By the Rev. W. C. Lukis. 



71 



Magdalen E natural. 



Carfax F. 



St. Mary Magdalen . . F. 



St. Michael's F sharp (rather flatter than St. Giles') . 



St. Giles's F sharp. 



All Saints G (rather flat). 



St. Aldate's A flat. 



St. Peter's in the East A natural. 



Holywell B flat. 



Oxford possesses three fine peals of ten bells, viz., at Christchurch, 

 New College, and Magdalen ; and in the last century, and up to 

 1827, had a corps of gallant youths who took intense delight in the 

 science of ringing. I have the record of a series of musical exploits, 

 ranging over a space of one hundred and twenty years, with the 

 name of every man who took part in each performance, and the 

 time in which it was accomplished. Such deeds deserve to be im- 

 mortalized. There are few arduous works in the present day to be 

 compared with that of ten stout-hearted men undertaking to ring 

 six thousand or seven thousand, or even ten thousand changes 

 without a mistake. On May 20th, 1734, six thousand eight hun- 

 dred and seventy-six changes were rung at New College in four 

 and-a-quarter hours. On April 19th, 1742, at Magdalen, ten 

 thousand changes were started for, but after ringing seven thousand 

 in fine style, the bob-caller by mistake brought the bells round in a 

 little more than four hours. On Easter Monday, March 27th, 1815, 

 at New College, ten thousand and eight Grandsire Caters were 

 rung in six hours and forty-two minutes. Highworth, in Wiltshire, 

 produced some good ringers at that time, and in 1787, Dec. 29th, 

 they rung the whole peal of five thousand and forty changes, 

 Grandsire Triples, (Holt's method) in three hours and fourteen 

 minutes, which was the very first time they ever attempted to ring 

 this peal. It is recorded that forty thousand three hundred and 

 twenty changes were performed at Leeds, by thirteen men, in 

 twenty- seven hours ; one man ringing eleven, and another nine 

 hours ; and eight Birmingham youths rang fourteen thousand two 

 hundred and twenty-four changes, in eight hours and forty-five 

 minutes. Records of remarkable performances are no doubt 



