The Democratic advocate., 1876-01-01
Ghe antiquarp.
Bells and their History.


them study of much interest. As far
back as their use may be traced, we find
that fancy and imagination have been con
stantly employed to express the many
emotions awakened by their tones. A re.
markable antiquity is ascribed to the use
Of bells. In Egypt the feast Of Osiris, it
is said, was proclaimed by the ringing of
bells, and in Cairo, at the present time,
girls are accustomed to wear strings of
bells about their ankles, practices similar
to which have no doubt existed in that
country for a long time. Among the He
brews bells were used 10 the time Of Aaron,
whose vestment was ornamented with
small gold bells intermixed with pomegra-
mates. An old writer solemnly AYERS that
even Noah employed such an instrument
to call his carpenters to their work on the
ark. An old painting also represents
King David as playing with a hammer
upon a number Of bells before him. The
authors of these works, however, must
have drawn heavily upon their imagina-
ton. Bells, hung on the necks of horses,
are also mentioned in the Bible by the
prophet Zacariah The ancient kings Of
Persia wore bells attached TO their royal
vestmeuts. Bells were used by the ancient
Greeks in their religious rites, and espe-
cially BY the priests Of Cybcle. In time
of war officers at certain times during the
night, went from sentinel to sentinel, ring
ing his bell, to which every sentry was
obliged to respond. According to the
statement of Eschylus, bells were con-
cealed within the shields of Grecian he
roes. The "bellman" also marched before
the funeral professions; bells were sounded
in triumphal professions, and were also
attached to the necks of criminals to warn
the people to avoid the spectacle Of man
going to his execution. At Rome they
were in constant use in domestic life, TO
announce the hours of bathing, business,
&c. Ancient shepherds hung bells upon
the necks of their focks, the sound Of
which, it was supposed, helped them to
become fat
The practice of attaching bell to the
leader of flock is very old one indeed
Bells have also been discovered among the
remains Of many extinct tribes, such as
the Peruviaus, 1t is thought that the
bells that are described in ancient records
were probably nothing more than little
tinkling pieces Of metal with no uniform
ity of shape. The introduction of bells
into Christendom is generally ascribed to
Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, in Campania I;
although it is stated by one writer that his
part in the matter was simply the suspen-
sion of large brass kettle, by striking
which he announced the time of prayers
During the sixth and seventh centuries
the use Of bells spread throughout Chris.
tendon, and, about the year 800, Pope
Sabinian ordained that the bells should be
used to announce the hours of devotion.
During this period, also, hand bells were
used extensively. The hand bell said to
have belonged to St. Patrick was made
previous to the sixth century, and is a
four-sided bell made of thin plates of iron,
fastened with rivets, and brazed. 1t is
still preserved in Belfast.
Church bells were introduced slowly,
and those which were first made were Of
very small size. By the fifteenth century
the art Of founding had reached snch ex-
cellence that bells Of large dimensions were
cast, as bell cast in Paris iu 1472 weigh.
ed $4,000 pounds. The introduction Of
church towers was probably coeval with
that of church bells, the word belfry, in
deed, being a compound Of two Saxon
words bel and .frede. The ancient bell
founders of England we're an itinerant
class Of people, and frequently Of doubtful
character There we're certain ones, how
ever, who ranked among the respectables
and even the wealthy classes of society.
There is in St. Michael's Church
Gloucester, brass to the memory of WIN
Henshawe, bell founder, and his two
wives, on which is the following curioul
inscription "Pray for the SOUL of Willu
Henshawe Belfounder and late maire o
this Towne and alys & agnes his wyfes th'
which Willm deceased the-day Off
the yer Of our Lord God a thousand ant
ccccc-and the said Alys deceased th,
seconde day of february the year or Lor'
MxVcXIX for whose soules Of yor charit
say pater noster and ave-"
In similar manner was the memor.
held of those who donated bells to parishes
the mention Of the dead being sometime
inscribed upon the tomb Of the donor
It Such mortuary inscription is the follow
v ing
II "Here lyeth buried the body of Jereu
Ewstes eldest some Of Robert Ewstes lat
of this tawn of Watlynton who gave tn
is trebble bell that hangs in this stcppill. II
IF deceased the fyrst day of May"
,e Respecting the age of English bell
ia Mr.. W. G. Lukis, in his little work "Col
n. cerning Church Bells" has given SON
in interesting facts. Of 69s bells in VIII
Of shire, So date prior to 1900, % belong
cs the sixteenth century, 273 to the sevcl
.. teenth, 239 to the eighteenth, aud 46
the nineteenth. 1t is certain, howeve
te that much greater number Of bells datir
DO prior to 1900 would now be found in En-
I..J b.a - naf haan for tho fronuant 70