[Blanqui, Adolphe], a celebrated French publicist and economist, born at Nice; a disciple of J. B. Say, and a free-trader; his principal work, "History of Political Economy in Europe" (1798-1854).
[Blanqui, Louis Auguste], a brother of the preceding, a French republican of extreme views and violent procedure; would appear to have posed as a martyr; spent nearly half his life in prison (1805-1881).
[Blarney-stone], a stone in Castle Blarney, Cork, of difficult access, which is said to endow whoso kisses it with a fair-spoken tongue, hence the application of the word.
[Blasius, St.], bishop of Sebaste, in Armenia; the patron of wool-combers; suffered martyrdom in 316.
[Blasphemy], defined by Ruskin as the opposite of euphemy, and as wishing ill to anything, culminating in wishing ill to God, as the height of "ill-manners."
[Blatant Beast], Spenser's name for the ignorant, slanderous, clamour of the mob.
[Blavatsky, Mme.], a theosophist, born in Russia; a great authority on theosophy, the doctrines of which she professed she derived from the fountain-head in Thibet (1813-1891).
[Bleek, Friedrich], eminent German Biblical exegete and critic of the Schleiermacher school, born in Holstein; professor at Bonn; his chief work, "Commentary on the Hebrews," a great work; others are Introductions to the Old and to the New Testaments (1793-1859).
[Bleek, Wm.], son of preceding, a philologist; accompanied Colenso to Natal; author of "Comparative Grammar of the S. African Languages" (1827-1875).
[Blefuscu], an island separated from Lilliput by a strait 800 yards wide, inhabited by pigmies; understood to represent France.