| Tra tutte quante le musiche humane, O Signor mio gentil, tra le più care Gioje del mondo, è 'l suon delle campane; Don don don don don don, che ve ne pare?1 |
1 AGNOLO FIRENZUOLA.
They were not christened, because they were not Roman Catholic bells; for in Roman Catholic countries church bells are christened with the intention of causing them to be held in greater reverence,—
| —però ordinò n'un consistoro Un certo di quei buon papi all' antica, Che non ci lavoravan di straforo, Che la campana si, si benedica, Poi si battezzi, e se le ponga il nome, Prima che' in campanil l' ufizio dica. Gli organi, ch' anco lor san sì ben come Si dica il vespro, e le messe cantate, Non hanno questo honor sopra le chiome. Che le lor canne non son battezzate, Ne' nome ha l' una Pier, l' altra Maria Come hanno le campane prelibate.2 |
2 AGNOLO FIRENZUOLA.
The bells of St. George's, Doncaster, I say, were not christened, because they were Protestant bells; for distinction's sake however we will name them as the bells stand in the dirge of that unfortunate Cat whom Johnny Green threw into the well.
But it will be better to exhibit their relative weights in figures, so that they may be seen synoptically. Thus then;—
| Cwt. | qr. | lb. | |
| Bim the first | 7 | 1 | 14 |
| Bim the second | 8 | 0 | 18 |
| Bim the third | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| Bim the fourth | 10 | 3 | 15 |
| Bim the fifth | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Bim the sixth | 15 | 2 | 16 |
| Bom | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Bell | 29 | 1 | 20 |
I cannot but admit that these appellations not so stately in appearance as those of the peal which the Bishop of Chalons recently baptized, and called a “happy and holy family” in the edifying discourse that he delivered upon the occasion. The first of these was called Marie, to which—or to whom,—the Duke and Duchess of Danderville (so the newspapers give this name) stood sponsors. “It is you Marie,” said the Bishop, “who will have the honor to announce the festivals, and proclaim the glory of the Lord! You appear among us under the most happy auspices, presented by those respectable and illustrious hands to which the practices of piety have been so long familiar. And you Anne,” he pursued, addressing the second bell,—“an object worthy of the zeal and piety of our first magistrate (the Prefect) and of her who so nobly shares his solicitude,—you shall be charged with the same employment. Your voice shall be joined to Marie's upon important occasions. Ah! what touching lessons will you not give in imitation of her whose name you bear, and whom we reverence as the purest of Virgins! You also Deodate, will take part in this concert, you whom an angel, a new-born infant, has conjointly with me consecrated to the Lord! Speak Deodate! and let us hear your marvellous accents.” This Angel and Godmother in whose name the third bell was given was Mademoiselle Deodate Boisset, then in the second month of her age, daughter of Viscount Boisset. “And you Stephanie, crowned with glory,” continued the orator, in learned allusion to the Greek word σεφανος, “you are not less worthy to mingle your accents with the melody of your sisters. And you lastly Seraphine and Pudentienne, you will raise your voices in this touching concert, happy all of you in having been presented to the benedictions of the Church, by these noble and generous souls, so praiseworthy for the liveliness of their faith, and the holiness of their example.” And then the Bishop concluded by calling upon the congregation to join with him in prayer that the Almighty would be pleased to preserve from all accidents this “happy and holy family of the bells.”
We have no such sermons from our Bishops! The whole ceremony must have been as useful to the bells as it was edifying to the people.