Dr John, a famous musician and composer, was born in 1648 at North Collingham in the county county of Nottingham; and was one of the first set of children after the Restoration, being bred up under Captain Henry Cook. He was also a pupil of Higgeston, organist to Oliver Cromwell, and after that of Dr Christopher Gibbons. On the 16th day of March, 1673, he was sworn one of the gentlemen of the chapel in the room of Roger Hill; and in July 1674, upon the decease of Mr Pelham Humphrey, was appointed master of the children of the chapel. In 1685, he was made one of his majesty's private music; and in 1687, was appointed almoner and master of the choristers of the cathedral church of St Paul. Blow was not a graduate of either university; but Archbishop Sancroft, in virtue of his own authority in that respect, conferred on him the degree of doctor in music. Upon the decease of Purcell in 1695, he became organist of Westminster abbey. In the year 1699, he was appointed composer to his majesty, with a salary. Blow was a composer of anthems while a chapel-boy, and on the score of his merit, was distinguished by Charles II. The king admired very much a little duet of Carissimi to the words 'Dite o Cieli,' and asked of Blow if he could imitate it. Blow modestly answered he would try; and composed in the same measure, and the same key of D with a minor third, that fine song, 'Go perjured man.' The Orpheus Britannicus of Purcell had been published by his widow soon after his decease; and contained in it some of that author's finest songs: the favourable reception it met with was a motive with Blow to the publication in the year 1700, of a work of the same kind, entitled Amphion Anglicus, containing compositions for one, two, three, and four voices with accompaniments of instrumental music, and a thorough bass figured for the organ, harpsichord, or theorboeute. To this book are prefixed commendatory verses by sundry persons; and among them an ode, in the second stanza of which are the following lines:

'His Gloria Patri long ago reach'd Rome, 'Sung and rever'd too in St Peter's dome; 'A canon will outlive her jubilees to come.'

The canon here meant is that fine one to which the Gloria Patri in Dr Blow's gamut service is set. Dr Blow set to music an ode for St Cecilia's day, in 1684, the words by Mr Oldham, published together with one of Purcell on the same occasion performed the preceding year. He also composed and published a collection of lessons for the harpsichord or spinet, and an ode on the death of Purcell, written by Mr Dryden. There are also extant of his composition sundry hymns printed in the Harmonia Sacra, and a great number of catches in the latter editions of the Musical Companion. This great musician died in the year 1738, and lies buried in the north aisle of Westminster-abbey. On his monument is the canon above mentioned, engraven on a book with an inscription above it.

in a general sense, denotes a stroke given either with the hand, a weapon, or instrument. In fencing, blows differ from thrusts, as the former are given by striking, the latter by pushing.

Military BLOW, alapa militaris, that given with a sword on the neck or shoulder of a candidate for knighthood, in the ceremony of dubbing him. The custom seems to have taken its rise from the ancient ceremony of manumission. In giving the blow, the prince used the formula Eflo bonus miles, "Be a valiant soldier;" upon which the party rose a complete knight, and qualified to bear arms in his own right.

in Law. See BATTERY.

Fly-BLOWS, the ova of flies deposited on flesh, or other substances proper for hatching them.

BLOW-Pipe, in Chemistry and Mineralogy, an instrument by which the blast of the breath may be directed upon the flame of a lamp or candle, in such a manner as to vitrify any small portion of mineral substance; and thus the process of assaying in the dry way may be performed in a very short time, where either want of instruments or opportunity prevents other methods from being ued.

Mr Bergman observes, that this instrument is extremely useful to chemists, as many experiments are daily neglected, either because they require furnaces and a large apparatus of vessels; from the want of time to examine them in the ordinary way; or from the quantity required in the common way for examination, when the matter may be too scarce or too dear. In all these cases the blow-pipe may be advantageously used; as, 1. Most of the experiments which can be performed in the large way may also be done with the blow-pipe. 2. The experiments which in the large way require many hours, may in this method be finished in a few minutes; and, 3. The smallest particle is sufficient. The only defect is, that the proportions cannot be determined with any precision; and therefore where the experiments can be tried on a large scale, it is always to be preferred. See CHEMISTRY and MINERALOGY Index.