Hawkins, in his "History of Music," says,--"The practice of ringing bells in change, or regular peals, is said to be peculiar to England: whence Britain has been termed the _ringing island_. The custom seems to have commenced in the time of the Saxons, and was common before the Conquest. The ringing of bells, although a recreation chiefly of the lower sort, is, in itself, not incurious. The tolling of a bell is nothing more than the producing of a sound by a stroke of the clapper against the side of the bell, the bell itself being in a pendant position, and at rest. In ringing, the bell, by means of a wheel and a rope, is elevated to a perpendicular; in its motion, the clapper strikes forcibly on one side, and in its return downwards, on the other side of the bell, producing at each stroke a sound." There are still in London several societies of ringers. There was one called the College Youths (bell-ringers, like post-boys, never seem to acquire old age). Of this it is said Sir Matthew Hale, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, was, in his youthful days, a member; and in the life of that upright judge, by Burnet, some facts are mentioned which favour this relation. In England the practice of ringing has been reduced to a science, and peals have been composed which bear the names of their inventors; some of the most celebrated of these were composed about fifty years ago by one Patrick. This man was a maker of barometers. In the year 1684, one Abraham Rudhall, of the city of Gloucester, brought the art of bell-founding to great perfection. His descendants in succession have continued the business of casting bells; and by a list published by them at Lady Day, 1774, the family, in peals and odd bells, had cast to the amount of 3,594. The peals of St. Dunstan's in the East, St. Bride's, London, and St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, are among the number. The following "Articles of Ringing" are upon the walls of the belfry in the pleasant village of Dunster, in Somersetshire. They are dated 1787:-- "1. You that in ringing take delight, Be pleased to draw near; These articles you must observe, If you mean to ring here. "2. And first, if any overturn A bell, as that he may, He forthwith for that only fault In beer shall sixpence pay. "3. If any one shall curse or swear When come within the door, He then shall forfeit for that fault As mentioned before. "4. If any one shall wear his hat When he is ringing here, He straightway then shall sixpence pay In cyder or in beer. "5. If any one these articles Refuseth to obey, Let him have nine strokes of the rope, And so depart away." BILL OF SALE FOR A NEGRO IN 1770.