12. During the whole Septuagesima, in the which Quadragesima [or Lent] is contained, on common days the bells be not chanted, nor chimed, but tolled, that is rung singly, at the hours of the day, or at matins. [Footnote 359] In well-ordered churches, they be struck twice at prime; first to call unto prayer, secondly to begin: three times at tierce, according to the number of hours then struck, {78} as was said above; once to call to prayer, twice to assemble them together, thrice to begin. In like manner it is done at sexts and nones. But for matins the same bells are rung and in the same order. For a mass or for vespers only two bells be rung. But in smaller churches they simply ring the bells as aforesaid, and this on the common days. But on Sundays and holy days, they chime them, as at other times. For because preachers who be figured by bells, do the more abound in a season of grace, and 'are instant in season,' therefore on festivals which pertain to grace, the bells do sound more pressingly and are rung for a longer time, to arouse those 'that sleep and be drunken,' lest they sleep beyond measure. But what is signified by the ringing of bells when the Te Deum is chanted we shall speak hereafter. [Footnote 360] [Footnote 359: It is to be remarked that throughout this chapter there is no allusion to ringing the bells by raising them and causing them to revolve on axes as practised in England. This and the beautiful science of bell-ringing consequent on it are peculiar to ourselves. The method of sounding the bells here understood is by a hammer acting on the rim, or by pulling the clapper, as is used with us for chimes, and where the bell frame is weak. This accounts for the much larger bells which are found abroad, and which were never meant to be poised and swung. Owing to the above difference between the Continental and English methods of bell-ringing, it is not easy to express the difference between _simpulsare, compulsare_, and _depulsare_. _Depulsare_ is to ring by tying a rope to the _clapper_ of a bell, and pulling the rope to and fro: we have accordingly translated it, to chant a _bell_. _Simpulsare_ is to ring by tying a rope to the hammer, and pulling it back; this we have translated _to toll_. Tolling is of course performed by swinging the bell round: but as there is no English word which expresses _simpulsare_, we thought it better to use an old term in a new sense, than to coin a new one. _Compulsare_ is to do to several bells what _depulsare_ is to do to one: and we have translated it to _chime_. _Pulsare_ we have translated _to ring_. It may be worthy of remark, how completely the ringing of the bells is here considered a part of the priest's office.] [End footnote]