New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-09-01

An caTnnanOlOCrv
=, Raven has set down in this volume the
-.s5lts Of the researches Of many years He
bsran his Investigations a boy of fourteen
M while stiu \ youth came into relations with
,be veteran caTnpanologists Of England. men
Ike himself ardent in the pursuit of ancient
bells and their lore, and always ready to ex-
change information A body of facts srlrpris-
ingly large has thus been gathered and we
.are led thereby along many quaint and curious
pathways u history. The tfntinnabula Of an
Equity are briefly dealt with in an Introductory
chapter fun Of learning. The second cbanto-
brings US 20 England, where the earliest baue
known are those Generally Of the crotaI or
globe forn) which have been found I'm ancient
baTro|s- beiis hammered out Of a sheet of
metal and riveted were also used in the R-it;sb
period IL We may trust TO the testimony ~ +boso
recovered from under the mould of centuries
Even now these riyeted bells are made and ,So5
as SheepheIis their sound being SO empbatic
tfat they can be heard distance Of four n,s1as
on still night The Briton of those rude davs
came more and more TO the use Of bells for
religious purposes and associated a sense of
sacrteh1ss with the instrument itself The
anlh" quotes from "Liber Landayensis-, tho
story o. famous bell OF exouisftelv s,-oa+ cow,
which was presented by the peop1e IN 600 -
Il Tello 1t condemned the periured II baa,oa
'"e SIN anu what appeared more wonderful It
sounded every hour without any one moving IT:
al'A oclHs prevented by the sin OF men. who
rashy handling if with polluted hands II ceased
:IoE such sweet performance"
There are no evidences that ar,on- .,o -
Improvements brought TO England bv tho fo-
man invasion there were any chances in beIle
in he Saxon period towers 10 hold alarm bells
rese throughout the land, and q law OF Athel
sian, passed IN 926, made the existence OF a
heA tower OF an estate the sine qua non of thane-
COM tonSonances Of bells were established In
ligioGs houses in this period, those of the
eat Abbey Of Crowland originating a rroverb
sweet as Croyland bells The largest Of
ese bells was named Guthlac, after the noble
no lived as a hermit on the site wherein the
abbey was built after his death; and of this
great tenor bell il was said by Thomas F-,1Ier
that its sound was Z remedy for headache DR.
Raven notes that the Crowland Chronicles have
introduced 10 Us the practice OF naming bells
-tter persons worthy Of the honor. Bells multi
Piled with churches in the Norman period many
4 them being gifts Of wealthy persons Such
Donor was the Angle thane, Lyolf, who rich in
goats and sheep. was much disturbed by noe
tGrnal thieves Tired out with these troubles.
be sold many of his animals and bought bell
which he gave 70 the abbey When he first
heard its sound his Joy broke forth into jocu-
Iarlty: Eya, how sweetly my goats bleat and
ny sheep bar Ills wife presented another bell
and II is 10 De noted that the two rang out in
pleasant accord" Already. il is apparent there
are founders in England who have learned how
10 make beautiful, soul stirring sequences Of bell
uiteTanoe The swinging method Of sounding
the bell succeeded that OF pulling the clarper
against the side or striking the outside and at
Canterbury, il is recorded, il took no fewer than
sxtZ-three men 10 keep the FIVE bells going
Alas. that the beautiful bells Of those days do
hot survive. fires says our author, account
Tor some O. the destruction but fall Of towers
4 for EOore."
The chapters n which are discussed inecrip-
lions and Recommendations on bells are full Of
entertaining matter The earliest existing in
scriIuOns are traced 10 the time Of Edward
Monastic foundries and trade foundries both
sent forth bells, and rhy-ming hexameters in
black letter, as well as names and dates were
among the inscriptions. The first royal head 20
te used In ornamenting bell was that Of this
Edward As FOR the lettering. some Of the illus
trations given In this volume show with what
NaTAnalllike care and sense Of beauty these
o1ti-ne founders worked. We are not left
without knowledge Of pre- Reformation bells
toE many Of them survived King Henry's siren
~"7s dealings with church and monastery The
beloved bells OF the monks went into the melt
Ing pot then, and were used in the casting Of
ca0nan. Bell foun6ries had not much TO do until
during EGzabeth's reign. the trade revived and