Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Otl1e1· l\1etals

147

iп tЬе ruins of а castle ,Yhich Ьаd formerly belonged to t. he Arabs. Round the edge of this mortar \Yas the insc1·iptioп: " Complete Ыessing, and ever increasing · happiness and prosperity of every kind and an elevated апd happy social position for its owncr." The mortar ,Yas ricbly oгnamented. At Croyland, Abbot Egebric " caused to Ье made t,Yo gгeat bells ,vЬich he named Bartholome,v and Bethel­ mнs, t,vo of micldle sizc, callcd Tuгketul and Tat,vyп, апd t,vo lesser, Pega and Bega." Also at Croyland \Уеге placed " two little bclls which Fcrgus tl1e brass worker of St. Botolpl1's had lately given," in the church tower, " until better times," when the шonks expгessed а hope that they should iшp1·ove all their buildiпgs and appointments. Oil that dropped from tЬе framework on wl1icl1 church bells were hung was regarded in Florence as а panacea for various ailments. People who suffered fгom certaiп complaints were rubbed with this oil, and fully believed that it helped them. The curfew bell was а famous institution; but tl1e name \Yas not originally applied to the bell itself. This leads to anotl1eг curious Ьit of domestic шetal. The popular idea of а cuгfe,v is that of а bell; а bell was undoubtedly rung at the curfew hour, and was called Ьу its name; but the actual curfew (or couvre feu) was ап article made of copper, shapcd not unlike а deep " Ыower," ,vhich wa.s used in ordeг to extinguish the firc when the bell rang. There are а few specimens iп