This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1845 Excerpt: ... last extremity. In order to this, she directs that when any one is passing out of this life a Bell should be tolled." The custom is sufficiently innocent, and may rest itself upon those "charitable inducements," which, in the eloquent language of Sir Thomas Brown, so pressingly urge us, that we " can scarce contain our prayers for a friend at the ringing of a Bell." The church of Rome, indeed, pushed this as it did all similar usages, within the verge of superstition; and Durand, in his Rationale, has given instructions and reasons forvarious performances on the passing Bell, all of which we do not fully understand, but at most of which we may be forgiven for smiling. For a dying woman two strokes are to be tolled, pro eo puod ipsa invenit Asperitatem. Primo enim fecit hominem alienum a Deo, quare secunda dies non habnit benedictionem. For a man it is to be tolled thrice, because the Trinity was first revealed in him; for Adam was formed from the earth, Eve from Adam, and the future generations of mankind from both conjointly; so that herein is an emblem of the Trinity. For an Ecclesiastic it is to be tolled as many times as he has orders. In several parts of England, vestiges of this Popish custom are said still to remain, though with different proportions in the numbers. Nine knells are tolled for a man, six for a woman, and three for a child. In other places also, especially in our Universities, a Bell is rung at six every morning, probably to call the artisans to labour, and at eight or nine in the evening. The last may be derived from the Norman curfew. Durand has assigned the following names and places to the several Conventual Bells. The Squilla is properly rung in Triclinio, i. e. Refectorio; Cymbalum, in Claustro; Nola, in... |