From Leon, Spain, comes a seven: teenth century call bell from a bishop's palace. "It be ither side the episcopal insignia and has an unreadable inscription in Latin.
spring attached to it suggests that at some period of its history: it was used as an alarum bell over 'a door, \Alarum bells were placed over the entrances to houses and shops so. that thieves could not enter without alarming the household. A sixteenth century bronze alarum bell on a curved spring from the house of Michelangelo, in Florence, was purchased directly from his descendants. 'Two smaller lorum bells similar to the Miche angelo bell came from the Cap-puccini Church in the Piazza Barberini, Rome. Originally they' hung from one of the vaulted chapels under the church where the skeletons of the defunct monks are kept garbed in the brown robes of their order, each with his name pasted on his skull. An earlier' alarum bell of more pleasant association came from one of the oldest houses in Chaucer's Canterbury and is of the fifteenth century.
Of sad memory is the brass ship's bell which once rung out the hours: on one of, the transports which was sent out from Boston in 1755, to convey the Acadians from Scotia to various American colonies. These gentle French people were the ce-patriots of Evangeline, Longfellow's chusetts comes another old bell, a. watchman's rattle, which was used in the eighteenth century in Salem.
Reminiscent of the stirring days of the early' part of the revolution. ary war is a bell from Bedford, Europe as early the eighth Mi century bells were dedicated with religious ceremonies, were exercised to free them from evil spirits, and names were often given them. At somewhat later date their ring~ ing was supposed to drive away evil spirits, pestilence and storm Being thus made a part of religious worship they were designed and ornamented by the best artists and craftsmen of the times. These early. ecclesiastical bells were decorated with crosses, likenesses of dignitaries of the Church, scone from the Bible and sometimes birds, animals and flowers. There are many altar, church, prayer and bishop's bells in the Mission Inn collection.
Possibly the most historically important of these is the earliest dated Christian bell. Tt was. procured from the bell founders who east "Big Ben," the largest clock tower bell in the world. A translation of the Latin inscription on the Spanish bell reads: James, Jesus Christ, Mary: Quintana' and Salvs dor made me in the year of our Lord 1247." The James mentioned is St. James the patron saint of Spain. According to old legends he often appeared in the sky mounted on a white charger and tured the tide of battle to victory for the Spanish in their many contests with the Moors. When this bell was cast, Louis IX. of France. was malig ready to lead his followers forth on the sixth crusade, Magna Charta of England had just been granted and America Was dreamed of.
Another early Spanish, Dell is dated 1317 and was made Zazagoza, Spain. It is made of iron and is inscribed in Latin: "Hail Mary, full of Grace.". "The, uneven quality of the Gothic ' letters Betrays the fact that they were made separately and then attached the core of the bell-mold—an unusual process.
Less important but quite as interesting is the slinge old brass cowbell. which once belonged to which has the following engraved on it: "This bell was rung on the morning of the nineteenth day" of "April, 1775, to arouse the people and farmers and tell them that Paul Revere had brought news that the British army' was coming to destroy stores of ammunition at Concord, Mass., and to attack them at Lexington, and there they met the foe. Here com: menced the revolutionary war in' the early morning hours."
No collection would be complete without at least one example which ame over in the Mayflower, so:
quite appropriate that the only cow bell which journeyed Inden barque has been jon Inn collec-Tt is supposed to have graced the neck of the first Pilgrim cow.
A much traveled bell is hand-wrought horse bell, which was: made in England in 1826, From there it was taken to Providence, R. TI. In 1840 it was caryled by horse across the Allegheny -Mountains to Steuben string of twenty-two sleigh bells made in France about seventy fi years ago are similar to the bells universally used in early nineteenth century in the tern States. Of somewhat the type is the string of seven freighter's bells which were used on the lead mule of a long string of mules in the early California days. These bells were important, fadjonets to travel in the days of '49 for their cheery jingle kept the mules fiom becoming frightened at sudden roadside noises.
'Bells wore as' universally, used in the Orient.as in the Occident and were important appanages of the Buddhist church. in India, China, Japan and Korea." There are many: fine examples of these bells. in the Mission Inn, collection, but possibly the rarest and earliest. is a bowl shaped Japanese gong. of ext ordinary size. When translated the Japanese inscription about the rim reads: - "Given: to the. temple at Zehko by Honda Yoshimitsu, on-an of its characteristics. It is a brave fish, endowed with great energy and endurance and possesses a couragcous fighting spirit. Besides the Grass bell withthe pendant carp there ave several others intimately connected with the Boy's Feast.
From China comes an old bronze temple bell decorated with dragons.
dates from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1643), and has an inscription in old Chinese characters about its bow. An old twelfth century sweet-toned lamb's bell hun originally in the great Buddhist Monastery at Jantzi, Tibet, and called the monks to their devotions. It is elaborately decorated with an eagle claw, the Goddess of Mercy fand a design of lotuses. About the shoulders runs an old Sans prayer.
The Chinese have made notable clever enormous Peking bell is the largest: hhung bell in the world. It is said that Chinese bells never crack be-ensue they leave a hole at the top to allow for the expansion and contraction of the metal from which the bell is made. The Peking bell has such a hole, covered with a slot at the top of' the bell. In 1863 there was unfortunately destroyed Nanking, one of the wonders of the world, a great nine storied porcelain tower from which depended seventy-two brass and eighty porcelain bells whose sweet notes sounded continually.
Mission Inn collection isa small, brass one beautifully made and: decorated with medallions showing the heads of William ani Mary.
Many of the inscriptions on the old bells are most curious. An old" Russian drosky bell has this amus~ ing admonition on its sound bow:—Drive with him; don't be stingy; smoke; be merry." Inscribed on, the Great Bell of Schaffhausen is. this announcement:—I call the, Living—I mourn the Dead—I break. Lightning—" which recalls the fact, that bells wore first defense against lightning in the, tenth century by order of the superstitious Pope John IX.
Some sage advice is usually inscribed on bells from the Orient such as "Wisdom is better than wealth." A Han Dynasty bell bears this inscription: "The bell, that indicates the blessings that to posterity from their, service!
Bells, bells, bells, 540 bells. Hate shaped, pear-shaped, beehive-shaped, conical, spherical, and spire-shaped. Bells wrought after the form of
mented bells, Pensant's bells and Plain bells, richly orna-. nobles" bells." Great booming. bells,: tiny tinking' silvery bolls. What a history of life and death, peace and. war, home and foreign lands is wrapped up in the Mission Inn col lection of bells, Fe Ehitfon with tone. sleeved Bolero. "The, large black straw That has beige face trimming bells and is reported to be the earliest dated Japanese bell.
Two exceedingly rare ancestor-calling bells are made of white Choseki stone and are almost] square in shape. They are inscribed Yeki Suzu" and in the lower! corner of each are three saki cups. Suzu means a tiny bell and Yeki a station. The three saki cups possibly refer to a wedding custom and probably mean "may the sweet and sacred happiness of the wedding time be yours." On the box containing these bells is recorded, "The ancient Mootori gave in perpetual inheritance to his family these two bells of Fuchin shape.... " Mootori was one of Japan's most famous poets and lived from 1730 to 1801. In Japan it is customary to preserve in familiés.from generation to genera tion prayer bells for daily use at the family shrine. The Mootori bells are not Inter than the eighteenth century.
In Japan in the fifteenth century there developed the Cha-no-yn, or ces erenony Ae a founded on. the principles. of courtesy, purity, urbanity and -im-' perturbability and its observance Was fixed by an elaborate code of rules, In reality the Tea Ceremony, was 2 gathering of connoisseurs for the. purpose of viewing works of art. There were elaborate. atfendant ceremonies.of -which tea Besides the many rare old bells from nearly every country there are several reproductions of famous. bells which are well worth noting. 'A small reproduction of the Liberty. Bell which rang out the Declaration of Independence July 8, 1776, from Independence Hall, Philadelphia, is perfect in every detail. The orig. inal Liberty Bell was cast in 1762 by Thomas Lester in London, and was modeled after the St. Edward bell in Westminster Abbey. The model was cast in 1250 by Henry in memory of Edward the Confessor. The Liberty Bell was completed and hung in the State House in Philadelphia in September, 1752, but cracked the first time rung. Pass & Stow, Philadelphia bell founders, recast it in the same shape with the original inscription, only substituting their name for that of the English firm.
The Great Bell of Moscow, the largest and heaviest bell in the world, is beautifully reproduced in miniature in solid brass. The "Tsarina Kolokol," or. Queen of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.