BEL
BEL
it may be traced to the very axis ; and the fgveral emits the body is compofed of, fcem fo many feparate belemnites inclbfing one another.
The matter contained in the cavities of the belemnites is per- fectly uncertain in its kind, being a part of fuch bodies* what- ever they be, as the belemnites has happened to be depofited among. Frequently it is the matter of the common pyrites; often it is a coarfer, fometimes a finer fpar; and the fubftance called the alveolus, when found Ioofe, is ufually compofed of one or other of thefe fofTds. Thofe belemnites, which termi- nate in a point at each end, are more rare than the others, and ufually feem injured, or imperfect. In moil of thefe alfo, the longitudinal crack is fo fine and fmallj as to be fcarce per- ceptible.
The moft probable opinion, as to the origin of thefe bodies, is, that they have been formed in fhells of the tubulin marlnus kind, and thofe, perhaps, of feveral different fpecies. Hill, Hill. ofFoffil. p. 652.
The belemnites is found in many parts of the countries of Pruf- fia,Pomerania,Silefia, and England, as appears from Dr. Wood- ward's enumeration. Wcodw. Catal, Engl. Foff. p. 105, feq, and Catal. Foreign Fofi". p. 8.
The belemnites are ail of an alcalious nature, making a flrong efFervefcence with acids. Hence alfo they become abforbent and refolvent, and, on thefe accounts, ranked by phyficians among antinephritic medicines. Grew, Muf. Reg. Soc. P. 3. §. i.e. 5. p. 302.
The German writers fpeak much of the virtues of this foffil, and it is kept in their fhops, and fometimes enters extempo- raneous prescription. They give it in cafes of the gravel, and all nephritic complaints ; and fay, that it has great virtues againft the night-mare. With us it is not ufed at all, ex- cept among farriers ; but, in all probability, it will anfwer the purpofe of fpar in any other form ; and fpar has at all times been celebrated for its virtues as a lithontriptic, whether given tinder the form of the lapis judaicus, or that of the oflradtes, or, finally, as diflolved in the water of certain fprings, which form incruftations on things that fall into them. Geoffrey, Mat. Med. Vol. 1. p. 82. See Ostracites and Judaicus lapis.
BELENNUS, in zoology, the name of a fmall anguilliform fifh, called by others biennis. It is a fea-fifh, and very fcarce. It approaches much in figure to the Englifh bull-head, or mil- ler's thumb, the est t us of authors. Its head is large, its nofe fliarp, and its mouth but fmall. It has a fmall, black fin upon its neck, like the uranofcopus, or ftargazer, which the bull- head has not. It has two other fins placed lower than this, and near the mouth. It has no fcales. Its belly is white, and the reft of its body brown. IVillugb. Hi ft. Pi fc. p. 138.
BELFRY, beljredus, is ufed by military writers of the middle age for a fort of tower, erected by befiegers to overlook and command the place befieged. Aquin. Lex. Milit. T. 1, p. 120. b.
They were alfo called berfredi, berefredi, verfredi, and belfra- gia. Their flructure and ufe are defcribed in verfe by a poet of thofe days. Vid. Fill. Brito. Philipp. I. 2. ap. Aquin. loc. cit. Belfry originally denoted a high tower, whereon centinels were placed to watch the avenues of a place, and prevent furprize from parties of the enemies, or to give notice of fires, by ring- ingabell. Du Gauge, GlofT. Lat. T. 1. p. 519, feq. Aquin. Lex. Milit. T. 1. p. 120.
In the cities of Flanders, where there is no belfry on purpofe, the tower of the chief church ferves the fame end. Martiniere, Did. Geogr. T. 2. p. 188. b.
The word belfry is compounded of the Teutonic bell and freid, peace, becaufe the bells were rung here for preferving the peace. Du Cange, loc. cit.
Belfry is alfo ufed for that part of a fteeple wherein the bells are hung. Somner, Antiq. Canterb, p. 160. This is fometimes called by middle-age writers campanile, do- earia, and trifegum. Sor/mer, ibid. p. igo. Du Cange, T. 4.
p. I2CO.
Belfry is more particularly ufed for the timber-work, which fuftains the bells in a fteeple j or that wooden ftructure, to which the bells in church-fteeples are faflened.
BELIDES, in antiquity. See Dan-aides, Cycl.
BELINGELA, in botany, a name given by fome authors to the malainfana, or mad-apples. See Melongena.
BELL (C)cL)~- The ufe of bells is very antient, as well as exten- five. We find them among Jews, Greeks, Romans, Chrifli- ans, and Heathens, varioufly applied, as on the necks of men, beafts, birds, horfes, fheep ; but chiefly hung in buildings, either religious, as In churches, temples, and monafteries ; or civil, as in houfes, markets, baths ; or military, as in camps and frontier towns.
In the antient monafteries, we find fix kinds of bells enume- rated by Durandus, viz.
Squilla, rung in the refectory; cymbalum, in the cloifler ; nola, in the choir ; ndida or dupla, in the clock ; campana, in the ileeple; and Jigmwi, in the tower. Durand. Rational. 1. 1. c. 14. Spdm. GlofT p. 99. 515, 522* Du Cange, Glofl. Lat. T. 4. p. 862.
Belethus a has much the fame ; only that for fquilla he puts tintinabulum, and places the campana in the tower, and campa- Suppl. Vol. I,
netia in the cloifter. Others place the tintinabulum or iinmo* htm in the refectory or dormitory b ; and add another bell called eorrigamcula, rung at the time of giving difcipline, to call the monks to be flogged *. The cymbalum is fometimes alfo faid to have been rung in the cloifler, to call the monks tb meat d . — [ a Beleth. Divinor. Officior. c. 86. >> Du Cange, Gioff. Lat.T.4. 1130&1131. c Id. T. 2. p. 1232. A Id T 1 P- J 33?~]
Among the Greeks, thofe who went the nightly rounds in camps or garifons, carried with them a little bell, which they rung at each centry-box, to fee that the foldiers on watch were awake. Suid. ap. Aquin. Lex. Milit. T. 2. p. 366. Pitifc. Lex. Ant. T. 2. p. 966.
A codonophorus, or bell-man, alio Walked in funeral proceffionsi at a diftance before the corps, not only to keep off the croud* but to advertife the fa??ien dialis to keep out of the way, for fear of being polluted by the fight, or by the funerary mufic; Pitifc. T. r- p. 480. voc. codonophorus.
The prieft of Proferpine at Athens, called bieropbantus, rung a bell, to call the people to facrifice. Danet. in voc. campana. There were alfo bells in the houfes of great men, to call up the fervants in a morning c . Zonaras allures us, that bells were hung with whips on the triumphal chariots of their victo- rious generals, to put them in mind, that they were ftill liable to the public juftice f .— [ e Pitifc. Lex. Ant. T. 2. p. 966. f Zonar. II. p. 32. ap. Pitifc. loc. cit.]
Bells were put on the necks of criminals going to execution, that perfons might be warned by the noife to get out of the way of fo ill an omen as the fight of the hangman, or the con- demned criminal, who was devoted, and jufl going to befacri- ficed to the dii manes. Pitifc Lex. Ant. T. z. p. 966. For bells on the necks of brutes, exprefs mention is made ,o£ them in Phaedrus,
— Celfa cervice eminens,
Clammque collo jatlans tintinnahdmn. Phedr. II. S. 4. Taking thefe bells away was conflrued by the civil law theft ; and if the beaft was loft by this means, the perfon who took away the bells was to make fatisfaction. Pitifc. Lex. Antiq. T. 2. p. 966.
Among the Jews, we find mention in fcripture of bells made ufe of in the temple. Their figure is not known ; but they were made of copper, and their found was fharp, and heard to a great diftance. Calmet, Diet. Bibl. T. 1. p. 276. The high-prieft had a great number of little golden bells huno- to the border of his garment, to give notice when he entered into, and when he came out of, the fanctuary, and fave him the trouble of knocking at the door. Danet, Diet. Ant. Calmet, loc. cit.
The prophet Zachary fpeaks of bells hung to the bridles of war- horfes, that thereby they might be accuftomed to noife. Calm. ib. T. 1. p. 275.
There are difputes about the number of bells which wefe inter- mixed with pomegranates on Aaron's garment. Some will have it only twelve, others fifty, others ra'ife it to fixty-fixj others to feventy-two, and fome to eighty. The kings of Per- fia are faid to have had the like habit. We may add, that the Arabian ladies, who are about the prince's perfon, to ferve and divert him, have little gold bells fkftcned to their legs, neck, and elbows, the motion of which, when they dance, makes an agreeable fort of harmony. The princeffes of this country are alfo faid to wear large, hollow gold rings, filled with little flints, which found like bells when they walk. Sometimes alfo large circles, with little rings hung round them, produce the fame effect. Sometimes they wear a number of flat bobs fixed to the ends of their hair, which is matted, and hangs long behind, ferving to make a noife as often as they ftir, and give notice of the miftrefs's palling by, that the fervants may behave refpect- fully, and flrangers retire, to avoid feeing the perfon who paflcs. Calmet, loc cit.
There is a curious obfervation in a paper of Mr. Reaumur's in the memoirs of the Paris academy, relating to the fhape mofl proper for bells, to give them the loudeft and clcareft found. He obferves, that as pots, and other vefTels more immediately neceffary to the fervice of life, were doubtlefs made before bells, it probably happened, that the obferving thefe veffels to have a found when ftruck, gave occafion to making bells, in- tended only for found, in that form; but that it does not ap- pear that this is the moft eligible figure ; for lead, a metal which is, in its common flate, not at all fonorous, yet becomes greatly fo on its being call into a particular form, and that very different from the common fhape of bells. In melting lead fcr the common occafions of calling in fmall quantities, it is ufu- ally done in an iron ladle ; and as the whole is feldom poured out, the remainder, which falls to the bottom of the ladle, cools into a mafs of the fhape of that bottom. This is eonfequently a fegment of a fphere, thickeft in the middle, and thinner to- wards the edges : nor is the ladle any neceffary part of the ope- ration, fince if a mafs of lead be caft in that form in a mould of earth or fand, in any of thefe cafes it is found to be very fonorous. Now, if this fhape alone can give found to a metal which in other forms is perfectly mute, how much more mufl it neceffarily give it to other metals naturally fonorous in whatever form. It fhould feem, that bells would much better perform their office in this than in any other form, and that 4 P it
