The School of Recreation by Robert Howlett (e book reader online .TXT) 📕

the Notes of a Peal of Bells, one from another while Ringing.

Secondly, Learn to apprehend the places of the Notes.

Thirdly, Understand the Precedency of Notes.

Fourthly, How to make a Change in Ringing.

Fifthly, and Lastly, How to Practice the four fore-going Notions, in General.

1. To know the Notes of a Peal of Bells asunder (which is easy in Round-Ringing) in Changes is thus: Get the skill of Tuning them with your Voice, by imitating their Notes while Ringing. Or if you are acquainted, either by your self or Friend, with some Singing-Master, or one who has skill in Singing, get him to instruct you in the true Pitch of any Note, and aid your distinguishing them; otherwise you may be puzzled in this, to know which is Treble, which Second, &c. as in 532641, &c.

2. To know the places of the Notes, is no way better to be apprehended than thus: The Practitioner ought to form an Idea in his Head of the place of each Note, whether in a direct Line, or Obliquely; and representing them by a Figure in his Mind, see (as it were) by the Eye of the Understanding, each stroke of the Bell, as the Treble, 1. Second 2. Third 3. &c. so that as the Ear is to direct him, when to make the Change, so a right Apprehension of the Motion and Places of the Notes, ought to be a means to guide his Ear.

3. The Precedency of Notes, is of a very obvious Demonstration; thus: In Ringing Changes the Fore and Back-stroke, successively following one another, are properly said to Lye behind one another, according to their places of striking. Or in short, in 12345, the Note that leads either at Fore or Back-stroke, is said to Lye before the rest, and the last to be behind, As the 2 is said to lye behind the 1, so it lyeth before the 3, as the 3 lyeth behind 2, so it lyeth before the 4. And so of as many as are Rung.

4. The manner of making a Change, is very common, and needs no particular, but general Rule; That it is made by moving one Note into anothers place, Up and Down, as Occasion requires; but usually made by two Notes standing one next the other, as hereafter may be observed.

Lastly, In your Ringing Changes, these two things (in which consists the practick part of this Art) are to be rightly considered, First, Readily to know which two Bells are to make the succeeding Change. And Secondly, to consider (if you are concerned in it) what Bell you are to follow in making it. To understand which the more perfectly, you must imprint in your Memory, the Method of the Changes prick'd in Figures, and to be expert likewise in setting them down divers ways, and making any Figure a Hunt at Pleasure; and thus without pausing or hesitating to consider the Course, you may throughly understand the Methods; the Four preceding Observations being first perfectly understood.

There are two ways of Ringing Changes, viz. By Walking them, as the Artists stile it; or by Whole Pulls or Half-pulls: Walking is, when in one Change the Bells go round, Four, Six, or Eight times; which is a most incomparable way to improve a Young Practitioner, by giving him time to consider, which two Bells do make the next succeeding Change, and in making it, what Bell each is to follow; so that by this means (by his Industry) he may be capable of Ringing at Whole pulls; which is, when the Bells go round in a Change at Fore and Back-stroke; and a New Change is made every time they are pulled down at Sally: This was an Ancient Practice, but is now laid aside, since we have learnt a more advantageous way of hanging our Bells, that we can manage a Bell with more ease at a Set-pull than formerly: So that Ringing at Half-Pulls is now the modern general Practice; that is, when one Change is made at Fore-stroke, another at Back-stroke, &c.

He that Rings the slowest Hunt, ought to notify the extream Changes; which is, when the Leading Bell is pulling down, that he might make the Change next before the extreme, he ought to say, Extreme. By this means, betwixt the Warning and the Extreme there will be one compleat Change.

Of Changes, &c.

There are two kinds of Changes, viz. Plain Changes, and Cross-peals; which Terms do denote the Nature of them; for as the first is stiled Plain, so are its methods easy; and as the second is called Cross, so are its Methods cross and intricate: The First have a general Method, in which all the Notes (except Three) have a direct Hunting-Course, moving gradually under each other, plainly and uniformly: Plain are likewise termed single Changes, because there is but one single Change made in the striking all the Notes round, either at Fore or Back-stroke. But the Second is various, each Peal differing in its Course from all others; and in Cross-peals as many changes may be made as the Notes will permit. In short, as to Plain-changes, I shall not dilate on them here, it being so plainly understood by every one that lately have rung a Bell in peal; all therefore I shall add is this, that any two Notes that strike next together may make a Change, which may be done either single or double, as you list. The single, by changing two Notes; and the double, by changing Four, i.e. Two to make one Change and two another; which is however called One double Change, and not two Changes; because tis made in striking the Notes of the Bells once round.

Of Cross-peals.

Or in these Cross-peals we must Observe the prime Movement, which sets the whole Frame a going, and that is called the Hunt, which hath one constant Uniform Motion throughout the Peal, and different from that of the other Notes; and indeed by this the whole Course of the Peal is Steered. This keeps a continual motion through the other Notes, i.e. from leading, to strike behind, and from thence again to Lead; which is called one compleat Course.

Some Peals upon five Bells consist of single Courses, wherein are ten Changes, and twelve Courses make the Peal. Others upon five consist of double Courses, wherein are twenty Changes to every Course, and six Courses in the Peal.

Upon six Bells there are likewise single and double Courses, viz. Twelve Changes in every single Course, as in Grandsire-bob, &c. and Twenty-four Changes in every double Course, as in College Bobs, that being the first Change of every Course, wherein the Hunt leaves Leading: In short, judiciously observe the first Course of any Cross-peal, and you will soon see the general Method of the whole Peal: All Courses in Cross-Peals agreeing in these following three Respects. First, In the Motion of the Hunt. Secondly In the motion of the rest of the Notes: And Thirdly, In making the Changes. Which three things being well (to omit Instance of Demonstration) and narrowly observed, will be very helpful both in pricking and ringing Courses; the first and third for directing you in Pricking them, and the first and second in Ringing them.

There is one Difficulty to be removed e're I can come to prick down those Peals I design to be the Subject of the Discourse of this Epitome, and that is, How to make the first Changes at the beginning of each Peal; I mean to make the Second, Third, Fourth, &c. whole Hunts; and this In short is thus directed: In any Cross-peal the whole Hunt may move either up or down at the beginning; and the Motion of the whole Hunt, in the first Course of each of the following Peals will direct the first Motion of any Cross-Hunt, and by Consequence of making the first Changes in that Peal. Taking along with you this Observation.

That whensoever the first Change of any Peal happens to be single, it must be made at the back-stroke, to prevent cutting Compass, and the like when a double Change happens first in a Peal of Triples and doubles: But when it happens, that the first Change is made at the Back-stroke, then Consequently the Bells at the end of the Peal will come round at a Fore-stroke Change.

I shall omit speaking to any of the several Peals on four or five Bells; for that in my opinion little Musick is heard, though much Practical Observation is made, from them; and therefore shall begin with Grandsire-bob, as having mentioned it but just before in my general View I made of Cross-peals.

Grandsire Bob.

Bob Changes take their Name from this; viz. When the Treble leads in the Second and Third, and the Fifth and Sixth's places, then they are called Bob-changes. In Ringing which you are to observe these Rules, viz.

Whatsoever Bells you follow when you Hunt up, the same Bells in the same order you must follow in Hunting down; as in the Changes here prickt, where the Treble hunting up First follows Second, then Fourth, and then Sixth; when it comes behind, First follows Second, in hunting down Fourth; and when hunting up follows Sixth in the same Order: The like may be observed in Ringing any other Bell, with this Difference betwixt the whole Hunt and the rest, viz. Every time the Whole hunt leaves the Treble's place, and hunts up, it followeth different Bells, from what it did at its first hunting up.

In the ensuing Peal here prickt are Eighteen-score Changes, wanting one. It may be Rung with any Hunts, and begin the Changes Triple and Double: You may make your extream at the first, second, or third single Bob; or the first, second, or third time, that the half and Quarter-hunts dodge behind; the single must be made behind in either of these.

   123456    bob.    134256    143265    126435    ———    156423    312465    142356    ———    214365    514632    321645    ———    162345    241635    541362    236154    124536    163254    426153    453126    263514    125463    ———    462513    435216    625341    ———    136524    645231    342561    652431    152643    135642    654321    324651    564213    156234    ———    563412    236415    546123    ———    153462    536142    263145    451632    165324    bob.    351624    621354    415362    163542    135426    315264    612345    143526    ———    ———    132546    165243    bob.    136452    153246    135264    162534    134562    bob.    152364    312546    615243    315426    163425    ———    321456    651423    351246    ———    125634    234165    564132    532164    136245    126543    243615    546312    523614    132654    ———    426351    453621    256341    ———    162453    462531    435261    265431    123564    164235    645213    342516    624513    125346    ———    654123    324156    642153    ———    146325    561432    231465    461235    152436    bob.    516342    213645    416325    154263    164352    153624    126354    143652    ———    ———    156342    123645    bob.    145623    146532    513624    216354    134625    bob.    bob.    531264    261534    316452    154632    164523    352145    625143    361542    ———    ———    325416    652413    635124    145362    146253    234561    564231    653214    bob.    142635    243651    546321    562341    154326    ———    426315    453612    526431    ———    124365    462135    435162    254613    145236    ———    641253    341526    245163    142563    123456    614523    314256    421536    ———    ======    165432    132465    412356    124653     

Thus much for the Grandsire-bob; I shall next collect what London Peals I think most Harmonious, and agreeable, without troubling my self to go to Oxford, or Nottingham, or Redding, to enquire after their different Methods of Peals, as indeed needless; and my reason is this: Because I think the same Rules for Peals that are suitable to our London Genius, may challenge likewise an Acceptance amongst other Cities; provided their Steeples are furnished with as many, and as good Bells, and their Belfree's with as ingenious and elaborate Ringers as here in London.

I shall begin then with Peals upon six Bells, and herein in order, measure out the Delights on Peals from Six to Eight Bells, and setting out early, present you with

The Morning Exercise.

Doubles and singles. The whole Hunt is the Treble, which Hunteth up into the Second, Third, and Fourth places, lying twice in each; and then lyeth still in the Sixth place, having dodged behind, and makes another, and then Hunts down as it Hunted up, and then leads four times. Observing the manner of its Pricking, and its Practice, may excuse any further defining it.

   123456                        ———    265143    163425    125643    143256    213465    265134    ———    125634    134265    213456    265143    165243    ———    134256    231465    261534    165234    124365    ———    231456    216543    156243    124356    136524    234165    216534    156234    142365    136542    234156    126543    ———    142356    bob.    243516    126534    154326    ———    135624    243561    162543    154362    146532    135642    245316    162534    bob.    146523    ———    245361    ———    153426    bob.    132465    254631    164352    153462    145632    132456    254613    164325    ———    145623    123465    256431    bob.    152643    ———    123456    256413    163452    152634    143265    ———

This will go a 120 Changes, and by making Bobs, 240, 360, 270.

A Cure for Melancholy.

Doubles and Singles.

I should think it needless to explain the method of prick'd Peals, and give a large Definition of them, when their plain Demonstration might be sufficient; However, as the Old Phrase is, Because 'tis usual, something shall be said of this too.

The Treble is the whole Hunt, as in the former, and leads four times, and lyeth