69 



while the north side is entirely unoccupied, or only beginning to 

 be used. 



At Crosthwaite, the church of my boyhood, I remember when 

 there were only two or three graves on the north side, and they 

 were quite recent ones; while the south side was indecently 

 crowded. Nobody liked the "back of the church," as it was 

 called. The graves seemed to be advancing stealthily northwards 

 towards the ill-favoured region, as if supported and backed up by 

 the much good company on their south side, until at length some 

 persons of distinction-Southey for one-were buried there, and 

 then the evil charm was broken, that part of the ground rapidly 

 filled, and additional space for burials had to be procured. 



A remarkable relic of this old superstition may be seen in a 

 window of the north aisle of Crosthwaite Church, where a fine 

 specimen of ancient stained glass shows a priest holding in one 

 hand a "holy bell," and in the other the "holy book," evidently 

 engaged in the arduous duty of scaring away or keeping in decent 

 ■ order the disreputable crew supposed to be outside. 



The belief in the presence of devils and the efficacy of holy 

 bells must have been very general, since it was deemed necessary 

 in the reign of Edward VI. to enact that "all ringing of holy bells 

 to drive away devils should be forborne, and all ringing of knowling 

 bells save one before service." 



The discredit anciently attached to the north side of the church 

 is also illustrated by the existence of a small door in the north side 

 of old churches known as the penitents' or devils' door, which it is 

 said was set open during baptisms, for evil spirits, supposed to be 

 driven out by the holy rite, to find ready egress to their assigned 

 location. 



A "Bell and Book" reminiscence, it has occurred to me, remains 

 in a perverted form in this town ; we have two hostelries of ancient 

 origin-the "Bell and Bullock" and the "Mitre;" they adjoin 

 each other, and are in proximity to places still bearing ecclesiastical 

 names- the Church, Bishop-yards, Friarage, Abbotts' Bank, Friar 

 Street (or Gate) ; and until recent years the hostekies were of 



