ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS 231 



of the Knoxian period, the 8 o'clock bell marking the 

 commencement of the Header's Service, who at that hour 

 took his place in the " Lettern," and began the reading 

 of Knox's Book of Common Order, followed often by the 

 Ten Commands, and Apostles' Creed. At 9 a.m., the 

 preacher came, and entered the pulpit. 



Ladies and Gentlemen, did time not impose her 

 iron fetters, I would ask you to follow me further afield, 

 but enough I trust has been said to show the importance 

 and interest of my theme. 



" O ! what a preacher is the time-worn Tower, 

 Reading great sermons with its iron tongue." 



The tide of architectural revival has not yet reached 

 the Bell Tower. Antiquarian zeal readily casts its 

 protecting shield over Fonts, Church Plate, Mural Monu- 

 ments. Such things catch the eye. The bells, unhappily 

 for themselves, are hid away in picturesque, but too 

 often neglected and crumbling belfries, where no eye 

 ever rests, no foot ever treads, save that of the heritors' 

 slater, on his annual round. No doubt, however, their 

 day is coming, and then these venerable relics of the 

 past will receive the attention which they merit. 

 Meanwhile, it is assuredly one of the functions of a 

 Club like ours to form public opinion. As so many 

 " detached sentinels from the army of science,'"-^ let us seek 

 to guard these, and all other public antiquities, from 

 " everything which would anticipate the inevitable wear of 

 time." Why should not that be accomplished for the 

 Merse and Teviotdale, which has already been so success- 

 fully done for Kincardineshire,^'^ not to mention over 

 twenty English counties ? 



^Ber. Nat. Olab, President's Address, 1885. 



^' Vid. Church Bells of Kincardineshire by F. C. Eeles, F.S.A. Scot., 

 to whom I am indebted for ranch valuable advice and information. 



