GUSSAGE s. MICHAEL'S AND GUSSAGE ALL SAINTS' CHURCHES. 85 



some measure, that bright and cheerful effect, which the loftier and 

 wider modem chancel arch gives to the edifice as you now see it, 

 which edifice must be a delightful one to officiate and to worship in. 

 There is an Elizabethan Chalice, or " Coupe " (as it is called on 

 the inscription), in the vestry, which you should look at, and the 

 Parish Register is also in the vestry for inspection ; it dates from 

 1560, but the similarity of writing in the first few pages show, in 

 my opinion, that the earlier entries were not contemporaneous. 



DESCRIPTION OP THE BELLS, BY REV. W. HERBERT STENT, 



VICAR. 



One of the most interesting features of this church is its ancient 

 bells. Three of them are probably coeval with the top part of the 

 tower. They bear the following inscriptions, the spelling of which 

 is, I am led to understand, evidence of their antiquity : 



>0 goto, 

 torn 



TENOR. + $u <fe <fde gi 

 TREBLE. FEARE GOD. I. W. 1621. 



The stern command on this last bell bears witness to the different 

 spirit that had come over the country and the Church in the 17th 

 century. The initials I. W. are said to proclaim it the work of 

 John Wallis, the famous bell-founder, of Salisbury. Rubbings of 

 the inscriptions may be seen by those who do not care to climb the 

 tower. 



To some, perhaps, of greater interest than the antiquity of the 

 belfry, will be the recent successful repair of the tenor bell by 

 Herr Ohlsson, of Lubeck, a Norwegian brazier. The bell was 

 cracked and had been condemned to the melting pot. But we 

 were most anxious to save it, and having heard of Herr Ohlsson, I 

 entered into communication with him. Numerous authorities on 

 bells prophesied failure. In the hope of saving this most interest- 



