B E I

414 BEL

foosed of three parts of copper and one part of tin. Its colouris grevish white; it is very hard, sonorous, and elastic. Thegreater part of the tin may be separated by melting the alloy, andthen pouring a little water on it. The use of bells is very ancientand extensive. We find them among Jews , Greeks, Romans,Christians, and Heat hens, variously applied; a> on the necks of men,beasts, bird', horses, and sheep : but chiefly hung in buildings,either religious, as in churches, temples, and monasteries ; orcivil, as in houses, markets, and baths; or military, as in campsand frontier-towns. Hells are ranked by musicians among tbemusical instruments of percussion. The sound of a bell is con-jectured to consist in a vibratory motion of its parts, much likethat of a musical chord. The stroke of the clapper must neces-sarily cliange the figure of the bell, and of a round make anoval: but the metal having a great degree of elasticity, that partwill return back again which the stroke drove farthest off fromthe centre, and that even some small matter nearer the centrethan before ; so that the two parts, which before were extremesof the longest diameter, then become those of the shortest; andthus the external surface of the bell undergoes alternate changesof figure, and by that means gives that tremulous motion to theair in which the sound consists. M. Perrault maintains that thesound of the same bell or chord is a compound of the sounds ofthe several parts thereof, so that where the parts are homogeneous,and the dimensions of the figure uniform, there is such a perfectmixture of all these sounds as constitutes one uniform, smooth,rveu sound ; and the contrary circumstances produce harshness.This he proves from the hells differing in tone according to thepart struck ; and yet strike it any where, there is a motion of allthe parts. lie therefore considers bells as a compound of aninfinite number of rings, which according to their different di-mensions have different tones, as chords of different lengths have ;snd when struck, the vibrations of the parts immediately strut kdetermine the tone, being supported by a snflicient number ofconsonant tones in the other parts. Hells are observed to bebeard farther placed on plains than on hills; and still fartherin rallies than on plains: the reason of which will not bedifficult to assign, if it be considered that the higher the sonorousbodv is, the rarer is its medium ; consequently, the less propervehicle it is to convey it to a distance. Nankin in China wasanciently famous for the largeness of its bells ; but their enormousweight brought down the tower, and the hells have ever sincelain on the ground. One of these bells is near 12 English feethigh, the diameter 7-j, and its circumference 23 ; its figure al-most cylindric, except for a swelling in the middle; and thethickness of the metal about the edges seven inches. From thedimensions of this bell, its weight is computed at 50,0001b.which is more than double the weight of that of Effort, said by FatherKircher to be the greatest bell in the world. Hut others assert thatthe hells at Moscow are vastly larger: that given to the cathedralby Boris Godonof, weighed 288,000 pounds ; even this howeveris exceeded by the bell which was cast by order of the empressAnne, the weight of which is 432,000 pounds ; its circumferenceat the bottom more than 21 yards, its height 19 feet, and itsthickness 23 inches. How diminutive in comparison of thismost stupendous hell are the largest in England, the greatestbell in Christ Church college, Oxford , weighing only 17,000ounds; that at St. Paul’s, London , 11,474, and Great Tom of.incoln, 10,854 pounds. In the times of popery, bells werebaptized, and anointed oleo ehrismatis: they were exorcised, andblessed by the bishop ; from a belief, that, when these cere-monies were performed, they had a power to drive the devilout of the air, to calm tempests, to extinguish fire, and even torevive the dead.'—The ritual for these ceremonies is contained inthe Roman pontifical ; and it was usual in their baptism to give tobells the name ofsome saint. Hence thev frequently had inscriptionsbn them, denoting these and their other uses, as the following:Funcra plaugo, Fulgura frango, Sabbata panpo,

F.xcito lent os, dissipo \ enlos, Paco ententes. AndLaudo Deum veruni, picksm voco, conjugo clerum,Defunctos ploro, pestem fugo, testa deeoro.

Iteamnr, in the memoirs of the Paris Academv, has the follow-ing observations relating to the shape most proper for befls, togive them the loudest and clearest sound. He observes, “ thatas pots and oilier vessels more immediately necessary to the ser-vice of life were doubtless made before bells, it probably hap-

pened that the ob-erving these vessels to have a sound whenstruck, gave occasion to making bells, intended only for sound,-in that form ; but that it does not appear that this is the mosteligible figure ; for lead, a metal w hich is, in its common state,not at all sonorous, yet becomes greatly so on its being cast into aparticular form, and that very different from the common liapeof bells. In melting lead for the common occasions of castingin small quantities, it is usually done in an iron ladle : and as thewhole is seldom poured out, the remainder, which falls to thebottom of the ladle, cools into a mass of the shape of that cot-lorn. This is consequently a segment of a sphere, thickest inthe middle, and thinner towards the edges ; nor is the ladle anynecessary part of the operation, since it a mass of lead be cast inthalioim in a mould of earth or sand, in any of these cases it isfound to be very sonorous. Now if this shape alone can givesound to a metai which in other forms is perfectly mute, howmuch more must it necessarily give it to other metals naturallysonorous in whatever form? Il should seem, that bells wouldmuch better perform their office in this than in any other form:and that it must particularly be a thing of great advantage tothe small bells ol common house-clocks, which are required tohave a shrill note, and yet are not allowed any great size.” Headds, “ that had our forefathers had opportunities of being ac-quainted with the sound of metals in tins shape, we should pro-bably have had all our bells at present of this form.”

Bell Metal, a composition of tin and copper melted togetherin due proportion ; which is more sonorous than either of theseingredients taken apart. The ordinary proportion is about 22or 231b. of tin to 100 lb. of copper; though the proportionvaries according to the size ot the hells ; a greater quantity ofcopper being used in the greater hells than in the smaller ones.Some add lead and brass, others zinc or spelter, to the composi-tion. Though tin is specifically lighter than copper, yet the gra-vity of the compound bell-metal is greater than that of copperitself.

Hell, in architecture, is used to denote the body of the Corin-thian and Composite capital, by reason of its resemblance to theligure of a bell inverted. It is also called vase and tambour, andsometimes corbeil.

Hell, in chemistrv, denotes a glass vessel placed over somematter in a state of exhalation, either to collect the vapour or ga-ther tlie flowers.

Hell, Diving. See Diving.

Hells, Electrical . See Electricity.

15ell-shapkd, I1ei.l-for.m, or Campanulate Corolla, in bo-tany, swelling out without a tube, as campanula, convolvulus, &c.The term properly belongs to monopetalous corollas only, but issometimes extended to others.

BELLARDiA, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, andtetrandria class. Calyx four-cleft, superior ; capsule two-celled ;seeds numerous. One species, native of Cayenne.

BELLARM1N, Robert, an Italian Jesuit , one of the bestcontroversial writers of his time. In 137t) he read lectures atHome on controversies, with such applause, that .Sixtus,V. send-ing a legate into France in 1590, appointed him as a divine, incase any dispute in religion should be discussed, lie returned toRome , and was raised successivclv to different offices, till at last,in 1599, he w; s honoured with a cardinal’s hat, to accept of which,it is said, they were obliged to force him bv the threats of ananathema. . It is certain, that no Jesuit ever did greater honour tohis order, and tliat no author over defended (he cause of theRomish church in general, and that of the pope in particular, tomore advantage. The protectants have owned this sufficiently:for during the space of 50 yiars, there was scarcely any consider-able divine among them, who did not fix upon this author for the-object of his books of controversy. Notwithstanding the zealwith which this Jesuit maintained the power of 1 the pope over thetemporality of kings, he displeased Sixtus V. in his work DeRomano Fontilice, by not insisting that the [lower which Jesus C hrist gave to his vicegerent was direct, but only indirect; andhad the mortification to see il put into the index ot the inquisition,though it was afterwards removed. He left, at his death, to tlieVirgin Mary one half of his soul, and to Jesus Christ the other.He is said to have been a man of great chastity and temperance,and remarkable for his patience. 11 is stature w as low, and hismien very indifferent; but the excellence ot his genius might lie9 . discovered