Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-26

name as 'the hanger, "the eater" "the
sleeper, etc. Father LeComte writes
|. that at Pekin there are seven other bells,
. weighing l20, 900 pounds apiece but the
sounds, even of the largest, are very dull,
as they are struck with wooden, instead
of an iron clapper.
Church bells were invented by the
Christian Church herself after Christians
could meet together openly and not by
stealth, their introduction being general
" attributed to Paulinus, Bishop Of Nola,
A. d. 400, though some claim that they
were introduced by the Pope Labnainus
200 years later. In the early church it
was the duffy of the priests to ring the
bells at appointed hours, both during the
day and i'll the night, for church service.
II the canonical hours of prayer were
i'll that age the same as are now authoriz-
ed by the Church of Rome, the ringing
must have occurred eight times in the
twentyfour hours, or every third hour
throughout the day and night. The can
onical hours were as follows Laudes, 3
a. m. Prime, at a. m. Tieree, at 0 n.
m. Scxt, at noon Nones, at p. m,
vespers, at 6. p. m. Complin, at p. m.
Mathis at midnight.
Quaint old Sir Thomas Browne, in his
''Religio Medici," speaks of the Ave
Maria bell as church bell that tolls every
day at 6 and II o'clock, sat the hearing
whereof every one i'll whatever place So
ever, either of house or street, betakes
himself to his prayer, which is common
ly directed to the Virgin, and the quaint
old writer makes the following comment
Il could never hear the Ave Mary bell
without mn elevation nor think it sufii-
cient warrant, because they erred in one
| lair gtn,, f,, No. -, Ill
is in silence and dumb content. Whilst,
therefore, they direct their devotions to
her, | offer mine to God, and rectify the
errors of their prayers by rightly order
ing mine own"
The Sanctus bell, which is now used in
the Roman Catholic churches to call at
tention to the more solemn parts of the
mass, once hung in a small turret outside
the church. 1t was always rung at the
words, ''Sancte, Sancte, Sancte Deus
Sabaoth." Holy, holy, holy, Lord God
of hosts :" and whoever heard it was ex-
pected to PROSTATE himself.
| Byron, in speaking Of the vesper bell,
the call to evening prayers, says:
Soft hour which wakes the wish and mclts the heart
Or nils with love the pilgrim on his way,
| As the far bell OF vesper makes him start,
Seeming TO weep the dying days decay.
The curfew-bell was introduced into
England by William the Conqueror, and
was rung at S o'clock in the evening,
when everybody was expected to extin-
guish fire and lights in his house, law
which was intended to prevent contlagra-
tions, the houses being built of very light
material.
In the Roman Catholic Church bells
have been named, anointed, sprinklcd,
robed and taken upon themselves sponso-
rial engagements, custom which origi
mated about the year 700.
The si1ty-seventh canon of the Church
of England SAYS: "Nrhenevcr any is |
passing out of this life bell shall be
tollcd, and the minister shall not then
slack to his duty !" aud "a commendatory
prayer for sick person at the point Of
departure, is provided in the visitation
of the sick.
The following is list of the most cele-
brated large bells in the world, with their
approximate weight in tons The great
bell of Moscow, 1913 tons The bell in
the tower of st. Joan's Church at Mos
cow,57. Another bell in the same church, |
II. Another cast in 1919, so. The grea t
bell at Pekin, 50. One mt Nnnkin, %.
One at Olmiitz, II. One at Vienna, dated
III, II. One at Paris, placed in the
cathedral 1850, % feet in circumference,
| II. One at Erfunt i'll Germany, and con-
sidered to be Of the finest metal extant, |
13. "Great Peter" which cost .e2,OOO, |
was placed Ill York Minister i'll 1915, 10. |
Great bell of st. Paul's, 3. "Great
Tom,' at Oxford, 7. Great Tom" at
Lincoln, 6. "Dunstan," at Canterbury,
I3.
Previous TO the Reformation, church
bells in England We're very large, being
generally the gifts, or commemoraton OF
pious rich persons When the monas-
tries We're suppressed bells were consid-
cred very valuable part of the spoils.
Some were gamblcd for some went to other
countries, and some were lost in the ocean
before they reached their destination.
''Bclls have been favorte theme Of
the poets. They are spoken Of as "sweet
and tuneful" when they are heard 1t sea
rs the "tocsin of the soul" when they are
sounded for dinner; as musically telling
many a tale'when they are heard at night
is making wild sounds in the days OF
childhood, and fiingng around the cra-
die of youth "their magic spell :" as
ringing in the "Christ that is TO be- and
ringing out 'the flying cloud, the frosty
night ! and finally as being "out OF tune
and harsh. COwper writes of the "church
going bell )" Longfellow of the Convent
bells
suddenly in the silence ringing for the service OF
noon-diy.
Charles Lamb, albeit his habits were
not always such rs to insure the best of
nerves. wrote
The cheerful sabbath bells, wherever heard,
Strike pleasant on the sense. most like the voice
OF one who from the far-oT hills procaims
TIdlngs OF good 10 Zion,
The sentiment of the average citizen of
to-day would probably be best expressed
in the lines OF Ferguson
Wanworiy, crazy. dnsoms thing,
As e'er was framed TO jow or ring.
what gard them sich In steepe hing,
Il They Ken themscl;
But weel wOt they couldna bring
Waur sounds frae hell
And there is an old French verse which
may be translated:
Il Disturbers Of the human race,
Your bells are always ringing
wish the ropes were round your uecks,
And you upon them swinging.
John Ruskin, the celebrated art critic.
will not be accused of want of love for
ancient time-honored customs, but while
IN Italy, writing to the workmen of Eng
land, he says 81 write this morning,
we"iiJ, anu WITHOUT spirit, DelnS nearly
: deaf with the bell-ringing and bawling
which goes on here at Florence ceaseless-
ly, in advertisement of prayers and wares I;
$ as If people could not wait on God for
+ what they wanted, but God had to ring
for them, like walters, for what he wanted
$ and as if they could think of nothing they
: were in need of till the need was suggest
ed to them by believing at their DOORS
or bill-posting on their house-corners.'
o There are quite number of common