70 



On Church Bells. 



to explain the mysterious terms in use to express the method of 

 effecting changes. "The Art of Change ringing, by Benjamin 

 Thackrah," and the " Elements of Campanologia, by Henry Hub- 

 bard," which to the uninitiated look like books of logarithmic tables, 

 will be found very useful by those who desire to know more of this 

 delightful subject. It may be sufficient to describe to you the 

 manner in which a bell moves, and its clapper acts during a peal. 

 Suppose the bell to be raised, with its mouth upwards, and its 

 clapper resting against the side of the bell at A ; and that the bell 

 is then set in motion in the direction acde. The clapper accom- 

 panies the bell until it is sent by the impetus away from it, and it 

 only strikes the opposite side when it arrives at the point r; and 

 reversing the revolution, it strikes at b. The velocity of the clapper 

 must depend of course upon the strength of the pull which sets 

 the bell in motion, and consequently in peal ringing, the time in 

 striking is regulated by the good ear of the ringer, who should have 

 perfect command over his bell. If he do not pull evenly, the 

 intervals will be uneven, and the music bad; and an even pull can 

 only be attained by frequent steady practice. 



I need hardly state that bell ringing requires extreme care to 

 prevent accidents. Any one who has handled the ropes knows this, 

 and accidents have frequently occurred. In June, 1778, a man of 

 the name of Lilley was drawn up by the rope at Doncaster, and 

 killed by the fall. In 1812, a boy sitting near a ringer was caught 

 by the rope, and so seriously injured that he died, and was buried 

 in the same grave with a brother who was drowned. On the grave 

 stone there is this quaint couplet : — 



" These 2 youths, were by, misforttm serounded, 

 One died of his wounds, and the other was Drownded." 



It is a very curious circumstance, and yet, I believe, purely 

 accidental, that the key notes of the several peals in Oxford, form 

 nearly all the notes of the chromatic scale. E. g., 



Christchurch D (vocal D). 



St. Mary's D (concert pitch). 



Merton E flat (rather flat). 



New College E flat. 



