Tintinnalogia

Wherein Is laid down plain and easie Rules for Ringing all sorts of Plain Changes .
Together with Directions for Pricking and Ringing all Cross Peals ; with a full Discovery of the Mystery and Grounds of each Peal.
As Also Instructions for Hanging of Bells , with all things belonging thereunto.
by a Lover of that ART.
A. Persii Sat. V. Disce: sed ira cadat naso, rugosaque sanna,
LONDON , Printed for F.S. and are to be Sold by Tho. Archer , at his Shop under the Dyal of St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street , 1671.
Gentlemen,
I have seen a Treatise intituled, de Tintinnabulis —that is, of little Bells, the Language Latin, but pen'd by a Dutchman , being a Discourse of striking tunes on little Bells with traps under the feet, with several Books on several Instruments of Music, and Tunes prick't for the same; Then considering that the Well-wishers to either of them, took great pains to make plain the use of them, I thought it worth a Dayes labour, to write something on this Art or Science, that the Rules thereof
might not be lost and obscured to some, as the Chronicles before William the Conqueror, being given only by Tradition from Father to Son. Wherefore I humbly intreat you favourably to accept this small Treatise, as a foundation whereon may be raised a famous Structure; and if any one objects a fault, excuse it with the Ringing term— He was Over-bell'd —So you will much oblige him that is a Well-wisher to your Recreation,
Campanista.
THE ART OF RINGING.
It is an ancient Proverb with us in England (That Rome was not built in a day) by which expression is declared, That difficult things are not immediately done, or in a short time accomplished: But for the Art of Ringing , it is admirable to conceive in how short a time it hath increased, that the very depth of its intricacy is found out; for within these Fifty or Sixty years last past, Changes were not known, or thought possible to be Rang : Then were invented the Sixes , being the very ground of a Six score : Then the Twenty , and Twenty-four , with several other Changes . But Cambridge Forty-eight , for many years, was the greatest Peal that was Rang or invented; but now, neither Forty-eight , nor a Hundred , nor Seven-hundred and twenty , nor any Number can confine us; for we can Ring Changes , Ad infinitum . Although Philosophers say, No Number is infinite, because it can be numbred ; for infinite is a quantity that cannot be taken or assigned, but there is ( infinitum quoad hos ) as they term it, that is infinite in respect of our apprehension: Therefore a Ringers knowledge may seem infinite to dive so infinitely into such an infinite Subject; but least my Discourse should be infinite , I will conclude it, and proceed to the Peals following.