"Men's death's I tell by doleful knell; Four of the bells of the ancient Abbey of Hexham were dedicated or baptised; and although the old bells no longer exist, the legends upon the whole six have been preserved, and a free translation given by Mr. Wright, is as follows: 1. Even at our earliest sound, The light of God is spread around. 2. At the echo of my voice, Ocean, earth and air, rejoice. 3. Blend thy mellow tones with mine, Silver voice of Catherine! 4. Till time on ruin's lap shall nod, John shall sound the praise of God. 5. With John in heavenly harmony, Andrew, pour thy melody. 6. Be mine to chant Jehovah's fame, While Maria is my name. These epigraphs or legends on bells, are not uncommon. The Rev. W. C. Lukis, in his notices on church bells, read at the Wilts Archæological Meeting, gave the following instances: At Aldbourne, on the first bell, we read, "The gift of Jos. Pizzie and Wm. Gwynn. "Music and ringing we like so well, And for that reason we gave this bell." On the fourth bell is, "Humphry Symsin gave xx pound to buy this bell, A not uncommon epigraph is, "Come when I call To serve God all." At Chilton Foliatt, on the tenor, is, "Into the church the living I call, At Devizes, St. Mary, on the first bell, is,— "I am the first, altho' but small. And on the second bell is, "I am the second in this ring, Which, at Broadchalk, is thus varied : "I in this place am second bell, On the third bell at Coln is, "Robert Forman collected the money for casting this bell At Bath Abbey, on the tenth bell, is,— "All you of Bath that hear me sound, On the fifth bell at Amesbury is,— And, on the tenor, At Stowe, find, "Be strong in faith, praise God well, "Altho' it be unto my loss, I hope you will consider my cost." Northamptonshire, and at St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford, we "Be it known to all that doth me see, At St. Michael's, Coventry, on the fourth bell, is, "I ring at six to let men know When to and from their work to go." On the seventh bell is, "I ring to Sermon with a lusty bome, That all may come and none can stay at home." On the eighth bell is- "I am and have been called the common bell At St. Peter's-le-Bailey, Oxford, four bells were sold towards finishing the tower, and in 1792 a large bell was put up, with this inscription:— "With seven more I hope soon to be For ages joined in harmony." But this very reasonable wish has not yet been realized; whereas at St. Lawrence's, Reading, when two bells were added to form a peal of ten, on the second we find "By adding two our notes we'll raise, And sound the good subscribers' praise." The occasion of the erection of the Westminster Clock-tower, is said to have been as follows:-A certain poor man, in an action for debt, being fined the sum of 13s. 4d., Radulphus Ingham, Chief Justice of the King's Bench, commiserating his case, caused the court roll to be erased, and the fine reduced to 6s. 8d., which being soon after discovered, Ingham was amerced in a pecuniary mulet of eight hundred marks, which was employed in erecting the said bell-tower, in which was placed a bell and a clock, which, striking hourly, was to remind the judges in the hall of the offence of their brother. This bell was originally called Edward; but," says a writer in the "Antiquarian Repertory," "when the Reformation caused St. Edward and his hours to be but little regarded; as other bells were frequently called Tom, as fancied to pronounce that name when stricken-that at Lincoln, for instance, and that at Oxford-this also followed the fashion, of which, to what I remember of it before it was hung up, I may add another proof from a catch made by the late Mr. Eccles, which begins 66 Hawkins, in his "History of Music," says,-"The practice of ringing bells in change, or regular peals, is said to be peculiar to England: whence Britain has been termed the ringing island. The custom seems to have commenced in the time of the Saxons, and was common before the Conquest. The ringing of bells, although a recreation chiefly of the lower sort, is, in itself, not incurious. The tolling of a bell is nothing more than the producing of a sound by a stroke of the clapper against the side of the bell, the bell itself being in a pendant position, and at rest. In ringing, the bell, by means of a wheel and a rope, is elevated to a perpendicular; in its motion, the clapper strikes forcibly on one side, and in its return downwards, on the other side of the bell, producing at each stroke a sound." There are still in London several societies of ringers. There was one called the College Youths (bell-ringers, like postboys, never seem to acquire old age). Of this it is said Sir Matthew Hale, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, was, in his youthful days, a member; and in the life of that upright judge, by Burnet, some facts are mentioned which favour this relation. In England the practice of ringing has been reduced to a science, and peals have been composed which bear the names of their inventors; some of the most celebrated of these were composed about fifty years ago by one Patrick. This man was a maker of barometers. In the year 1684, one Abraham Rudhall, of the city of Gloucester, brought the art of bell-founding to great perfection. His descendants in succession have continued the business of casting bells; and by a list published by them at Lady Day, 1774, the family, in peals and odd bells, had cast to the amount of 3,594. The peals of St. Dunstan's in the East, St. Bride's, London, and St. Martin's-in-theFields, are among the number. The following "Articles of Ringing " are upon the walls of the belfry in the pleasant village of Dunster, in Somersetshire. They are dated 1787 :— "1. You that in ringing take delight, Be pleased to draw near; "2. And first, if any overturn "3. If any one shall curse or swear He then shall forteit for that fault "4. If any one shall wear his hat He straightway then shall sixpence pay In cyder or in beer. "5. If any one these articles Let him have nine strokes of the BILL OF SALE FOR A NEGRO IN 1770. "Know all Men by these Presents, That I, Elizabeth Treat, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, widow, in consideration of the sum of £25 13s. 4d. to me in hand, paid before the ensealing hereof by Samuel Breck, of Boston aforesaid, merchant, the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, have granted, bargained, and sold, and by these presents do fully and absolutely grant, bargain, and sell unto the said Samuel Breck, my Negro man named Harry, aged about forty years, with his apparel, to have and to hold the said Negro man Harry, with his apparel, unto the said Samuel Breck, his executors, administrators, and assigns, to his and their only proper use, benefit, and behoof for ever; And I, the said Elizabeth Treat, for myself, my heirs, executors, and administrators, do covenant, that at the time of ensealing, and until the delivery hereof, I am the true and lawful owner of the said Negro man, and that he is free from all former sales, charges, and incumbrances whatsoever, and that I will warrant and defend the said Negro man unto the said Samuel Breck, his heirs, and assigns for ever, against the lawful claims and demands of all persons whomsoever. "Witness my hand and seal, this tenth day of October, Anno Domini, one thousand seven hundred and seventy, in the tenth year of His Majesty's reign Signed, sealed, and delivered in presence of us. "MARY WHITE. "ELIZABETH TREAT." THE AZTEC CHILDREN. Among the animated curiosities which are occasionally exposed to the gaze of the wonder-loving public, we may prominently notice the AZTEC CHILDREN-two singular Lilliputians who were recently exhibited throughout the kingdom. Maximo and Bartolo (for by these names the two Aztec children have been baptized) are by some medical men supposed to be of the respective ages of twenty-two and sixteen. Professor Owen, stated them to be ten or twelve, and seven or nine in 1853. The height of the boy (the elder is about three feet, and the girl does not reach quite two feet six inches. Their limbs, though slender, are proportionate and well formed, and the general development of their figures is remarkably graceful. The cranium is peculiar, being narrower than that of any other THE AZTEC CHILDREN, AS EXHIBITED IN ENGLAND. races of beings known to the world; and though the face is somewhat prominent, the features are regular and the countenances agreeable, and, after a short acquaintance, highly interesting. Each has a beautiful head of jet black hair, which flows gracefully in curls. They are lively and intelligent, showing considerable aptitude for mental training, and have already learned to give utterance to several expressions which can be readily understood by visitors. Since the arrival of these prodigies from the United States, they have been the objects of curious ethnological speculations. Dr. Latham does not consider them as a new species of the genus homo. Professor Owen regards them as instances of impeded development, and Dr. Conolly was struck with their resemblance to idiots. |