recreation of ringing," but strove to encourage it as a Science.

CURFEW BELL.

The custom of putting out their fires and lights about sun-set in Summer, and about eight o'clock at night in Winter, at the sounding of a Bell, called the "Couvre Feu," or "Curfew Bell," is supposed by some writers to have been introduced by WILLIAM the First, and to have been imposed upon the English as a badge of Servitude.20 But this opinion does not seem to be well founded. For there is sufficient evidence, that the same Custom prevailed in France, Spain, Italy, Scotland, and probably in all the Countries of Europe, at that period,—and was intended as a precaution against fires, which were then very frequent and very fatal, when so many houses were built of wood.21

20 Hume's Hist. of England, vol. i. p. 479.
21 Henry's Hist. of Brit. 4to. vol. iii. p. 567.

In 1513, ROGER LUPTON, the learned PROVOST of ETON, then Vicar of Copredy, in the County of Oxford, gave 67. 13s. 4d. to keep the Parish Clock in repair, and to ring daily both winter and summer, the Curfew and Day Bell.22

And, in 1691, JOHN CARY, of Woodstock, directed 10s. to be paid annually to the Clerk or Sexton, to ring the eight o'Clock Bell at night, for the guide and direction of Travellers.23

And it was during this dreary and wild state of the Country, that we find benefactions for the better maintenance of Herdsmen, to tend the cattle within the bounds of their Parochial limits.24

CANDLE-LIGHT.

It is curious to mark the progress of improvements, and to compare ancient contrivances with modern elegance.

22 Rep. XII. p. 187.

23 Rep. XII. p. 328.

24 Rep. vi. p. 45.-Rep. x. p. 357.

R

We are told that ALFRED the Great, in order that he might more exactly measure the hours, made use of burning tapers of equal length, which he fixed in Lanthorns,

-an expedient suited to that rude age, when the geometry of Dialling, and the mechanism of Clocks and Watches, were totally unknown.

In 1609, NICHOLAS SPICER granted certain lands and tenements to The Corporation of Exeter, in trust, to pay, among other disbursements, 40s. annually towards the better maintenance of Candle-light in the dark nights, between the feasts of All Saints and the Purification, to be placed in such convenient parts of the City, as to The Corporation should be thought meet, to give better light to people passing and going in the Streets,—and he also gave 6s. 8d. yearly to the night Bellman of the same City.25

In 1656, JOHN WARDALL gave to The Grocers' Company a tenement, known by the name of " The White Bear," in Wal

brook, to the intent that they should yearly pay to the Churchwardens of St. Botolph Billingsgate, 4l. to provide a good and sufficient iron and glass Lantern, with a candle, for the direction of Passengers, to go with more security to and from the water-side, all night long, to be fixed at the North-East corner of the parish of St. Botolph, from the feast-day of St. Bartholomew to Lady-day, — out of which sum, 17. was to be paid to the Sexton, for taking care of the Lantern.26

66

"Lantern and Candle-Light" was anciently accounted one of the " Cries" of London, being the usual words of " The Belman." It is mentioned as such in the following passage,

"Lanthorne and Candle light here

Maid, a light here.

Thus go the cries," &c.

HEYWOOD'S Rape of Lucrece.

Hence two tracts of DECKER'S had the

title of "Lanthorn and Candle-light," or "The Belman."-NARES.

26 Rep. vi. p. 276.

STREWING OF RUSHES IN CHURCHES AND GREAT HALLS,-AND PREACHING IN THE OPEN AIR.

Although the age of King HENRY the Eighth, when inspected at a distance, affords many scenes of Magnificence, yet when examined more closely, it is diversified with much simplicity of manners, and plainness or penury in the chief comforts of modern life.

The floors of their houses, composed of clay, were foul and loathsome,—and ERASMUS ascribes the frequent and destructive visitations of the Plague in England to the nastiness and dirt, and slovenly habits among the people. "The "floors," says he," are commonly of

clay, strewed with rushes, under which "lies unmolested an ancient collection of "beer, grease, fragments, bones, spittle, "excrements of dogs and cats, and every thing that is nasty."

66

>> 27

27 Epist. 432.