Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-08
THE CHURCH BELL
CHIMES ARE OF ANCIENT ORIGIN
THE FIRST TO USE THEM.
Ancient Britons Used Primitive
Method to Call Their People To-
gether for Worship.

ancients had bells for both sacred and pro-
fame purposes. Strabo says that market
time was announced by their sound and
Pliny that the tomb of an ancient king
of Tuscany. was hung round with bells.
The hour of bathing was made known In
ancient Rome by the sound of bell; the
night Waterman carried one, and 1t served
to call up the servants In great houses.
Sheep had them tied about their necks
to frighten away wolves. or, rather, by
way of amulet
Paulinus, bishop OF Nola is generally
considered the first person who introduced
bells into ecclesiastical service. about the
year 100. Historians say that In $40 the
bishop or Orleans, being at Seno. then In
a state of siege. frightened away the pc
siesing army by ringing st. stephen
Church bells, which is clear proof that
they were not at that time generally known
In France. The first large bells are men
toned by Bede. in the year $50 Before
that period the early British Christians
made use OF wooden rattles to call the
congregation of the faithful together.
Hand bells probably first appeared at re-
lgious PROFESSIONS and were afterward
used by the SecularS. The small bei!s
were not always held in the hand; they
were sometimes suspended upon stake
and struck with hammers.
Bells for Greeting.
The arrival Of kings and great person.
ages was anciently greeted by ringing the
church bells. Inguiohus, abbot of Croy-
land, who died about 11e9, speaks Of them
as being well known in his time, and says
that 1.-The first abbot of Croyland gave six
bells to that monastery-that Is 10 say,
two great ones which he named Bartholo-
NEW and Beladine; two of a medium size,
called Turketuiium and Bettrine; two
small ones, denominated Pega and Bega.
He also caused the great bell to be MADE
called Gudla. which was tuned 10 the
other bell and produced an admirable
harmony, not to be equaled In England
The bells used in the monasteries were
sometimes rung with ropes having prass
or silver rings at the ends for the hanu
They were anc!ently rung by the priests
themselves. afterward by the servants
and sometimes by those incapable of other
duties. ais persons who were blind. In the
flourishing. days of popery bells We're &C
tually baptized and anolnted with ane
chrosm, or holy oil. They were also ex-
orcisea and blessed by the bishop from
belief that when these ceremonies had been
performed they had power to drive the
devil out of the air, to calm tempests ana
keep away the plague. The ritual FOR
these ceremonies is contained in the no
man Pontifcal and Is stin used In Roman
Catholic countries. where it is usual TO
give the bells the name Of some saint, as
was formerly done In England
The doctrine OF the Church of Rome con-
corning bells is that they have merit and
pray God for the living and the dead; sec
ond. that they produce devotion In the
hearts of the faithful. The dislike Of evil
spirits to bells is we'll expressed by
Wynken de Worde in the Golden Legend.
The passing bell was anciently rung Tor
two good purposes-one TO bespeaR the
PRAYERS of all good Christian people for
soul lust departing and the other to drive
away the evil spirits who stood at the foot
of the bed about the house. Such was
the general opinion respecting the efficacy
of bells before the Reformation. but since
that period st has been the usual course
in the Church of England that when any
sick person lay drawing on bell should
toll to give notice to the nelghbors that
they might pray for the dying party, which
was commonly called passing bell, be-
cause the sick person was passing hence
to another world, and when his breath was
expired the bell rung out that the neigh
bors might cease their prayers for that
the party was dead" 1t is now only tolled
after death
Charm Against Lightning.
The saints bell was not so called from
the name of the saint that was inscribed
or IT, or OF the church to which it be-
longed, but because it was always rung
out when the priest came to that part of
the service. "sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Domino Deus Sabbaoth;" purposely that
church might know In what a solemn office
the congregation were at that instant en-
gagged, and so, even in their absence, be
once, at least, moved to lift up their hearts
to Him who made them. Bells at one time
were thought an effectual charm against
lightning. The frequent firing OF abbey
churches by lightning confuted the proud
motto commonly written their bells in
the steeples wherein each entitled itself
to skiold efficacy, viz:
Mems death tell by dolefuI knelI,
Lightning and thunder break asunder,
On Sabbath all to church I call;
The sleepy head 1 raise from bed;
The winds fierce dos dispense;
Mems cruel rage / do assauge.
1t has anciently been reported observed
Lord Bacon, and Is still received. that ex-
IRENE applause and shouting of people as
sembIed in multitudes have so rarefied and
broken the air that birds flying over have
fallen down, the air not being able to sup
port them and 1t is believed by some that
great ringing of bells in populous cities has
chased away thunder, and also dissipated
pestilent air.