A Bandy ho! the People cry,
And so the Ball takes flight.
Now at the length Good-liking proves
Content to be their Gain:
Thus in the Tennis-Court, Love is
A Pleasure mixt with Pain.
Since this Recreation of Ringing is become so highly esteemed, for its excellent Harmony of Musick it affords the Ear, for its Mathematical Invention delighting the Mind, and for the Violence of its Exercise bringing Health to the Body, causing it to transpire plentifully, and by Sweats dissipate and expel those Fuliginous thick Vapours, which Idleness, Effeminacy and Delicacy subject men to; I say for these and sundry other Reasons, I was induced to bring this of Ringing into the Company of Exercises in this Treatise, that I might as well recreate you with some health-conducing Pleasure at home, as I have carryed you abroad, and there endeavoured to please you in what Pastime your Inclinations may most peculiarly select.
Whosoever would then become an accurate Master of this excellent Art and Pleasure, and is very desirous to be esteemed an Elaborate and Ingenious Ringer, and be enrolled amongst that Honoured Society of Colledge Youths; I must beg Leave to instruct him before he enters the Bell-free, in these ensuing short Rules, which he must strictly observe. viz.
1. That as all Musick consists in these six plain Notes, La Sol Fa Mi Re Ut; so in Ringing, a Peal of Bells is Tuned according to these Principles of Musick: For as each Bell takes its Denomination from the Note it Sounds, by its being flatter or deeper, as, First, or Treble, Second, Third, Fourth, &c. as they are in number to Ten or Twelve Bells, the Last being called the Tennor; So must they successively strike one after another both Fore-stroke and Back-stroke, in a due Musical Time or Equidistance, to render their Harmony the more pleasant, and to make the Young Practitioner the better informed to observe the Life of Musick, and indeed of true Ringing, Time; and therefore is called, Round-Ringing.