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.

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