t of James IV.

BLIND MECHANICIAN (_The_). John Strong, a great mechanical genius, was
blind from his birth. He died at Carlisle, aged sixty-six (1732-1798).

BLIND POET (_The_), Luigi Groto, an Italian poet called _Il Cieco_
(1541-1585). John Milton (1608-1674).

Homer is called _The Blind Old Bard_ (fl. B.C. 960).

BLIND TRAVELLER (_The_), lieutenant James Holman. He became blind at
the age of twenty-five, but, notwithstanding, travelled round the
world, and published an account of his travels (1787-1857).

BLINKINSOP, a smuggler in _Redgauntlet_, a novel by sir W. Scott
(time, George III.).

BLISTER, the apothecary, who says, "Without physicians, no one could
know whether he was well or ill." He courts Lucy by talking shop to
her.--Fielding, _The Virgin Unmasked_.

BLITHE-HEART KING (_The_). David is so called by Caedmon.

Those lovely lyrics written by his hand
Whom Saxon Caedmon calls "The Blithe-heart King."
Longfellow, _The Poet's Tale_ (ref. is to _Psalm_
cxlviii. 9).

BLOCK (_Martin_), one of the committee of the Estates of Burgundy, who
refuse supplies to Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy.--Sir W. Scott,
_Anne of Geierstein_ (time, Edward IV.).

BLOK (_Nikkel_), the butcher, one of the insurgents at Liege.--Sir W.
Scott, _Quentin Durward_ (time, Edward IV.).

BLONDEL DE NESLE [_Neel_], the favorite trouvere or minstrel of
Richard Coeur de Lion. He chanted the _Bloody Vest_ in presence of
queen Berengaria, the lovely Edith Plantagenet.--Sir W. Scott, _The
Talisman_ (time, Richard I.).

BLONDINA, the mother of Fairstar and two boys at one birth. She was
the wife of a king, but the queen-mother hated her, and taking away
the three babes substituted three puppies. Ultimately her children
were restored to her, and the queen-mother with her accomplices were
duly punished.--Comtesse D'Aunoy, _Fairy Tales_ ("Princess Fairstar,"
1682).

BLOOD (_Colonel Thomas_), emissary of the duke of Buckingham
(1628-1680), introduced by sir W. Scott in _Peveril of the Peak_, a
novel (time, Charles II.).

BLOODS (_The Five_): (1) The O'Neils of Ulster; (2) the O'Connors of
Connaught; (3) the O'Brians of Thomond; (4) the O'Lachlans of Meath;
and (5) the M'Murroughs of Leinster. These are the five principal
septs or families of Ireland, and all not belonging to one of these
five septs are accounted aliens or enemies, and could "neither sue nor
be sued," even down to the reign of Elizabeth.

William Fitz-Ro