The speaker was Alexander Pope, and, in that age, from his judgment in criticism there was no appeal." {240} No reference to cotemporary testimony is given by these historians. Galt, in his _Lives of the Players_, Lond. 1831, does not notice the story. Pope was at Bath on the 4th of February, 1741, as appears from his letter to Warburton of that date; but as he mentions his intention to return to London, he may have been there on the 14th. That he was not in the pit we may be confident; that he was in the boxes is unlikely. His health was declining in 1739. In his letter to Swift, quoted in Croly's edition, vol. i. p. lxxx., he says: "Having nothing to tell you of my poetry, I come to what is now my chief care, my health and amusement; the first is better as to headaches, worse as to weakness and nerves. The changes of weather affect me much; the mornings are my life, _in the evenings I am not dead indeed, but sleepy and stupid enough_. I love reading still better than conversation, but my eyes fail, and the hours when most people indulge in company, I am tired, and find the labour of the past day sufficient to weigh me down; _so I hide myself in bed, as a bird in the nest, much about the same time_, and rise and chirp in the morning." I hope I have said enough to stop the farther growth of this story; but before laying down my pen, I wish to call attention to the practice of giving anecdotes without authorities. This is encouraged by the newspapers devoting a column to "varieties," which are often amusing, but oftener stale. A paragraph is now commencing the round, telling how a lady took a linendraper to a barber's, and on pretence of his being a mad relative, had his head shaved, while she absconded with his goods. It is a bad version of an excellent scene in Foote's _Cozeners_. H. B. C. Garrick Club. * * * * * WORKS ON BELLS. I have a Note of many books on bells, which may be acceptable to readers of "N. & Q." Those marked *, Cancellieri, in his work, calls Protestant writers on the subject. * Anon. Recueil curieux et édifiant sur les Cloches de l'Eglise, avec les Cérémonies de leur Bénédiction. Cologne, 1757. Barraud (Abb.). Notice sur les Cloches. 8vo., Caen, 1844. Boemeri (G. L.). Programma de Feudo Campanario. Gottingæ, 1755. Buonmattei (Ben.). Declamazione delle Campane, dopo le sue Cicalate delle tre Sirocchie. Pisa, 1635. Campani (Gio. Ant.). Opera. The frontispiece a large bell. Roma, 1495. Cancellieri (F.). Descrizione della nuova Campana Magiore della Basilica Vaticana. Roma, 1786. Cancellieri (F.). Descrizione delle due nuove Campane di Campidoglio beneditte del Pio VII. Roma, 1806, 4to. * Cave (G. G.). An Turrium et Campanarum Usus in Repub. Christ. Deo displiceat? Leipsiæ, 1709, 4to. Conrad (Dietericus). De Campanis. Germanice.