Tintinnalogia by Fabian Stedman

To the Noble Society of Colledge-Youths.
On the Ingenious Art of Ringing.
Upon the Presentation of Grandsire Bob to the Colledge-Youths, by the Author of that Peal.
Of the Beginning of Changes.
Of the Changes.
The Changes on three Bells.
The Plain Changes on four Bells.
The Twenty all over.
An Eight and Forty.
Cambridge Eight and Forty.
The Plain Changes on five Bells.
The Changes on six Bells.
The Twelve score Long Hunts: Or the Esquire's Twelve-score.
The Variety of Changes on any Number of Bells.
Doubles And Singles on four Bells.
Doubles and Singles on five Bells.
Tendring's Six-score on five Bells.
Paradox on five Bells.
Phoenix. On five Bells.
London Pleasure on five Bells.
What you please. Doubles and Singles on 5 Bells.
Reading Doubles. On five Bells.
Old Doubles. On five Bells.
New Doubles. On five Bells.
Grandsire on five Bells.
The Seven-score and four on six Bells.
Trebles and Doubles on six Bells.
Grandsire Bob. On six Bells.
Changes on eight Bells.
Of Hanging Bells.

Gentlemen,

I have seen a Treatise intituled, de Tintinnabulis—that is, of little Bells, the Language Latin, but pen'd by a Dutchman, being a Discourse of striking tunes on little Bells with traps under the feet, with several Books on several Instruments of Music, and Tunes prick't for the same; Then considering that the Well-wishers to either of them, took great pains to make plain the use of them, I thought it worth a Dayes labour, to write something on this Art or Science, that the Rules thereof might not be lost and obscured to some, as the Chronicles before William the Conqueror, being given only by Tradition from Father to Son. Wherefore I humbly intreat you favourably to accept this small Treatise, as a foundation whereon may be raised a famous Structure; and if any one objects a fault, excuse it with the Ringing term—He was Over-bell'd—So you will much oblige him that is a Well-wisher to your Recreation,

Campanista.

THE ART OF RINGING.

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.

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.

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.—

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.—

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.—

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.—

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.—

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.—

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.

Some persons do observe to Ring the Twenty-four changes with a whole Hunt, and half Hunt; but that is an imperfect course; for there cannot be one half hunt only, but there will unavoidably be three half Hunts in one and the same Twenty-four; therefore I have set down the other way to ring it, by observing a hunt, and three extream Bells, which course is much more easie and true.

In the Twenty-four Changes are contained the six Changes; the three Extream Bells in the Twenty-four makes the six Changes in course, every extream change being one of the six, and the Hunt hunting through each of the six Changes, makes Twenty-four: For Example, take the three Extream Bells in the first Twenty-four set down before, which are 234, and set down the six Changes on them, thus.—

And so take each of the other six Changes, and hunt the Treble through them, it will make Twenty-four.

I will here insert two or three old Peals on five Bells, which (though rejected in these dayes, yet) in former times were much in use, which for Antiquity sake, I here set down. And first,

The course is this—every Bell hunts in order once through the Bells, until it comes behind them; and first the Treble hunts up, next the Second, and then the 3, 4 and 5, which brings the Bells round in their right places again, at the end of the Twenty Changes, as in this following Peal.—

This Peal is to be Rang, by hunting the Bells down, beginning with the Tenor, next the fourth, and so the third, second, and treble, which will bring the Bells round in course as before.

In this Peal, the Fifth and Fourth are both whole Hunts, each of which does hunt down before the Bells by turns, and lies there twice together and then hunts up again: The 1, 2 and 3 goes the six changes, one of which is made every time, either of the whole Hunts lies before the Bells, as in the following Changes, where the fifth hunts down the first; and lying before the Bells, there is a change made between the 1 & 2, which is one of the six changes; and then the fifth hunts up again into its place, and the fourth hunts down, which lying before the Bells, there is another of the six changes made between the 1 and 3, and then the fourth hunts up again, and the fifth hunts down next; in which course it continues to the end of the Peal, each of the whole Hunts lying but twice at one time before the Bells, as in these following changes.

Wherein it is observed, that the Treble and Second does never come behind, neither does the Fifth and Fourth come before, as in the following Changes.

There are Six-score Changes to be Rang on five Bells, which are to be Rang, by observing a whole Hunt, a half Hunt, and three Extream Bells; the course of the whole Hunt, is the same with the Hunt in the Twenty-four Changes, and hunts up and down in the same manner. The half Hunt moves once, that is, over one Bell every time, the whole Hunt comes before and behind the Bells; but when the half Hunt is removed either before or behind the Extream Bells, then there is an Extream Change to be made. For Example, I make the Treble the whole Hunt, and hunt it up; and the Second the half Hunt and half hunt it up, making every Extream Change between the two farthest Extream Bells from the half Hunt; the Extream Bells are the Third, Fourth, Fifth: Now observe, that whereas in the Twenty-four Changes, an Extream Change was alwayes made, when the whole Hunt came before or behind the Bells, in these Six-score Changes an Extream is alwayes to be made, when the Half Hunt comes before or behind the Extream Bells; first the Treble is to be hunted up, as in these Changes.—

The last is the Extream Change, which is made between the Third and Fifth; and this course is to be observed to the end of the Six-score Changes, which is set down at large at the end of the directions to this Peal.

Another short Example I will insert, which is Second down, and Fourth up, (for that is the common Phrase amongst Ringers) whereby 'tis alwayes to be observed, that the first Bell which is named, is the whole Hunt, and the second that is named, is the half Hunt, as herein you may perceive; where Second down, is meant, that the Second Bell is the whole Hunt, and to hunt down the first Change; and the Fourth Bell is the half Hunt, and to half hunt up, that is, to move up towards the hindmost Bell the first time it moves at the beginning of the Peal; which are only directions in making the first Changes, for one whole Hunt and half Hunt may be hunted several wayes, either up or down at pleasure. First, I hunt down the Second.—

Now the Fourth, which is the half Hunt, being behind the Extream Bells, the next is to be an Extream Change, which may be made either between the two farthest Bells from the half Hunt, or the two nearest to it; and after the Extream Change is made, the whole Hunt and half Hunt must be hunted as before. These Six-score Changes of Second and Fourth, I have set down at large, at the end of my directions to these Changes on five Bells.

In every Six-score, the Extream Changes may be made either between the two farthest Extream Bells from the half Hunt, or between the two nearest to it, observing to make all the Extreams in one Six-score alike; that is, if you make the first Extream Change between the two farthest Extream Bells from the half Hunt, you must make all the following Extreams in the same Six score between the two farthest Extream Bells also; or if you make the first Extream in any Six-score between the two nearest to the half Hunt, you must make all the following Extreams in the same Six-score between the two nearest also.

The Six-score plain and single Changes, are to be Rang Eight-score several wayes; for although there are but Six-score several Changes on five Bells, yet by altering the whole Hunt, the half Hunt, and Extreams, the course of the Changes are so altered, that the same Changes doe not come all along together in any two of those Eight-score wayes.

With one whole Hunt and half Hunt, the Six-score Changes are to be Rang, or set down eight several wayes; one way, is by hunting the whole Hunt, and half Hunt both up; the second way, is by hunting the whole Hunt and half Hunt both down; the third way, is in hunting the whole Hunt up, and the half Hunt down; the fourth way, is by hunting the whole Hunt down, and the half Hunt up; each of these four wayes is to be Rang two wayes more; one is, in making the Extreams between the two farthest Extream Bells from the half Hunt, and the other way is in making them between the two nearest; for Example, in making the treble the whole Hunt, and second the half Hunt, the Six-score are to be Rang eight several wayes (viz.)

On five Bells there are 20 Hunts, (i.e.) a whole Hunt, and half Hunt twenty times, and not one; and the same whole Hunt, and half Hunt twice, as appears by the following Figures, where they stand two and two together; one of which is the whole Hunt, and the other the half Hunt: for Example, the 2 highest Figures are 1.2 where the treble is the whole Hunt, and the second the half Hunt. The two next Figures are 1.3 where the treble is the whole Hunt, and the third the half Hunt; and likewise the two last, or lowest Figures, are 5.4 the fifth is the whole Hunt, and the fourth the half Hunt; and so of all the rest, the first Figure representing the whole Hunt, and the next to it the half Hunt.

So that there being twenty Hunts, and every one making eight Six-scores (as in the Example of treble and second) that is twenty (which are the number of Hunts;) multiplied by eight (which are the number of Six-scores made by each Hunt) does produce Eight-score several wayes to Ring the Six-score Changes.

In the Six-score Changes are comprehended the Twenty-four, and the Six Changes: The Twenty-four Changes are made between the half Hunt, and the three Extream Bells; and the Six are made between the Extream Bells alone: The half Hunt in the Six-score, is the whole Hunt in the Twenty-four; and there is one Change in the Twenty-four made every time the whole Hunt comes before and behind the Bells; and one Change in the Six made every Extream: So that the Six-score rightly understood, is nothing else but hunting the half Hunt through every Change of the Six, which makes Twenty-four Changes: and then hunting the whole Hunt through each Change of the Twenty-four, which makes Six-score; for instance, in the first Six-score before set down, where the treble is the whole Hunt, the second the half Hunt, and the 345 the Extream Bells.

I take the Extream Bells, and set down the six Changes on them thus.—

And in the same manner, hunting the Treble through each Change of the Twenty-four, will produce Twenty-four times five Changes, which makes Six-score; one Change of the Twenty-four (in hunting the Treble through it) makes five Changes.

In every Six-score on 5 Bells, there are 6 Extream Changes, there being twenty Changes from one Extream to another.

It would be an endless undertaking to set down all these Peals at large, but for the convenience of the Learner, I have set down some part of several of them, which may with ease be prickt out to the end of each Peal, as the Learner pleases.

Note, That in the following Peals there is a Line drawn at each Extream Change between the Figures, to shew where the Extreams are made; as in the next Peal there is a Line drawn between the Figures just 20 Changes from the beginning of the Peal, the change next after the Line is the Extream Change, which is 14352, and so of the rest; the Change next following each Line is the Extream.

On six Bells there are Seven-hundred and twenty Changes to be made; but there are Peals of Six-score and Twelve-score Changes to be Rang on them. The Six-score Changes are to be made, by observing a whole Hunt and half Hunt, which are to be hunted in the same course, as in the Six-score on five Bells, and the Extream Changes to be made by the same Rule as they were on five Bells. The only difference between the Six-score on six Bells, and those on five, are this; whereas on five there are but three Extream Bells, on six there are four Extream Bells. And on five Bells, there are six Extream Changes in every Six-score; but on six, there are but four Extream Changes. And moreover, whereas in every Six-score on five Bells, the Changes were the same in each, although altered in course; but the Changes on six Bells are not the same in each, for several Six-scores has several Changes, one Six-score having many Changes which another has not, as in this Peal, treble and second both up, which is,

There are other Peals to be Rang on six Bells, as Six-scores on the five smallest, the tenor lying behind all the way. Treble and second, or treble and fifth, with the tenor lying behind, makes very good Musick: Of which Peals I need not give you any Example, these Six-scores being the same with those on five Bells set down before.

The Twelve-score Changes being only part of the Seven-hundred and twenty, and consequently the course of each being one and the same, I will therefore shew the course and method of the Seven-hundred and twenty, wherein the Twelve-score Changes are also included.

In Ringing the Seven-hundred and Twenty, there is a whole Hunt, a half Hunt, a quarter Hunt, and three Extream Bells; the whole Hunt and half Hunt does hunt in the same course and method, as they did in the Six-score on five Bells, and in the last Six-score; and the quarter Hunt removes in the same course under the half Hunt, as the half Hunt does under the whole Hunt: for instance, when the whole Hunt is hunted either before or behind the Bells, then the half Hunt removes over one Bell; and when the half Hunt is removed before or behind the quarter Hunt and Extream Bells (at which time in a Six-score the Extream is made) then the quarter Hunt removes over one Bell, in the same course as the half hunt moves, when the whole Hunt is before or behind. An Example I will set down, which is 1, 2 and 3 all up, that is to say, treble the whole Hunt, and to hunt up, second the half Hunt, and to half hunt up, and third the quarter Hunt, and to quarter hunt up 4, 5 and 6 are Extream Bells; there is alwayes an Extream Change to be made when the quarter Hunt comes before or behind the Extream Bells, there are two wayes to make the Extreams, which are the same here, as in the Six-score on five, and made by the same Rule, I will here make it between the two farthest Extream Bells from the quarter Hunt. Now the treble and second being the whole Hunt and half Hunt, must be hunted in the same course, as in the Six-score on five Bells, after this manner.