Sons, of London, and was safely brought and delivered at its destination at Westminster; but from being so much struck for amusement while resting for some weeks in Palace Yard, previously to being hoisted into the tower, it was cracked, and had to be broken up and recast. Its weight was 16 tons 11 cwt. 2 qrs. 20 lbs., its height 7 ft. 10 in., and its diameter at the mouth 9 ft. 5 in.; the thickness of metal at the sound bow was 93 in.; the four quarter-bells weighed about 8 tons. In 1857 the present bell was cast by Mr. George Mears, of London, but of a less size, its weight being only 13 tons 10 cwt. 3 qrs. 15 lbs. Unfortunately, it is known to be slightly cracked, and this to some extent interferes with the full tone it ought to give out. There was formerly a "Great Tom of Westminster," which was sold for St. Paul's Cathedral in 1698; but as though he determined never to give out a sound of his voice away from his own place, as he was being conveyed by Temple Bar-the boundary of Westminster and London-he rolled off the carriage and was broken. In 1708 he was recast by Philip Wightman.

All these "big bells," however, pale into sheer insignificance when compared with the "Great Bell of Moscow," which, although it has nothing to do with my subject of English bells, may just be stated to weigh no less than 192 tons 2 cwt. 3 qrs. 14 lbs., and to measure 21 ft. in height exclusive of the cannons, and 63 ft. in circumference; and the

"New Bell," of the same city, which measures 21 ft. in height, and is 18 ft. in diameter.

The Sacring Bell was rung at the elevation of the host inside the church in England, by the constitutions of Cantelupe in 1240, as a warning of devotion; it was rung, first, by the serving boy or parish clerk while the elements were being blest, and at its sound the people knelt down whilst the host was elevated; the second time was during the crossing of the chalice with the host.

The Sanctus or Saunce Bell generally, but not always, hung in a small bell-cote at the apex of the gable, over the chancel arch outside the church. It was rung at the singing of the Ter Sanctus in the high mass, as a warning to those outside-to all whose ears it would reach-that the canon of the mass was about to commence, in order that the absent from daily mass, in house or field, might bow their knees at the sound; and it is said that his people would let their plough rest when George Herbert's saint's bell rang for prayers, that they might also offer their devotions to God, and would then return to the plough. The bell still in some places rung after matins is a relic of this sanctus bell.

Hand-bells, of which the sacring bell was one, were used for various offices of the Church besides in its ceremonies. Among these were visitation of the sick, for processional purposes, and at funerals. In the latter case acolytes walked beside the hearse

or body with a bell in each or in one hand, ringing as they went; and sometimes, as formerly at Oxford and other places, a bell was carried and rung before the corpse on its way to church.

on the tenor, with a then the tolling comFor a woman the same

The Passing Bell, even in medieval times peculiar to England, is tolled at the death of any person, the sex of the deceased being denoted by a certain number of strokes preceding the regular tolling. For instance, at Woodborough, three tolls thrice repeated for a man, and two tolls thrice repeated for a woman. At Winster, for a man three tolls are struck on the treble bell, then three on the second, then three on the third, then three on the fourth, and lastly three short pause between each; mences on the tenor bell. form is observed, but only two strokes are given on each bell. In some localities the age of the deceased is also tolled. The original use of the "Passing bell," or "Soul-bell," as it is sometimes called, was to keep away any evil spirits that might be hovering about, from taking possession of the departed soul, and so to "pass" it upwards, safe from abduction by the devil and his attendant imps, to the footstool of its Maker. It also served the purpose of reminding its hearers that a soul was "passing" away, and so called for their prayers in its behalf.

The Funeral Bell is generally rung for an hour before the appointed time of burial. It is usually the tenor bell which is tolled; and in some places,

immediately at the close of the service at the grave, the treble is rapidly rung until the mourners have left the churchyard.

The Sermon Bell, or "priest's bell," is the treble, at the end of the peal calling to morning service, rapidly rung from the moment the clergyman emerges from the vestry until he is seated in the reading-desk.

The Pudding Bell, as popularly so called, is the treble rapidly tolled at the close of morning service; so called because it is said to be intended to give notice to the housewives at home that they may put the dinners on the table by the time the congregation reach their homes!

The Curfew, which still "tolls the knell of parting day" in many of our country villages-long may the practice be continued!—is one of the most venerable of the bell institutions of our country. The Curfew bell (couvre feu) was introduced, or at all events enforced, in England by William the Conqueror. It was introduced at Oxford by Alfred the Great. It was rung at eight o'clock each night, and at its sound all lights were expected to be extinguished in every house; hence it was called Ignitegium. It was a wise law at the time; for, when the houses were mostly built of wood and light materials, it was a safeguard against conflagrations. The law was abolished by Henry I. in 1100, but the custom of tolling is still continued in many places.

Peal Ringing is peculiar to our own country, and

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its use in the Middle Ages earned for our land the name of the "ringing island." Change Ringing was not invented until quite late in the sixteenth or early in the seventeenth century. The first recorded society of ringers, the “Company of the Schollers of Chepeside," was enrolled in 1603, and was quickly followed by others.

Carillons, or chimes, where tunes are, at stated hours, played on a number of bells, are of old origin, and have of late years been added to many churches. The best, whether ancient or modern, arrangers and makers of carillons are Messrs. Gillet and Bland, of Croydon.