Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 05.djvu/177

 Earl of Harrowby, J. Symmons of Paddington, and Michael Gage of Swaffham, with the whole of his system of ciphers. Manuscript sold at the dispersion of William Upcott’s collection in 1546.

 BLAK or BLACK, JOHN (d. 1563), a Dominican friar of Aberdeen, wrote ‘De reali præsentia Christi in Sacramento Altaris;’ ‘Acta colloquii cum Willoxio symmysta;’ ‘Conciones piæ;’ and ‘Monita ad Apostatas.’ His public disputation with John Willox took place in Edinburgh in the summer of 1501. Bishop Lesley gives the three heads of their disputation, and adds that in the end nothing was agreed. Indeed it would seem that the only important result of such discussions was to exasperate the temper of the people, for Blak was stoned to death by a protestant mob in Edinburgh on 7 Jan. 1562–3.

 BLAKE, CHARLES, D.D. (1664–1730), divine and poet, was born at Reading, Berkshire, being the son of John Blake, ‘gent.,’ of that town, and educated at the Merchant Taylors’ School and St. John’s College, Oxford, of which he was scholar and afterwards fellow (B.A. 1683, M.A. 1687–8, D.D. 1696). He was domestic chaplain to Sir William Dawes, afterwards bishop of Chester and archbishop of York, who was his close friend. Among his preferments were the rectory of St. Sepulchre’s, London, of Wheldlake in Yorkshire, and of St. Mary's, Hull, and he was successively a prebendary of Chester, a prebendary of York (1716), and archdeacon of York (1720), He died 22 Nov. 1730. He published a small collection of Latin verses, consisting of a translation into Latin of the poem of Musæus on Hero and Leander, and of part of the fifth book of Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost;’ and two original poems, one called ‘Hibernia Plorans,’ written in 1689, the year of the siege of Londonderry, deploring Ireland's woes, in the style of Virgil's Eclogues, and the other an elegy on the death, in 1688, of Frederick, the Great Elector of Brandenburg. These were all published together in a little sixpenny pamphlet, under the title of ‘Lusus Amatorius, sive Musæi de Herone et Leandro carmen; cui accedunt Tres Nugæ Poeticæ,’ at London in 1693.

 BLAKE, FRANCIS (1708–1780), first baronet, mathematician, born 1708, was descended from the house of Menlough, co. Galway. His father, Robert Blake, by his marriage with Sarah, third daughter of his kinsman, Sir Francis Blake, knight, of Ford Castle, Northumberland, became possessed of the Twisell estate, in the county of Durham. The son rendered active support to the government during the rebellion of 1745, and was created a baronet 3 May 1774. He devoted much of his time to mechanics and experimental philosophy, and upon becoming a fellow of the Royal Society, in 1746, ‘wrote some papers in the ‘Philosophical Transactions.’ Sir Francis died at Tilmouth 29 March 1780, and was buried at Houghton-le-Spring.

 BLAKE, FRANCIS (1738?–1818), second baronet, political writer, was the eldest surviving son of Sir Francis, the first baronet [q. v.], by Isabel, his wife, second daughter and coheiress of Mr. Samuel Ayton of West Herrington, Durham. He was educated at Westminster, whence he removed to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and proceeded LL.B. in 1763. He died at Twisell Castle 2 June 1818, at the age of 81. He wrote: 1. ‘The Efficacy of a Sinking Fund of One Million per annum considered,’ 8vo, 1786. 2. ‘The Propriety of an Actual Payment of the Public Debt considered,’ 8vo, 1786. 3. ‘The True Policy of Great Britain' considered,’ 8vo, 1787. These, with other pieces, were republished collectively under the title of ‘Political Tracts,’ 8vo, Berwick, 1788, and again at London in 1795. His eldest son and successor, Francis, represented Berwick in several parliaments. He published some severe criticisms on the action of the House of Lords in regard to the corn laws, and died 10 Sept 1860, aged 85.