Music ML 1040 ''-4^«^. 4..,». -,\. H-. .^v>i^ #^.^^ •■;■ ..." A. ■»■ "$^\rL ^H: '»m k:f* 7^^l Cisi 3 1924 022 383 719 Cc \^/,"ry ''^> ^.A..^ MUSIC The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022383719 ^>f^ ^"JCt 2gr HISTORY OF BELLS, >- ' 4TSP ^mxx^im d- t|m' JtsnAtmt, AS P^Cairf^'A'C THE BELL ^^MJftDRY, -wwimmiwm.. BEPEINTED FROM "CASSELL'S MAGAZIli^/<0F kW:" tv REVISED UP TO PRESENT DATE. "J" „;; ; LOJI)TDON: CASSElill' FETTEE, AND GALPIE, fe LA BELLE SAUTAGE YAED, LUDGATE HILL, KG. t ii i' i ni.r MEARS &: STAINBANK, Prize Medallists at the Great Exhibition, and at Dublin, 1865. BELL, FRAME, &0. ABtoik. BWTieel. C Wheel Brace. D Btwy. tSKAer. F Cluster. G Frame. H Boiler. Musical Hand-Sells in Sets &om One to Seren-and-a-half OctareB. A HISTOEY OF BELLS, AND DESCKIPTION OF THEIE MATSTUFACTURE. It may be as well to state at once, that for much of what follows we are indebted to an amusing and well-written little book, by the Rev. Alfred Gatty, Vicar of Ecclesfield, entitled " The Bell ; its Origin, History, and Uses." The author of this work has, with much patient ingenuity, traced the history of "The crazy old cliiircli clook And the hewildering chimes"" and shown in what numerous ways the bell is mixed up with our- social life. / The music of bells is of a very venerable and old-fashioned -\ character^ and from the earliest ages of the world has been used in y vario us religiou s and other ceremonials. It is a matter of d oubt '^ ""wEen bells were''Es|2SB33B2MiZHOC^.Jiniju6stionable that they are very ancient. Their origin must be soughtforui the records of Egypt, the mother_of ^^lons. Recent discoveries have made it apparent that the bell was known to the inhabitants of Assyria, Etruria, and China; and Thompson, in his "Etymons of English Words," says, under the article " Bells," that long before they were known .JijJn^T°-^-^''y WT"" in_^use in Hindoo temples to frighten away evil spirits. Be this as it mayV'we"have ceitein record that ' Kol1a=^gg^_iV_grnjg|] >ia.Tirl nnrl n ma.TnRTita,1 bells — ^were in use among the Israelites. In the writings of Moses we have mention of the "belEof gold" with which the dress of the high priest was adorned — " a golden bell and a pomegranate upon the hem of the robe round about;" that when Aaron disappeared from the sight of the wor- shippers within the veU of the temple, the ringing of the bells upon his robe might be an intimation to them that he was still living in tte Divine presence. Again, in Zecliai-iah xiv. 20, there is mention of bells as forming part of tlie harness or decoration of horses ; and it is suggested by Mr. Gratty that even Tubal Cain, the sixth in descent from Adam, "an instructor 'of every artificer in brass and iron," might have scooped the sounding metal into some species of bells. These small bells were, it appears, attached to the garments of Hebrew women, virgins, and boys, as well as to the pontifical robes. It seems, indeed, that small toy-like bells have been used in the service of religion from the earhest times ; and prefixed to an old MS. edition of the Psalms of David, believed to be of the fourteenth century, is an illuminated representation of the " sweet singer of Israel," sitting before a small wooden frame, playing upon a row of bells with little hammers. This representation mnst, however, be considered rather as an illustration of the illuminator's own time, than as any authority for beheving that hand-bells such as those i-epresented were ever in use among the Hebrews. The Greeks and. Romans probably derived their knowledge of bells from the Egyptians, the first colonisers of Europe. The royal costumes of the shahs of Persia were also decorated with golden bells ; and there is reason to believe that, in the decoration of mules and horses, as well as on the garments of the nobility of various nations, small bells were used long before the Christian era. But not only in reUgions ceremonies was the bell anciently employed, ^schylus and Euripides inform us that the Greek war- riors had small beUs concealed within, the hoUows of their shields ; and that when the captains went their rounds at the camp at night, each soldier was required to ring his bell, in order to show that he was awake and watchful at his post. BeUs were both Bacchic and mystic, as may be seen by reference to the ancient marbles in the British Museum; and it was from their use in the celebration of the mysteries that Plutarch endeavoured to show that the Jews worshipped Bacchus. In the triumphal entries of conquerors bells have also played important parts. They were hung as emblems and ornaments on the car of the warrior — as on that which conveyed the body of Alexander from Babylon to Egypt, as described by Diodorus Siculus; they were in nse in the islands of the Archipelago to announce the opening of the markets, even as now ; they were employed, as we learn from PlufcaTOh, to detect and prevent -tlie eacapo of tlic unhappy Xauthiaus. When the city of Xanthus was besieged, some of the inhabitants tried to escape by swimming and diving through the river ; biit nets, with small bells attached, were spread across the stream under the water, and by the ringing of the bells each capture was announced. In later times we findJhat_Jhe_j;airBiejlte._of the chief men aud N^ civil officers^among th£German3_wexe.,ilfiCca:ated.:with bells. They j came, too, ^n time, Jo„bej:gga)aied.-as the messengers of sorrow as ) lv^t3i£<)K^J5yIaad^^^.^#- , ^ ^^^% ^' ' /^ffi :^fj -/'.^^.ly,- ^:i >v^' :r^' <* .:■ ^' ^'S^v .:* "i«i^*4 ^:.." r*-*/>i^.f*:,'^^' -^.1-