The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-05-10
Ancients Had Bells for Both
Sacred and Profane
Use
THE FIRST TO USE THEN
The First Large Bell Was Mentioned
by esds in the Year 6so-wooden
Rattle Used Previous to
This Date.
From the New York Herald.

1 Church bells are OF ancient origin.
/ The ancients had bells for both sacred
and profane purposes. Strabo says that
market time was announced by their
sound. and Pliny that tile tomb or mn
ancient king OF Tuscany was hung
round with bells. The hour OF bathing
was made known In ancient Rome by
| tn. sound OF "A bell: the night watch
| man carried one. and Il served To- call
| up the servants In great houses. sheep
1 had them tied about their necks tn
| brighten away wolves. or. rather. ID
way OF amulet.
| Paulinus. bishop OF Nola, is generally
| considered the first person who intro
| duc.d bells into ecclesiastical service,
about the year 400. Historians say that
On si0 the bishop OF Orleans, being AT
/ Seno then In "A state OF siege, fright
.ned away the b.sieging army by ring
| Ing 81. Stephens church bells. which
In a clear proof that they were not at
that time generally known In France.
The firSt larg. bells are mentioned by
Bede, Ia the year $50. Betor. thst Pc
Rod the early British Christians haae
use OF wooden rattles To eau the CON-
greKation OF the faithful together. hand
bells probably first appeared At re-
ligious professions, and were AFTER
ward used by the seculars. The small
d. bells were not always held IN the hahd'
they were sometimes suspended upon a
stake and struck with hammers.
Bells for Greeting.
The arrival or kings and great per-
sonages was anciently greeted by rihs-
ing the church bells. lnguiohus, aopot
OF croyland, who died about HOS. be-
sn.aLs OF them as being well known IN
his time, and says that the iirst abbot
OF Croyland gave six bells 10 that
nounstery-thnt IL TO say. TWO great
ones which he named Bartholomew
and Beladinc: two OF medium siAe'
called Turketulium and Bettrlhe' tMo
small ones. dcnominated fcsa anu
Hega, He also caused the great Del
90 n. made called Gudia. which was
tuned TO the other bell. and PRODUCED
an admirable harmony. not TO or
euuaied en- England. ,-.
'rhe bells used in the monnsteries
were sometimes rung with ropes hSNhs
brass or silver rings at the ehus TOT
tho hand. They were anclehty runs
by the priests themselves, aiterwaru
by the servants and sometimes by those
Incapable OF other duties. an persons
vino were blind. In the flourishing days
of popery bells were actually paptizeu
ana anointed with the chrosm, or hoiy
oil. They were also exercised anu
blessed by the bishop from "a bellet
th,t when these ceremonies had been
performed they had power To drive tue
devil out OF the air, to calm tefnpests
and keep away the plague. Inc rltuai
for these ceremonies In contained IN
the Roman pontifical and IL stili used
an Roman Catholic countries. where IL
is usual 10 give the bells the name OF
some saint. aus was formerly done IN
England.
The doctrine OF the church OF Rome
concerning bells In that they have
merit and pray God for the living ana
the dead: second, that they produce De
Notiou in the hearts OF the faithful.
The dislike of evil spirits In bells II
we'll expressed by wynken de Worde
I'm the Golden Legend. The passing bell
wac anciently Tung for two good pur-
pos@s--one tn bespcak the prayers OF nj.
good Christian people for soLl just
departing and the other To drive away
the evil spirits who stood nj the foot
of the bed or about the house. Such
was the general opinion respecting the
efficacy OF bells before the reformation.
but since that period 1T has been the
usual course I'm the Church or England
that when any sick person lay dying
n bell should toll To give notice TO
the neIghbors that they might pray
for the dying party. which was CON-
monty called passing bell, because
the sick person was passing hence TO
another world. and when his breath
was expired the bell rung out that the
neighbors might cease their prayers.
for that the party was dead. III IN now
tolled after death.
Charm Against Lightning.
The saints bell was not SO called
from the name OF the saint that was
inscribed on ~. or OF the church TO
which a belonged. but because IL was
always rung out when the priest came
TO that part OF the service. "Sanctus.
Sanctus. Sanctus. Domino Deus Sab
baoth:" purposely that those persons
who could not come TO church might
know in what n solemn office and con-
gregation were at that instant engaged,
and so. even in their absence. be once.
at least moved TO lift up their hearts
20 Him who made them. Bells ut one
time were thought an effcctunl charm
against lightning. The frequent firing
OF abbey churches by lightning con-
futed the proud motto commonly writ
ten on their bells Ia the steeples.
wherein each entitled Itself To- six
fold efficacy, Wig:
Mems death tell by doleful tnelI;
I.ightning and thunder ] break asunder:
ON Sabbath all TO church call.
The sleepy head raise from bed:
The winds 20 fierce ] do dispense.
Mems cruel rage I do assuage.
IL has ancicntly been reported. OBJ
served Lord Bacon, and ~ still re-
ceived. that extreme applause and
shouting OF people assembled In multi
tudcs have so rar.ticd and broken the
mir that birds flying over have fallen
down. the air not being able To support
them. and IL IL believed by some that
great ringing of bells In populous cities
has chased away thunder. and also dis
sipated pestilent air. /
Houe Grown Tea.