696 BLARNEY arts et metiers, Blanqui succeeded to his place. In 1837-'42 he issued his most important work, L'Histoire de Veconomie politique en Europe depute les ancient jus/ju^d nos jours (5 vols. 8vo). In 1846-'8 Blanqui was a member of the cham- ber of deputies from Bordeaux. At the in- dustrial congress at Brussels in 1847, his dis- courses were remarked for their vivacity and learning. He visited various countries of Eu- rope for the purpose of studying their condi- tion, and embodied the results in his books ; and in 1851 he furnished a complete account of the financial aspects of London for the acad- emy of moral and political sciences, of which he was a member. II. Lonis Angnste, a social- istic revolutionist and conspirator, brother of the preceding, born in Nice in 1805. In 1830, while a student of law, he took up arms against Charles X., and received the decoration of July. Under the government of Louis Philippe he kept up a constant warfare through the press on the existing state of things, and became one of the most active propagators of the doctrines which led to the revolution of 1848. In 1835 he was arrested, tried, and sentenced to one year's imprisonment and a fine of 200 francs. A few months later, being suspected of com- plicity with Fieschi, he was sent to prison for two years and fined 3,000 francs, but was amnestied before the expiration of his term. As soon as he was released, he renewed his onslaught upon monarchical government and formed an organization to carry his ideas into effect. In 1839, with Barbe's and others, he attempted an insurrection, which was speedily checked, and he was condemned to death, but the sentence was commuted to perpetual im- prisonment. He was released by the revolu- tion of 1848, and immediately organized the revolutionary "Central Republican Society." He led in the attempt on May 15 to overthrow the constituent assembly, and was a few days later arrested and sentenced to ten years' im- prisonment. He was released in 1859, but was sentenced again to four years' imprisonment in January, 1862. He appeared again as one of the active spirits in the violent agitations in favor of the red republic which culminated in the Paris commune in 1871, and was still in 1872 a prisoner of state. Itl.A R.KY. a village of Munster, Ireland, 4 m. N. W. of Cork, noted for its castle, built by Cormick McCarty in 1449. This stands on the N. side of a precipitous ridge of limestone rock, rising from a deep valley, and part of its base is washed by a small river called the Aw-Mar- tin. Near it are the famous groves of Blarney. Of the original fortress there remains only a large, square, massive tower, with a parapet breast high ; on the summit is the famous stone, which is said to confer on the person kissing it the peculiar property of saying any- thing, by way of coaxing, compliment, or praise, most agreeable to the hearer. From the virtue it thus communicates, the well known word blarney is derived. The actual Blarney stone BLASPHEMY is not the one commonly saluted as such, but is said to form part of the wall several Blarney Castle, Cork. feet below its representative, and can only be kissed by a person held over the parapet by the heels. BLASPHEMY (Gr. ^mjaifila), in law, has been judicially described (20 Pickering's Reports, 213) as " speaking evil of the Deity, with an impious purpose to derogate from the divine majesty, and to alienate the minds of others from the love and reverence of God. It is purposely using words concerning God calcu- lated and designed to impair .and destroy the reverence, respect, and confidence due to him as the intelligent creator, governor, and judge of the world. It embraces the idea of detrac- tion when used toward the Supreme Being, as calumny usually carries the same idea when applied to an individual. It is a wilful and malicious attempt to lessen men's reverence of God, by denying his existence, or his at- tributes as an intelligent creator, governor, and judge of men, and to prevent their having con- fidence in him as such." The punishment by the Jewish law was death. Wherever Chris- tianity is the prevailing religion of a country, whether established by law or not, blasphemy is so far noticed by the law that contumelious reproaches of Jesus Christ, profane and mali- cious scoffing at the Scriptures, and exposing any part thereof to contempt or ridicule, are regarded as blasphemy and punished accord- ingly. In England it is a felony at the com- mon law, punishable by fine and imprisonment. In the early legislation of the American colo- nies death was denounced as the punishment for this offence, but fine or imprisonment, or both, are now substituted. It has sometimes been argued that the punishment of blasphemy by the state is inconsistent with the religious equality and freedom which are a part of the American constitutional law ; but this doctrine has not obtained in the courts, which have
