On the Ingenious Art of RINGING.

What Musick is there that compar'd may be
To well-tun'd Bells enchanting melody!
Breaking with their sweet sound the willing Air,
And in the listning ear the Soul ensnare;
The ravisht Air such pleasure loth to lose,
With thousand Echoes still prolongs each close;
And gliding streams which in the Vallies trills,
Assists its speed unto the neighbouring Hills;
Where in the rocks & caves, with hollow gounds,
The warbling lightsome Element rebounds.
This for the Musick: In the Action's Health,
And every Bell is a Wit's Common-wealth
For here by them we plainly may discern,
How that Civility we are to learn.
The Treble to the Tenor doth give place,
And goes before him for the better grace:
But when they chance to change, 'tis as a dance,
They foot A Galliard, à la mode de France.
An Eighteenscore's a figure dance, but Grandsire
Hath the Jig-steps! & Tendrings Peal doth answer
The manner of Corants: A plain Six-score,
Is like a Saraband, the motion slower.
When Bells Ring round, and in their Order be,
They do denote how Neighbours should agree;
But if they Clam, the harsh sound spoils the sport,
And 'tis like Women keeping Dover Court
For when all talk, there's none can lend an ear
The others story, and her own to hear;
But pull and hall, straining for to sputter
What they can hardly afford time to utter.
Like as a valiant Captain in the Field,
By his Conduct, doth make the Foe to yield;
Ev'n so, the leading Bell keeping true time,
The rest do follow, none commits a Crime:
But if one Souldier runs, perhaps a Troop
Seeing him gone, their hearts begin to droop;
Ev'n so the fault of one Bell spoils a Ring,
(And now my Pegasus has taken Wing.)

Upon the Presentation of
GRANDSIRE BOB
To the
COLLEDGE-YOUTHS,
By the
AUTHOR
Of that PEAL.

Gentlemen of the Noble Crew
Of Colledge-Youths, there lately blew
A wind, which to my Noddle flew
(upon a day when as it Snew;)
Which to my Brains the Vapors drew
And there began to work and brew,
'Till in my Pericranium grew
Conundrums, how some Peal that's New
Might be compos'd? and to pursue
These thoughts (which did so whet and hew
My flat Invention) and to shew
What might be done, I strait withdrew
Myself to ponder—whence did accrue
This Grandsire Bob, which unto you
I Dedicate, as being due
Most properly; for there's but few
Besides, so ready at their Q——
(Especially at the first View)
To apprehend a thing that's New;
Though they'l pretend, and make a shew,
As if the intricat'st they knew;
What Bob doth mean, and Grandsire True,
And read the course without a Clue
Of this new Peal: Yet though they screw
Their shallow Brains, they'l ne're unglue
The Method on't (and I'm a Jew)
If I don't think this to be true,
They see no more on't than blind Hugh.
Well, let their tongues run Titere tu,
Drink muddy Ale, or else French Lieve,
Whil'st we our Sport and Art renew,
And drink good Sack till Sky looks blew,
So Grandsire bids you All adieu. R.R.

THE ART OF RINGING.

Of the Beginning of Changes.

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.

Before I Treat of the method and diversity of Peals, I think it not impertinent to speak something of the Properties wherewith a Young Ringer ought to be qualified, and then proceed to the Peals. First then, before he is entred into a Company, it is presupposed, that he is able to Set a Bell Fore-stroke and Back-stroke, as the terms are: Next, that he know how to Ring Round, or Under-sally: Then, that he may be complete, it is convenient, that he understand the Tuning of Bells; for what is a Musician, unless he can Tune his Instrument, although he plays never so well? To do which, let him learn on some Instrument, or Wyer-Bells, to know a Third, Fifth, and Eighth, which are the principal Concords: Or otherwise, let him get a Pipe called a Pitch-pipe, which may be made by any Organ-maker, to contain eight Notes, or more, (according to his pleasure) with their Flatts and Sharps, which will be very useful in the Tuning of Bells. And then this is a general Rule, begin at the Tenor, or biggest Bell, and count 3 whole Notes, then a half Note, or Sharp, 3 whole Notes, then a half Note, or Sharp; and so on, until you come to the least Bell or Treble. For example on four Bells, 1:234, here the 432 are whole Notes, and the half Note or Sharp is between 1 and 2. On Five Bells, 12:345 the 543 are whole Notes; and the half Note or Sharp is between 2 and 3. On Six, 123:456 the half Note or Sharp is between 3 and 4. On Eight Bells, 1:2345:678, one half Note or Sharp is between 5 and 6, and the other between 1 and 2. On Ten, 123:4567:8910; here one half Note is between 7 and 8, and the next between 3 and 4. On Twelve Bells, 12:345:6789:10 11 12. Here one half Note or Sharp is between 9 and 10, the next between 5 and 6, and the other between 2 and 3, which last is made contrary to the former Rule, it being but two whole Notes from the next half Note to it; the reason is this, the Ninth is one whole Note below the Eighth, therefore the 2 must be a whole Note below the Treble, otherwise they would not be a true Eighth, therefore the half Note is put between 2 and 3. Now he that hath these Rules, and a good ear to judge of the Concords, may at any time cast his Verdict (as to Bells, whether they are well in Tune or not) amongst the chief of the Company.

Of the Changes.

A Change is made between two Bells that strikes next to each other, by removing into each others places, as in these two Figures 1, 2. make a Change between them, and they will stand 2, 1. which is called a Change; make another Change between them, and they will stand in their right places, as at first, 1, 2. These two Changes are all that can be made on two Bells.

The Changes on three Bells.

On three Bells there are six several Changes to be made; in Ringing of which, there is one Bell to be observed, which is called the Hunt, and the other two are Extream Bells (but they cannot properly be so called, because every Bell hunts in the six Changes; yet because 'tis commonly Rang by observing a Hunt and two Extream Bells, I will therefore proceed in that course.) The name of Hunt is properly given to it, because of its continual motion up and down amongst the other Bells, which motion is called Hunting, and the other two are called Extream Bells, because when the Hunt is either before or behind them, that is at the Extream, or utmost place, there is a Change then to be made between them, called an Extream Change. There are two several wayes to Ring the six Changes. One whereof is to make the Treble the Hunt, and the other way is to make the Tenor the Hunt. I will give an Example in hunting the Treble, the Bells are supposed to stand thus.—

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Now the Treble must be hunted up over the Second and Third, which is to be done, by making a Change between the Treble, and each of those two Bells in order; therefore first I remove the Treble up over the Second, into the seconds place, by making a Change between the Treble and Second, thus.—

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The Treble being removed up over the Second, it must next be removed up over the Third, as in this Change.—

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Alwayes observe, that when the Hunt moves from the foremost Bell toward the hindmost, then it hunts up, as in the Changes next before; but when it moves or hunts from the hindmost Bell, toward the Bell that leads, then it hunts down, as appears by the Changes following. The Treble being hunted up behind the Extream Bells, an Extream Change is next to be made between them.—

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Here you may observe, that if the Hunt had been hunted down without an Extream Change first made, those Changes in hunting it down, would have been the same with those that were made in hunting it up.

The Extream Change being made, the Treble must be hunted down again before the Bells thus.—

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The Treble being now hunted down, the next is to be an Extream Change.—

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which is the last Change of the six.

The other way to Ring the six Changes, is, to make the Tenor the Hunt, which being behind already, it must first be hunted down, as in these Changes.—

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The Third, which is the Hunt, being hunted down before the Bells, the Extream Change must next be made between the 2, and 1. Which are the Extream Bells, thus.—

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The Extream Change being made, the Third must be hunted up again.—

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The Third being hunted up, another Extream must be made, which brings the Bells round in their right places.—

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The Plain Changes on four Bells.

On four Bells, there are Twenty four several Changes, in Ringing of which, there is one Bell called the Hunt, and the other three are Extream Bells; the Hunt moves, and hunts up and down continually, and lies but once in one place, except only when it comes before or behind the Bells, at which time it lies there twice together; it has the same course here, as in the six Changes before set down; two of the Extream Bells makes a Change every time the Hunt comes before or behind them. An Example I will here give, making the Treble the Hunt, and the Extream Changes I make between the two farthest Extream Bells from the Hunt. I set down the four Figures, representing the four Bells, thus.—

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The Treble must now be hunted up behind the Bells, where it is to lie twice together, and then to hunt down before them, where it must lie twice, and then hunt up again as before. The Hunt is alwayes one of the two Bells which makes every Change, except only when it comes before or behind the Bells, and it moves only over one Bell at a time; 'tis to be hunted up after this manner.—

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The Treble being hunted up behind the Bells, as appears by the last Changes, the next is to be an Extream Change between the two farthest Extream Bells from the Hunt, which are the Second and Third, thus.—

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The Extream being made, the Treble must be hunted down again, as in these Changes.—

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The Treble being hunted down, there is another Extream Change to be made between the two farthest Bells from it, which are the Second and Fourth.—

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The Extream being made, the Treble must be hunted as before, and so to the end of the Peal, making an Extream Change every time the Hunt comes before and behind the Bells.—

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The Twenty-four Changes are to be Rang another way, in hunting up the Treble, which is, by making every Extream Change between the two nearest Bells to the Hunt, as in these Changes, first I hunt the Treble up.—

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The Treble being hunted up, the Extream Change is to be made between the 3 and 4, which are the two nearest Bells to it, as in this Change,

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and so to the end of the Peal, making every Extream between the two nearest Bells to the Hunt all the way.

These two wayes in Ringing the Twenty-four, differs only in making the Extream Changes, one whereof is to make them between the two farthest Extream Bells from the Hunt, and the other to make them between the two nearest Bells to it.

The Twenty-four Changes are to be Rang two wayes more in hunting down the Treble; one way, is to make the Extreams between the two farthest Bells from the Hunt; and the other, is to make them between the two nearest, as before. A short Example I will set down, the Bells stand thus.—

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The Treble should now be hunted down, but it being already before the Bells, insomuch that it can be removed no lower; therefore the first must be an Extream Change, either between the two nearest, or two farthest Bells from the Hunt at pleasure; the Extream being made, the Treble is to hunt up, and so to the end of the Peal, in the same course as before.

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In hunting the Second, Third, or Fourth, there is to be observed the same course, as in hunting the Treble: A short Example I will set down, in hunting the Third up, and making the Extream Changes between the two farthest Bells from it.—

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First, I hunt up the third over the fourth; the Hunt being up, I make an extream between the treble and second, and then hunt down the third again, as in these changes, which course is to be observed to the end of the Peal.

I have insisted the longer upon the directions to the Twenty-four changes, because it is the ground and method in Ringing all plain changes; and by understanding this aright, the Learner will more easily apprehend the course of all plain and single changes whatsoever.

The Twenty-four plain changes are to be Rang sixteen several wayes; in hunting one Bell, it is to be Rang four ways; that is, two wayes in hunting it up, and the other two wayes in hunting it down, (as appears in my directions before in hunting the treble:) so that in hunting the 4 Bells, 'tis to be Rang 4 times 4 wayes, which makes 16, some of which I have here set down.

Treble Hunt up, Extream between the 2 farthest Bells from it.

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