1046 Traxsactioxs of the Americax Ixstitute. 



were the earliest patrons of the art. The stated services of the 

 churcli going on at all times of the day and night, made time-keeping 

 a most important object with them, and there is no doubt that they 

 did every thing to promote and encourage it, while at the same time 

 they had a holy horror of the least progress in astronomy. As late 

 as 1108 we read of the sacristian going out to observe the stars to 

 know at what time to awaken the monks to prayer ; and there is no 

 doubt that those who superintended the rude clocks of that early 

 period had a triple duty — first to watch the clock, next the stars, and 

 last of all, to guess at the time. 



Probably the first wheel clock running by Aveights erected in 

 England was at St. PauFs cathedral, London. We have not the 

 date of its erection, but among the records of the church for the 

 year 1286 is found the allowance to Bartholomo Orlogiario, tlie clock 

 keeper, of one loaf of bread daily for three-quarters of a year and 

 eight days, and also twenty bottae of measures of beer. On November 

 22d, 134i, there was an agreement made and signed between the 

 dean and chapter of the church and Walter, the "orgoner" of 

 Soutliwark, in relation to the rebuilding of this clock. This agree- 

 ment is written in very bad French ; but we find that Walter was 

 to be paid six livres sterling for doing the work, was to furnish 

 all the iron and brass, and was to have in return all of the useless 

 material contained in the old clock. It was to be furnished with 

 one dial, and the said Walter with four others were severally pledged, 

 with their heirs and executors and all their goods, that it should be 

 a good clock. By the reading of this document we infer that the 

 first clock had no dial, and only tolled out the hours. Very many 

 of the early clocks had no dials. St. Vedast's, in Foster Lane, 

 London, and the Litchfield and Petersborough cathedrals have face- 

 less clocks. There is now at Leeds Castle, Kent, a clock of the 

 sixteenth century comj^lete in all respects, but without dial works. 

 There was also one at Doncaster ; and a butcher church warden con- 

 ceived tlie pious notion of placing a dial on it in such a position that 

 it could only be seen from his shop door. But I am digressing and 

 we will go back to St. Pauls, for here we find the first striking 

 automata, called to tliis day " Paul's Jacks." These were life-sized 

 figures standing along side of the bell with battle axe, hammer or 

 club, according to the design, which at the proper time struck the 

 hours. Much has been written about " Paul's Jacks," and partieu- 

 hirly about those at St. Duiistau's, in Fleet street, Loudon. The 



