438 



BELL. 



Bell. rounds in camps, rung a little bell at the post of each 

 centinel, to keep him awake. We learn from Strabo 

 also, that in the Greek islands a bell was used to 

 announce the sale of provisions. By the Romans, 

 bells were employed for various purposes, and those 

 somewhat similar to our own. They warned the ci- 

 tizens of Rome that the baths, which there were 

 great and splendid edifices, were ready for use: as, ac- 

 cording to the regulations, they were open only at 

 certain hours. Thus Martial, in signifying that a 

 hand-bell might be an acceptable present, composes 

 these verses in lieu of it. 



TlNTINNABL'LUM 



Hcdde Pilam : tonat cex thcrmarur.i: ludere pergis * 

 Virgine vis sola lotus abire domum. 



Apophoreta, 163. 



They were hung at the gates of temples, as we 

 learn from Suetonius in the life of Augustus, Cum 

 dedicatam in Capito/io ccdem Tonanti Jovi assidue 

 Jrequeutarct, somnravit queri Vapitolinum Jovem cul- 

 tores sibi abduci seque rrxpondisse Tonantcm pro jaiu- 

 tore ei apposition: ideoque max tintinnabulis jaiti- 

 gium wdis redimivit quod ea fere januis dej cndebant: 

 andDio, speaking ot the same fact, says, Augustus orto 

 die tititinnabulum Jovi Tonanti appendit: bis enim 

 iintinnabulis Bannitores nocturni utunlur, ul si quid 

 usus sit significare possint. They were used in the 

 houses of the great, and also in the superstitions of 

 the people. 



It is uncertain when bells were first introduced in- 

 to the Christian church for sa<:red purposes, or for 

 congregating the flock to divine worship. The 

 signal for the hour of performing the latter was 

 in the Eastern churche6 anciently made by a rattle, 

 or beating on wooden boards with a hammer, which 

 was long retained. Jacobus de Vitriaco, alluding to 

 the Greek church, proceeds, wide cum omnes alii 

 orientate* pralati exceptis, duntaxat, Latinis annu- 

 fis et mitris pontificalibus non utantur : nee baculos 

 pastorales gestant in manibus nee ttsum habeant cam- 

 panarum, sed percussis baculo vcl matleo tabulis, po- 

 pulum ad ecctesiam solili sunt eongregare. Bells, 

 however, were used in the Greek church in 874, if 

 not earlier, and are reported to have been introduced 

 from Venice. Congregations might therefore be 

 assembled by other means than the sound of bells ; 

 and we know that at present, the hour of prayer, 

 among the Mahometans, who many times exceed the 

 Christians in number, is announced by a person from 

 the top of a tower. Flodoardus remarks, respecting 

 the use of trumpets in warning the devout, 



/Ere. tubas fuso attoltit qvibus agmine plcbis 

 Admoneat tavdci et vota referre Tonanti. 



An old author likewise tells us, that the signal for 

 divine worship was given by trumpets, sicrna quce 

 nunc per campanas dantur, olim per tubas (labantur. 

 And lie gives the following etymology of the word, 

 which we observe is not to be found among the clas- 

 sics : Hate vasa primum in kola Campania: sunt re- 

 pcrtce unde sic dicta : Majora quippe vasa dicuutur 

 campanae a Campanim regione : minores nolo: a civi- 

 late Nola Campania. Innocentus Ansaldus is of 

 opinion, that all signals of hours were anciently given 

 by trumpets, and that it was scarcely before the sixth 

 tentury that bells were used in churches. 



The period of introducing bells into the churches of 

 England is not completely ascertained. Bcde, in al- 

 luding to the year 6K), or near that time, says, au- 

 dnit subito in acre notion campanic son/im quo ad 

 orationes excilari vet conxocari sotcbant. After 

 that they probably became common, and were the 

 subject of pious donations, both here and on the con- 

 tinent. Turketulus, abbot of Croyland, who died 

 in 975, caused a very large bell to be made, and pre- 

 sented it to his abbey. It was called Guthlac. Hii 

 successor Egelricus also caused two large bells, cal- 

 led Bartholomews and Bettelmus, be made, two of 

 middle size called Turketulus and Tatwinus, and two 

 smaller called Pega and Bega. When the bell Guth- 

 lac was rung along with these, Ingulphus affirms 

 that such wonderful harmony was produced, that 

 there was no ringing in all England to be compared 

 to it. 



Thus we see, that bells bore certain names, which 

 has led to an animated contioversy, whether they 

 were baptized or not. Considering the extravagant 

 ceremonies, and superstitions of the Roman Catholic 

 faith, we apprehend that something very similar to 

 baptism may have been anciently used, more espe- 

 cially as we find an express injunction against it. 

 Yet those who have entered most keenly into the dis- 

 pute, deem it little less than sacrilege, that baptism, 

 which, in its pure acceptation, is a sacrament of re- 

 mission from original sin, should be bestowed on in- 

 animate substances. The ceremony used, if not bap- 

 tism in the strict sense, was undoubtedly consecra- 

 tion, or benediction, and at the same time a name 

 was given. The bishop performing the consecration 

 made five crosses, pronouncing these word*, sancti- 



Jicetur ct consecretur Domiiw, signuni i.stud, in no- 

 mi, ic patrisjilii et spiritus sanctus. In honorem sancti 

 A. Pax tibi. By this formula the bell was conse- 

 crated in honour of a certain 6aint ; but some of the 

 chronicles go further, and compare the ceremony to 

 actual baptism Signa quinquc : unum ex his mira- 

 bile in quo duo miilenaria metal/a: et sexcentce librae 



fuerunt cut imprimi jussit signum baptismi de olco et 

 chrismate facti: Sicut ordo deposcit ecclesiastic us et 

 lit vocarelur liobertus attribuerit spiritus sanctus. 

 In the Chronicon Montis Sereni it is said, that a 

 bishop Humbert consecrated a bell of fifty hundred 

 weight, calling it Petrouilla. Pope John XIII., in 

 968, consecrated a new bell of great size in the la- 

 teran, and gave it the name of John. All the more 

 remarkable bells were named, or had legends in- 

 scribed on them ; thus on one of two old bells ia 

 England, there is to be read : 



Flaic nova campana Margaretta est nominata ; 

 and on the other, in the same place, 



In multis mil resond campana Johannh. 



Such inscriptions were often in honour of some 

 saint, as if to remind the people of a sanctified name 

 when the bell was rung, or to render the saint propi- 

 tious to the donor and the flock. They expressed 

 the weight and quality of die bell, or the properties 

 which it possessed, and this sometimes led to the 

 elucidation of historical facts : In a tower of St 

 Peter's at Rome were five bells, most of which were 

 explanatory of some fact, and inscribed with several 



Bell. 



