Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 05.djvu/230

 edition in four volumes (1813–20) of Anthony à Wood's ‘Athenæ Oxonienses and Fasti.’ It originated in a conversation of Thomas Park, the antiquary, who told a London publisher of the notes which Bliss had collected as additions to the original work, and suggested the issue of a new edition. Another edition under the care of Bliss was among the projects of the directors of the Ecclesiastical History Society, but it went no further than the first volume containing the life of Wood, which appeared in 1848. Most of the fresh matter which Bliss intended to have incorporated in this impression is contained in an interleaved copy of the 1813 issue which was left by him to the Bodleian. His second great work related to the other Oxford antiquary, Tom Hearne. This was entitled ‘Reliquiæ Hearnianæ; the Remains of Thomas Hearne,’ and consisted of a selection from his voluminous manuscript diaries. The greater part of it had remained in the press untouched for nearly half a century before it was completed in 1857 at the suggestion of Mr. W. J. Thoms, the late editor of ‘Notes and Queries.’ This edition was soon exhausted, and a second was twelve years later included in the ‘Library of Old Authors.’ The library of Bliss, an extremely interesting collection, especially in character literature, volumes printed in London just before the great fire, books printed at Oxford, and works on the Psalms, were sold from June to August 1858. Many of them were purchased for the Bodleian Library. The Additional Manuscripts at the British Museum, 22574–22610, formerly belonged to him, and two volumes in the same set, 25100–25101, contain his notes on English poets and on fairy poetry. His letters to Dr. Hunter and Joseph Haslewood are in Nos. 24865 and 22308. Some selections from his correspondence are printed in ‘Notes and Queries,’ vols. viii. and x. of the 2nd series, and vol. i. of the 3rd series. A tribute to his poetic taste was paid in the same paper (2nd series, vol. x. 181, 204, 221) by printing the extracts from the old poets which he had incorporated in his edition of Wood.

[Nichols's Leicestershire, ii. 693*; Macray's Bodleian Lib. 215, 216, 235, 289; Cox's Recollections of Oxford, 86, 344–5, 375, 411; Robinson's Merchant Taylors, ii. 169; Gent. Mag. December 1857, pp. 677–8, January 1858, pp. 99–100; Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. iv. 443, v. 47, 76, vii. 514..]  BLITHEMAN or BLYTHEMAN, WILLIAM (d. 1591), was an organist and gentleman of the chapel under Queen Elizabeth. Wood, in his 'Fasti' (ed. Bliss, i. 235), states that Dr. John Bull [q. v.] had been trained up under an excellent master named Blithman, organist of Queen Elizabeth's Chappel, who died much lamented in 1591; 'and in a note by Bishop Tanner to this passage it is stated that 'John Blithman belonged to Christ Church quire; seems to have been master of the choristers 1564.' Whether Tanner's John Blitheman was the same as the subject of this notice cannot be ascertained. Blitheman died on Whit Sunday 1591, and was buried in St. Nicholas Olave. His epitaph, which was on 'an engraven plate in the north wall of the chancel,' is preserved in Stow (Survey Book, iii. 211), and runs as follows:— Here Blitheman lies, a worthy wight, who feared God above; A Friend to all, a Foe to none, whom Rich and Poore did love. Of Princes Chappell, Gentleman, unto his dying Day; Whom all took great delight to heare him on the Organs play. Whose passing Skill in Musickes Art, a Scholar left behinde; John Bull (by name) his Master's veine expressing in each kinde. But nothing here continues long, nor resting Place can haye; His Soule departed hence to Heaven, his Body here in Grave.

Of Blitheman's music a few interesting pieces are in existence. The manuscript known as 'Virginal Book' (Add. MS. 80513) has several of his compositions. Other specimens are in Additional MSS. 29384, 31513. and 17801-5, and Hawkins printed a 'meane' by him (History of Music, ed. 1853, Appendix). All these examples show that he was a master of his art, and that Bull, whom (according to Stow) he 'spared neither time nor labour' to teach, owed much to his influence.  BLIZARD, THOMAS (1772–1838), surgeon, became a pupil of his uncle, [q. v.], and attained great skill as an operating surgeon. Haying early become surgeon to the London Hospital, and gained a large and profitable city practice, he was able to retire on his fortune at the age of forty-six. He was notable both for his knowledge of anatomy and for his invention of a special knife for lithotomy. He died 7 May 1838. He was the author of a 'Description of an 