Evening star., 1901-02-02
ils-the obelisk, the lectern or Slopin
Il. the horizontal, and the facet headed.
Ornate SDeeimens.

Ornate Specimens.
In towns the dials are often supported by
tapering shafts mounted on steps-taking
the place of the old market cross, some OF
them, perhaps constructed from it when
the ''idolatrous" emblem had been re-
moved The more ornate specimens belong
often to the seventeenth or earlier part OF
the eighteenth century, and great ingenuity
s displayed In varying the designs One
from Haddington might be taken for font.
AT Lee Castle, in Lanarkshire, and at Mount
Melville. near st. Andrews, faceted dials
are mounted on ornamental pedestals but
the richest of all is at Glamis Castle
Standing over seven yards in height, with
its pedestal adorned by upright lions bear
ing shields. it supports great block OF
stone cut into many projecting pyramids,
and from it rise ribs forming an open
crown, on which rests a coronet The mon
ument fairly bristles with dials-they are
fitted on each shield and facet, which can
serve the purpose. so that II multitude OF
counsellors is any good, the time should be
truly told. This perhaps the most beauti-
full dial which the world can show" was
set up between 1647 and 1695. Some even
Of the vertical dials are more ornamental
than usual. These are tWo-faced, and as
they project from the wall supported
by brackets. Heriots Hospital is well pro-
vided. for there are eight on its exterior
walls and three inside the courtyard. These
were constructed soon after 1880. An Or
nate one at Alloa is dated in 1885 But
the making Of dials went on much later,
though it is being expelled by cheap clocks
and watches as flint and steel have been by
lucifer matches. The schoolmasters often
taught "dialing Burns learned it
In his boyhood-and the stonemasons car
ried the lessons into practice. dial made
by Hugh Miller still stands at Cromarty.
But the book gives numerous instances
from other parts OF the world. There is a
famous one at Chartres Cathedral, held by
an angel figure. another at Laon, a third
probably existed at Rheims. They are not,
however, confined to cathedrals or cities.
for they exist on humble churches in tiny
villages. even in the remotest parts OF the
high Alps Of Dauphine. The inscription OF
one placed on the Chateau of Nevers dur
ing the revolution may be read as stating
that the sun moved by order of the conven-
ton. Dials are also abundant In Italy
They are less frequent in Spain. but are
common in all parts of Germany. where
Nuremberg was once noted for portable
examples, and In Scandinavia. They exis
| in Asia, and the great equatorial dial al
Delhi constructed i'm 1924 is one of the mos
famous In the world.
Notices to Point a Moral.
dial frequently bears motto to poin,
| a moral. The book contains a large col
| lection of these pithy sentences. OF those
| not in the yernacular. many are in Latin.
Greek Is but rarely, Hebrew almost never
laid under contribution. Now and again
| the inscription forms kind of cryptic
| gram. giving the date by certain Of its let
| ters, which are made larger than the rest
| Time is flying. death is approaching. is. in
! some form or other. favorite and obvious
maxim. Now it is conveyed by a single
\ word. "Advesperascit." evening drawetf
nigh" now by two, "Appropinquat Hora, >
1.-The hour cometh;" now by three, asplce
| respice. prospice." look at, look back. lool
| forward now by words enforcing the gen
eral truth. LAS shadowe so man speed
| eth." Make use of the day. for the might
cometh." Once or twice the terms are curt
| as when 1t is simply "Allez-vous, or al
| High Lane, near Disley, "Begone about
your business" or slightly pessimistic. as
i is the noted inscription at AshcOtt, in Som
| erset. BE the day weary, be the day long
| Soon shall it ring to evensong." Leighton
| Buzzard Church echoes similar note
| .sBrevis aetas viii fugax." More hopeful Is
| .Crescit in horas doctrina," and "Crepus
| culum mems nesciat expresses wish tina
| every one will echo. Not infrequently tht
dial draws a moral from Its own depend
| ency "Datam do nego negatam, prob
| ably is Intended in more than one sense
| Deficit sol, memo respicit certainly is so
| Deus movet, umbra docet' has far
reaching Significance; SO too, has "Ho Ii
| vita nella luce. la morte nellie tenebre. o.
that at Uppingham Non rego nisf regar.
Did space allow, many striking phrases
might be quoted from the notices, nearly
| 100 in number, which the authors nave
collected. Rarely sarcastic or epicurean
often pathetic, most Of them enforce les