Time and Time-TellersBenson, James W., active 1857-1887
Philosophy
Time and Time-Tellers
Benson, James W., active 1857-1887
Clocks and watches
Whether the abbey horologe referred to was really a clock in our sense
of the term, or merely the bell rung by the monks at a certain hour
indicated by the clepsydra, is matter of conjecture, but the
probability is, that clockmaking had advanced sufficiently about this
time to have given rise to Chaucer's simile. Froissart speaks of a
famous clock which struck the hours, and was remarkable for its
mechanism, and which was removed in 1332 by Philip the Hardy, duke of
Burgundy, from Courtrai to his capital at Dijon.
After this date frequent mention is made of clocks in various
histories, some of which instruments remain even to the present day.
Dr Heylin thus describes a famous clock and dial in the Cathedral of
Lunden in Denmark. 'In the dial are to be seen distinctly the year,
month, week, day, and every hour of the day throughout the year, with
the feasts, both those which are movable and fixed, together with the
motions of the sun and moon, and their passage through each degree of
the zodiac. Then for the clock, it is so framed by artificial engines
that whensoever it is to strike, two horsemen encounter one another,
giving as many blows apiece as the bell sounds hours, and on the
opening of a door there appeareth a theatre, the Virgin Mary on a
throne with Christ in her arms, and the three kings or Magi (with
their several trains) marching in order, doing humble reverence, and
presenting severally their gifts,--two trumpeters sounding all the
while, to adorn the pomp of the procession.'
The clock at Hampton Court is one of the most ancient in England, but
all that remains of the original structure is the dial and work
connected with it, facing the east, in the second court of the old
part of the building erected by Wolsey. Of the ancient body or works
there is no record, and its maker is unknown, but it bears the
initials N.O. and the date 1540.
There is a celebrated antique clock at Strasburg which is described as
striking the quarter-hours by four figures, symbols of the ages of
man;--the first being struck by a child with an apple, the second by a
youth with an arrow, the third by a man with a staff, and the fourth
by an old man with a crutch, then came Death, who struck the hour, and
thus reminded the observer that his last hour would eventually arrive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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