“Sancte Petre (or ‘Sancta Katerina’) ora pro nobis.” “Saint Peter,” or “Saint Katherine, pray for us.” By one founder, whose theology was somewhat confused, the Holy Trinity itself was similarly invoked-- “Sancta Trinitas ora pro nobis.” He should have said “miserere nobis,” “have mercy upon us,” as in our Litany. What are known as “leonines,” or rhyming hexameter verses, are also very popular, such as-- ~IN MULTIS ANNIS RESONET CAMPANA IOHANNIS~ “For many years let the bell of John resound.” ~VIRGINIS EGREGIE VOCOR CAMPANA MARIE~ “I am called the bell of Mary the excellent Virgin.” ~MISSI DE CELIS HABEO NOMEN GABRIELIS~ “I have the name of heaven-sent Gabriel.” ~VIRGO CORONATA DUC NOS AD REGNA BEATA~ “Crowned Virgin, lead us to realms of bliss.” ~SUM ROSA PULSATA MUNDI KATERINA VOCATA~ “I am the rose of the world, when struck, called Katherine.” Most frequent of all is the Angelic salutation (_S. Luke_ i. 28): ~AVE MARIA GRACIA PLENA DOMINUS TECUM~ sometimes found in an English form as-- “~HAIL MARY FUL OF GRAS~” (“Full of grace”). There are said to be altogether seventy different forms of dedication to the Blessed Virgin. She is by far the favourite saint with bell-founders, though S. Katherine (possibly on account of her emblem the wheel) was their special patron. On the whole the dedications correspond fairly to those favoured for churches; but we note that S. Andrew, S. James, and S. Paul, are rarely found, whereas S. Anne and S. Gabriel are more common. We must not expect to find bells necessarily dedicated to the patron saints of their churches; it is in fact exceptional, and possibly the name was determined by that of some guild or chantry. Where they are the same it is usually the tenor; but the old ring of five at S. Bartholomew, Smithfield, has the treble dedicated to that saint. Among texts of scripture are also found SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUM “Blessed be the Name of the Lord” (_Job_ i. 21). IESVS NAZARENVS REX IVDEORVM “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews” (_S. John_ xix. 19). BEATVS VENTER QVI TE PORTAVIT “Blessed is the womb that bare thee” (_S. Luke_ xi. 27). But such texts become commoner in the seventeenth century. An early post-Reformation example is at Hannington, Northants: LOVE HORTETH NOT (_Rom._ xiii. 10). [Illustration: _Plate 29._ RINGERS AT S. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL RINGING A PEAL ON NEW YEAR’S EVE ON THE TWELVE BELLS. (See page 75).] Sometimes a bell bears a prayer for its donor, or for his soul, as at Goring, Oxfordshire-- ~ORATE PRO PETRO EXONIENSE EPISCOPO,~ “Pray for Peter, Bishop of Exeter.” This was Peter Quivil, Bishop about 1290. Or at Bolton-in-Craven, Yorkshire-- ~Sc’e Paule, ora pro a’i’abus Henrici Pudsey et Margarete consorte sue~ “St. Paul, pray for the souls of Henry Pudsey and Margaret his wife.”