Their Origin and Use. 133 



were first founded by Oostman ; for the Irish 

 word Cloghached is taken from a foreign lan- 

 guage ; and, being a term of art, imports the 

 thing it signifies, must likewise be derived from 

 foreigners, as, if necessary, might be made to 

 appear by many instances. Now the, Irish word 

 does plainly own its etymology to\ Claga, a 

 German-Saxon word, that signifies a Hell ; from 

 whence we may have borrowed our modern 

 word a clock." " This appellation also shows 

 the end for which these towers were built for 

 belfries or steeples, wherein was hung a bell to 

 call the people to religious worship. But the 

 cavity or hollow place within being so narrow, 

 we must conclude the bell must needs be small. 

 Large bells are inventions of later times ; the 

 towers, better to let out the sound, and to 

 make the bell heard at a regular distance, 

 have all of them towards their summit free 

 openings or windows opposite to one another.'* 



After all that has been said, popular conjec- 

 ture connects these buildings with religious 

 worship to call the Monks from their cloisters 

 to matins and other duties. 



" This end, the calling the Friars, &c. to their 

 acts of devotion, was sufficiently answered by 

 such a bell as could be hung in a steeple of nine 



