Bearing on this theme may be included particulars of a bell formerly rung at Louth when the harvest on the "Gatherums" was ripe. "A piece of ground so called," writes Mr. North, "was in former times cultivated for the benefit of the poor. When the 'pescods' were ripe, the church bell was rung, which gave warning to the poor that the time had arrived when they might gather them; hence (it is said) _gather 'em_ or _gatherum_." From the church accounts is drawn the following: "1536. Item for Knyllyng the bell in harvest for gatheringe of the pescods iiijd." Similar entries occur in the books of the church. An inscription on a bell at Coventry, dated 1675, states:-- "I ring at six to let men know When to and fro' their work to goe." At St. Ives a bell bears a pithy inscription as follows:-- "Arise, and go about your business." The bells of Bow are amongst the best known in England, and figure in the legendary lore as well as in the business life of London. Every reader is familiar with the story of Dick Whittington leaving the city in despair, resting on Highgate Hill, and hearing the famous bells, which seemed to say in their merry peals-- "Turn again, Whittington, Thou worthy citizen, Lord Mayor of London." In 1469, an order was given by the Court of the Common Council for Bow bell to be rung every night at nine o'clock. Nine was the recognised time for tradesmen to close their shops. The clerk, whose duty it was to ring the bell, was irregular in his habits, and the late performance of his duties disappointed the toiling apprentices, who thus addressed him:-- "Clerk of Bow bell, With thy yellow locks, For thy late ringing Thy head shall have knocks." The clerk replied:-- "Children of Cheape, Hold you all still, For you shall hear Bow Bell Ring at your will." The foregoing rhymes take us back to a period before clocks were in general use in this country. The parentage of the present clock cannot be traced with any degree of certainty. We learn that as early as 996, Gerbert, a distinguished Benedictine monk (subsequently Pope Sylvester II.), constructed for Magdeburg a clock, with a weight as a motive power. Clocks with weights were used in monasteries in Europe in the eleventh century. It is supposed that they had not dials to indicate the time, but at certain intervals struck a bell to make known the time for prayers.