University Reform,' Edinburgh, 1848, 8vo. 4. 'The Water Cure in Scotland,' Aberdeen, 1849, 8vo. 5. 'The Lyrical Dramas of Æschylus. . . translated into English Verse,' 1850, 2 vols. 8vo. 6. 'On the Studying and Teaching of Languages,' Edinburgh, 1852, 8vo (English and Latin). 7. ' On the Advancement of Learning in Scotland,' Edinburgh, 1855, 8vo. 8. 'Lays and Legends of Ancient Greece, with other Poems,' Edinburgh, 1857, 8vo. 9. 'On Beauty,' Edinburgh, 1858, 8vo. 10. 'Lyrical Poems,' Edinburgh, 1860, 8vo. 11. 'The Gaelic Language,' Edinburgh, 1864, 8vo. 12. 'Homer and the Iliad,' Edinburgh, 1866, 4 vols. 8vo. 13. 'Musa Burschicosa. . . Songs for Students,' Edinburgh, 1869, 8vo. 14. 'War Songs of the Germans,' Edinburgh, 1870, 8vo. 15. 'Four Phases of Morals : Socrates, Aristotle, Christianity, Utilitarianism,' Edinburgh, 1871, 8vo. 16. 'Greek and English Dialogues. . . for Schools,' 1871, 8vo. 17. 'Lays of the Highlands and Islands,' 1871, 8vo. 18. 'On Self Culture,' Edinburgh, 1874, 8vo. 19. 'Hora? Hellenicæ,' 1874, 8vo. 20. 'Songs of Religion and Life,' 1876, 8vo. 21. 'The Language and Literature of the. . . Highlands,' Edinburgh, 1876, 8vo. 22. 'The Natural History of Atheism,' 1877, 8vo. 23. 'The Wise Men of Greece. . . Dramatic Dialogues,' 1877, 8vo. 24. 'The Egyptian Dynasties,' 1879, 8vo. 25. 'Gaelic Societies. . . and Land Law Reform,' Edinburgh, 1880, 8vo. 26. 'Lay Sermons,' 1881, 8vo. 27. 'Altavona. . . from my Life in the Highlands,' Edinburgh, 1882, 8vo. 28. 'The Wisdom of Goethe,' Edinburgh, 1883, 8vo. 29. 'The. . . Highlanders and the Land Laws,' 1885, 8vo. 30. ' What does History teach?' 1886, 8vo. 31. 'Gleanings of Song from a Happy Life,' 1886, 8vo. 32. 'Life of Robert Burns,' 1887, 8vo. 33. 'Scottish Song,' Edinburgh, 1889, 8vo. 34. 'Essays,' Edinburgh, 1890, 8vo. 35. 'A Song of Heroes,' 1890, 8vo. 36. 'Greek Primer,' 1891, 8vo. 37. 'Christianity and the Ideal of Humanity,' Edinburgh, 1893, 8vo.

In 1867-8 he published some pamphlets on forms of government, and a debate on democracy with Ernest Charles Jones [q. v.] He contributed to the volumes of 'Edinburgh Essays' (1856-7) and prefaced a good many books on subjects in which he was interested. Selections of his verse were edited in 1855 (with memoir) by Charles Rogers (1825-1890) [q.v.], and in 1896 (with