Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-04-15

tinker which did duty in the monastery.
But this was easily accomplished. The
next problem that vexed the worthy prcl.
ate's mind was where to place his new
contrivance, so that its voice could be
heard from afar.
There was, however, on the roof of the
basilica of st. Felix sort of eupola known
as lantern. 1t was open on all sides, its
principal purpose being, as its name i'm
plies, to give light to the interior of the
structure on which it rested. 1t was in
this lantern that the bishop of Nola yoked
the first church bell
Most probably it was of the inter class
and looked for all the world like a good
sized metal bowl with a clapper inside.
Nor was it large affair. The fifteenth
century was well advanced before bells Of
any considerable dimensions were fash
ioned
At any rate the worthy bishops bell
was set up in it's place, and right royalty
did it serve its purpose. One can easily
imagine the flutter of excitement it caused
among the good people of Nola in those
placid times and fancy the congregation
Of st. Felix, in picturesque garb and san
daled feet, vending their way to their
church, guided by the changing reverba-
tions Of that wondrous bell, which rang
out its Easter roundelay on the plains of
Campania nearly /, 600 years ago. In those
days it must have seemed as marvellous to
them as the telephone did to us.
Truly That was a momentous Easter
and the excellent prelate's new departure
was destined to have farreaching conse-
quences, of which his sincere and single
minded soul could never have had the re-
hottest conception. Without specially in
tending it he had developed the best meth
cd yet discovered for signaling by sound
for long distances, discovery that could
be applied to all manner Of uses in the
practical affairs of life From Nola the
use of church bells soon spread over Chris
tendon, and at the beginning of the sew
enth century Pope Sabinius, by some err
roneously supposed to have been the in
ventor thereof, did all he could to encour-
age their adoption.
1t was probably not great while there
after that the custom of baptizing church
bells originated. This process, according
to high authority, includes "naming,
amounting, sprinkling, robing, sponsorial
engagements and every initiative accom-
paninent which marks the admission of
rational beings into the gospel. Not that
bells say the advocates of this system, are
baptized for the remission of sins, but that
they receive power to act as pre4gryatiyes
against thunder and lightning, and hail
and wind, and storms OF every kind, and
that they HAY drive ANY evil spirits. -
Other important Innovations in church
affairs Were also effected by paalinas' first
church bell 1t changed the entire char
acter of church architecture. That the
bells might IL heard for Il long distance,
it was necessary that the Lo hung at a
high elevation. Hence bell lowers We're
constructed, and every high tower in the
Christian world owes its erection to tho
bishop of Nola and his bell.
AT first the towers We're merely an en-
largement Of the lantern already described.
This WAS subsequently heightened and fire.
quently finished with u eonieal roof. To
extend this roof to u tapering spire was an
easy transition and thus the church stee-
pie originated, its belfry being known
among architects as the lantern to this
day
So runs the story of Paulinus and his
godly work and the first Easter bell.
Though it rests largely on oral tradition,
there is much strong presumptive evidence
to support it. The name Of his city, Nola
for example, is the name given to a small
bell attached to the neck of a dog, the foot
of bird or the housings of "a horse The
word campana is the Italian and Spanish
name for q bell, the Italian, as we have
seen, designating a bell tower as cam
panile, both words being clearly derived
from the same locality.
Many episodes, commonly accepted as
historical facts, rest upon no better author
ity than that which proclaims Bishop
Paulinus the diScoverer of the church bell.
In these days of research and close inyesti-
cation it is more than likely that evil
dence such as will place his fame upon an
unassailable foundation will be unearthed
IN the near future. +. W. POTTER