English Gilds. *

who gave a legacy of five pounds unto the said Company . And if any shall refuse to assist in ringing the same peale , warning being given by the said Master for the time being , he shall pay four pence . And if the Master and Wardens for

the time being shall neglect to give such warning , they shall , for such their neglect , forfeit and pay one shilling a piece to the said Company . 27 . Aud likewise for Mr . Isaac Elton , deceased , who left five pounds on the twenty second

day of November , under the like penalty . 2-8 . And likewise for Mr . Samuel Wyatt , deceased , who left five pounds , on the eight day of June , under the like penalty . 29 . Aucl likewise for Mr . George Escott , who

has given five pounds , on the twenty fifth day of April , yearly , ' under the like penalty . 30 . And likewise for Mi * . John Maddick , who has given four pounds , on the twenty fifth day of February , yearly , under the like penalty .

NOTE . —The true date of these Ordinances cannot be known . In Mr . Pocock ' s MS . volume , a number of dates are given , as those of copies made one after the other , and through which this copy lias come lineally down . The earliest of the copies

thus named is of the year 1620 . The internal evidence cariies the true date of the original ordinances to a much earlier time , though each copy has , of course , adapted the spelling to its own time . These ordinances bear eveiy characteristic

of those of gilds that can be identified as flourishing in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries . Even the amount of the fines , as well as other internal marks , carry back the date to the same time . In the Bristol Mirror of 7 th December ,

1822 , there appeared an account of a meeting of this gild , with the addition of what professed to be some of the ordinances . But the editor must have been made the victim of a hoax . What were thus printed have some likeness to some of those now

printed ; but they are very incomplete and inaccurate , aud are , moreover , disfigured by a fantastic spelling which the writer no doubt thought gave them an air of antiquity , but which , in fact , at once stamps them as spurious . Probably some

member of the gild who had seen the original ordinances , quoted those fragments of them from memory , and dressed them up in this fashion under the much mistaken notion that an indefinite multiplying of consonants and misplacing of vowels would make them pass for " early English . "

Mr . Pocock ' s MS . gives many further particulars as to this gild , including the names of the Masters and Wardens up till A . D . 1834 , and many fresh memoranda made and ordinances passed , from time to time , since 1620 . Of these , two may

be quoted ; the one of which shows that the gild admitted others than the usual class of mere Ringers ; while the other shows that this gild , like all the old gilds of any importance , was accustomed to have its annual feast day , with the obligation on

all the brethren , save such as were specially excused , to be present at the feast- They are as follows : — " Nov . IS , 1700 . Admitted Mr . James Hoilidge , late sherriffe , who paid his fine , 3 s . 8 d . ; and David Kinloch , Rector of Stephen Parish ,

who paid for his admittance 3 s . 4 d ., as allso 4 d . to the Sextone . Paid y ° Sextone Woman her dews , 2 . s . Received by y Company li . " — " 17 th November , 1701 . This day agreed , y'whereas a Bean-feast is annually held for y society of

Ringers , y every person of the society , being personally warned , and not giving a sufficient excuse to be allowed off by y s society for his not appearing att y" s feast , shall pay for such default one shilling , to be applyd towards y" discharge of y ° said feast . "

The fondness of the English people , through long ages , for music is well-known to all studentsof our history , though there is a vulgar error afloat to the contrary . * The ordinance of several gilds given in this volume have shown how the bretheren

and sisteren delighted to go in procession " with much music " [ multa melodia ] . But , besides this there were gilds formed for the express purpose of practising music . Warton gives an interesting account of one of those in his " History of English

Poetry . " J Bishop Percy mentions another in the Essay prefixed to the first volume of his 3 "Reliques . " § Among the returns made in