English Gilds. *

January , 1389 , there is one from the " Gild of the Minstrels and Players" of Lincoln . It has already been seen , in the ordinance of the Gild of St . Katherine of Stamford , how that most charming of all the forms of melody—the ringing of

bells in peal—was established , at least as early as 1494 , as one mark of honour to the memory of good-doers to the gild . This Bristol Gild of Ringers illustrates the same thing in a very striking manner . Where older gilds appointed placebo aud

direge to be said , with , sometimes , as in the case of Stamford , a peal of bells , this gild kept the anniversary of the death of g * ood-doers by the ringing of a special peal . The importance attached to church Bell-ringing ,

as a science , can be carried back , by the help of our English records , to an early date . In Stowe ' s ¦ " Survey of London " is the following passage : — "The same year [ 1244 ] the king [ Henry III . ] commanded the keepers of his works at

Westminster , that they should provide for the Abbot of Westminster one strong and good beam , to support the Bells of the king ' s gift ; and deliver the said beam to the sacristan . And the 39 th of the said king , he gave 100 shillings , by payment each half

year , to the brethren of the Gild at Westminster , and their successors , who were assigned to ring the great Bells there , to be paid out of his Exchequer , till the king can provide them the value of 100 shillings Land or Rent . " *

Several records are to be found in the Public Record Office as to these Westminster and other Bells . One , of 34 Henry III ., desires Edward Odsonto make a bigger bell than those he had made the year before ; and if he has not metal

enough , he must buy it ; He must not break up any of the old bells to get the metal : And the new Bell must be ready by the feast of Edward the Confessor . f Next year , Edward of Westminster ( no doubt the same who was , in the last year ,

-called the son of Odo ) is desired to make another Bell , to chime in harmony with the Great Bell of Westminster , though not so big . J Within a

month of the last date , the same Edward of Westminster is desired to buy two little Bells , and to , deliver them to the Constable of the Tower of London , to be hung in the Chapel there . § Four years later , letters patent , still extant in the Public

Record Office , were issued ( A . D . 1256 ) , granting , to the Gild of Ringers of Westminster , the ( for that time ) large yearly payment of a hundred shillings out of the treasury , until rents to that amount were settled upon theGild . || It is added

that these brethren shall have all the liberties and free customs which they have had , from the time of the Messed Edward , King and Confessor , until now . ** The antiquity of the Gild of Westminster Ringers is thus put beyond the reach of doubt .

Ancl " Big Ben " of Westminster proves to be only the young offspring of a very ancient race . Other examples might be given . Thus , Birmingham has long been famous for its peal of bells . The Gild of the Holy Cross paid "ffor keping the ~

clocke aud the chyme . " In 1552 , it was formally recorded that there were , in the old church of St . Martin ' s of Birmingham , " iiij Belles , with a clock and a chyme . " f And a piece of land was , some centuries ago , given to " Lenche's Trust , " which

has ever since been called " Bell-rope-croft . " and the purpose of which was , aud still is , that the income shall " be employed and disposed of for buying of Bell-Ropes for the said Church , and keeping the same in order from time to time . "

[ This will close our extracts from this very interesting work , which bears on every page evidence of the most learned and laborious research , and throws much previously unknown light upon the " manners and customs" of the Middle Ages .

Our extracts have run to a much gre ater length than we originally intended , but from their value we are sure no apology will be needed . ]