96 THE CHURCH BELLS OF DORSET. 



of a Mr. Compton at Horton. I paid a visit to this old church 

 at Knowlton a few years ago ; it is now a complete ruin, tower 

 and church being roofless, but the greater part of the walls are 

 standing (and from what I can remember there is a massive wall 

 between nave of church and chancel, with a small Norman arch, 

 round-headed, also remains of mullions and doorways, the tower 

 being perfect, excepting that it is roofless and floorless). The 

 whole is enclosed within a rampart, and near by are some fine 

 yew trees and barrows, no houses being anywhere near, except- 

 ing a farmstead, which apparently is not very ancient. An old 

 man was working in a field near by (a native of the neighbour- 

 hood), and he related the same story with reference to the bell, 

 saying that some people from Sturminster came and took them 

 away. I have been told by some of the old inhabitants of 

 25 years ago that the names of two of the ringers at the time 

 were Hurdle and Barfoot, two well-known names in this 

 parish. 



In the case of the treble at Lyme Regis the spelling in my 

 MS. is the usual mistaken form, " Brittania." The words are 

 a quotation from Akenside (Odes, Book I., No. 8, lines 79, 

 &c.). 



' ' O fair Britannia ! hail ! with partial love 

 The tribes of men their native seats approve, 



Unjust and hostile to each foreign fame ; 

 But, when for gen'rous minds and manly laws 

 A nation holds her prime applause, 



There public zeal shall all reproof disdain." 



On this Mr. Thomas Hollis (Memoirs, p. 52) observed : " For 

 want of information at what period Dr. Akenside wrote his 

 verses it is best to say nothing about the application of 

 them." 



The whereabouts of Anthony Bond's foundry still eludes us, 

 for the work at Wimborne Minster in 1629 was evidently done 

 on the spot. Perhaps the accounts of other parishes where his 

 bells remain may throw a light on the subject. 



