The The Tennis-Court

When as the Hand at Tennis Playes,

And Men to Gaming fall,

Love is the Court, Hope is the House,

And Favour serves the Ball.

This Ball it self is due Desert,

The Line that measure showes

Is Reason, whereon Judgment looks

Where Players win and lose.

The Tutties are Deceitful Shifts,

The Stoppers, Jealousy,

Which hath Sir Argus hundred Eyes,

Wherewith to watch and pry.

The Fault whereon Fifteen is lost,

Is Want of Wit and Sense,

And he that brings the Racket in

Is Double Diligence.

But now the Racket is Free-Will,

Which makes the Ball rebound,

And noble Beauty is the Choice,

And of each Game the Ground.

Then Racket strikes the Ball away,

And there is Over-sight,

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.

2. As in Musick, so in Ringing there are three Concords, so called from their Melodious Harmony and Agreement, which Principally are these; Thirds, viz. 1 3, 2 4. &c. Fifths 1 5, 2 6 &c. Eights 1 8, 2 9, 3 10 &c. and these are the more pleasant according to the Number of Bells they are struck on, and as they are struck, whether seperately or mutually. From hence Changes are made, which is only a Changing place of one Note with another, so variously, as Musick may be heard a thousand wayes of Harmony; which being so obvious to common Observation, I shall not go about to demonstrate; for that if two may be varied two wayes, surely by the Rule of Multiplication, a Man may easily learn how many times 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 12 Bells Notes may be varied, which will run almost ad infinitum.

3. For the better observing the Ringing of Changes or Rounds, these three things are to be noted.

1. The Raising true in Peal.

2. Ringing at a low Compass; And

3. Ceasing in true Peal; All which three are the most essential Parts to render a Practitioner Excellent.

1. For Raising a Peal of Bells true, the modern & best Practice recommends the swiftest and quickest possible, every one taking Assistance to raise his Bell, as its going requires: The lesser Bells as Treble, &c. being by main strength held down in their first Sway (or pull) to get time for the striking of the rest of Larger Compass; and so continued to be strong pulled till Frame-high, and then may be slackned: The Bigger, as Tenor, &c. must be pincht or checkt over head, that the Notes may be heard to strike roundly and hansomely. Observe that all the Notes strike round at one Pull: I do not mean the First; but ’tis according to the Bigness and Weightiness of your Bells: However in raising a Peal, do not let one Bell strike before the rest, or miss when the rest do; this is contrary to the Strict Rules of true Ringing: And this is called Round-Ringing. Now if you design to raise a Peal of Bells for Changes, you ought to raise them to a Set-Pull, as the most proper for commanding the Notes, and he who is not well skilled to manage his Bell at a Set-Pull, will be apt to drop or overturn it, be in a Wood, and fruitlessly toil and moil himself. Therefore in practising the Setting of a Bell, cast your Eye about the other Bell-Ropes, during your managing your own, that you may accustome your selfe to manage it according to the Change.

2. For Ringing at a Low Compass, is thus observed: By keeping a due punctum or beat of Time, in the successive striking one after another of every Bell; the best Ringer being set to the Treble, that may guide and direct the rest of the Notes in their due Measure.

3. For Ceasing a Peal of Bells; Let them fall gradually from a set Peal, checking them only at Sally, till the low Compass renders it useless; and when so low, that for want of Compass, they can scarce strike at Back-stroak; then let the Treble-Ringer stamp, as a Signal, to notify, that the next time they come to strike at the Fore-stroke, to check them down, to hinder their striking the Back-stroke; yet Fore-stroke continued, till brought to a neat and gracefull Chime, which may be the Finis to that Peal.

Thus much in short, for Raising, Round-Ringing, and Ceasing a Peal of Bells; I come next to lead you forth into that spacious Field of Variety of Changes, and present you with Instructions that may be meerly necessary, for the right Understanding the several kinds of them.

Now in Ringing Changes, two of our best Senses, are to be employed, viz. The Ear, and the Eye: The Ear, Hearing when to make a Change; and the Eye directing the Bell in making it: The Bells being the Object of the Former, and the Bell-Ropes the Object of the Latter. And to render both the Eye and Ear Usefull in Ringing Changes, these Five things are throughly to be Understood

First. Endeavour to distinguish the Notes of a Peal of Bells, one from another while Ringing.

Secondly, Learn to apprehend the Places of the Notes.

Thirdly, Understand the Precendency of Notes.

Fourthly, How to make a Change in Ringing.

Fifthly, and Lastly. How to Practise 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 his 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-stroak, 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 the 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 all 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 concern’d 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 wayes, 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 wayes 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 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.

I have one Thing more to add in these introductory Rules, and that in short is this: He that Rings the slowest Hunt, ought to notify the extreme 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. For the rest, common Observation and Practice bids me stop here, and demands a Clearing those dark Intricacies which attend Cross-Peals.

Of Cross-Peals.

Art, being a curious Searcher and Enquirer into the hidden and abstruse Arcana’s of Difficulties, having found out that dark and remote Corner of Obscurity, wherein the nature of these Cross-Peals lay at first invelopped, has exhibited by its Proselytes the ensuing Demonstrations of that which before lay mantled up in Doubt: And to effect this, these Favourites of Art have, like ingenious Architects, made Order and Method the Basis, on which the whole Structure depends: For 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 Colledge 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 Instances 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 follow Second, then Fourth, and then Sixth; when it comes behind, First follows Second, in hunting down Fourth; and when hunted 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 Extreme at the first, second, or third single Bob; or the first, second, or third time, that the half and quarter-hunts dodg behind; the single must be made behind in either of these.

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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 Peales, as indeed needless; and my reason is this: Because I think the same Rules for Peales 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 Peales 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.

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This will go a 120 Changes, and by making Bobs, 240, 360, 720.