362 HISTORY OF COHASSET. 



some, and finally, in the year 1761, several persons by a 

 subscription purchased a bell, which was hung in the little 

 tower at the north end of the roof. The precinct thus 

 adopted the novelty, and six years later, 1767, they ordered 

 it to be enlarged by remelting and adding enough to bring 

 the weight to six hundred pounds. 



Even 'in regulating the order of service the voice of 

 the precinct ruled, as shown by the vote in 1767: "The 

 question was put whether the reading Line by Line in our 

 Singing in Divine Worship should be omitted for the 

 future: Passed in the Negative." Thus they held a little 

 longer to that old method ; the deacon would read a line 

 from a psalm and then the congregation would sing it 

 according to some tune before the next line was given. 



A few of the people had books in which the psalms 

 were printed in the form of rhymes, and in the back 

 leaves of the book there were thirty-seven different tunes 

 to which the psalms or other verses could be sung. 



Some of the tunes are still used in our churches ; for 

 example, Penitential Hymn, Veni Creator, Cambridge, 

 Sabbath, York, etc. 



The effect of rendering the psalms in rhyme may be 

 seen from the twenty-third psalm, which appears in the 

 following disguise : — * 



The Lord to me a shepherd is, 



Want therefore shall not L 

 He in the folds of tender grass, 



Doth make me down to lie. 



He leads me to the waters still ; 



Restore my soul doth he. 

 In paths of righteousness he will. 



For his name's sake lead me. 



*Tlie book used is now owned by A. H. Tower, and was formerly owned 

 (1742) by Rebecca AUyn, daughter of James Allyn. The book was printed in 

 London in 1725. 



