The bell-ringers take themselves with an absurd seriousness, which has not nowadays the least excuse. The exercise may have been accounted a useful and a pious one when bell-ringing was supposed to exorcise devils, or at the very least of it, to remind the faithful that the hour of prayer was come; but now that clerical advanced critics of the Scriptures themselves deny the existence of the Devil himself and all his imps, and impugn the inspired character of the Bible, and now that every one can afford a watch and ascertain the hour for himself, the greater part of the church bells in this country could be broken up and sold for old metal, to the profit of the church, and the joy of the laity. [Illustration: CURIOUS ARCHWAY, DUNSTER CHURCH.] A battered, and now in parts barely legible, old board hangs in the belfry of Dunster church, showing how very seriously these ringers have always taken themselves. Somewhat similar versified rules may be occasionally found in various places throughout the country: You that in Ringing take delight Be pleased to draw near; These Articles you must observe If you mean to ring here. And first, if any Overturn A Bell, as that he may, He Forthwith for that only Fault In Beer shall Sixpence pay If anyone shall Curse or Swear When come Within the door, He then shall Forfit for that Fault As mentioned before. If anyone shall wear his Hat When he is Ringing here, He straightway then shall Sixpence pay In Cyder or in Beer. If anyone these Articles Refuseth to Obey, Let him have nine strokes of the Rope, And so depart away. It will be observed that the fines inflicted were applied to the purchase of beer and cider, and no doubt the misdemeanours were invented for the purpose of providing a constant supply of drink to the thirsty ringers. We may, perhaps, dimly envisage the wrath of the rest when one of their number, having offended, refused to pay his sixpence. “Nine strokes of the rope” were not too bad for him who refused to contribute towards quenching their thirst; and they were probably laid on with a will! Prominent in the picturesque street of the quiet old townlet is the Yarn Market, a stout, oak-framed building, quaintly roofed, whose name recalls the time when Dunster was a cloth-weaving town, producing kerseymeres and goods named after the place of origin, “Dunsters.” It was built in 1609, by George Luttrell. The initials of another George Luttrell, his nephew, and the date 1647 are to be seen on the weather-vane; evidence of the repairs effected after the siege of 1646. [Illustration: THE “NUNNERY,” OR “HIGH HOUSE,” DUNSTER.]