At Croyland, Abbot Egebric “caused to be made two great bells which he named Bartholomew and Bethelmus, two of middle size, called Turketul and Tatwyn, and two lesser, Pega and Bega.”  Also at Croyland were placed “two little bells which Fergus the brass worker of St. Botolph’s had lately given,” in the church tower, “until better times,” when the monks expressed a hope that they should improve all their buildings and appointments.

Oil that dropped from the framework on which church bells were hung was regarded in Florence as a panacea for various ailments.  People who suffered from certain complaints were rubbed with this oil, and fully believed that it helped them.

The curfew bell was a famous institution; but the name was not originally applied to the bell itself.  This leads to another curious bit of domestic metal.  The popular idea of a curfew is that of a bell; a bell was undoubtedly rung at the curfew hour, and was called by its name; but the actual curfew (or couvre feu) was an article made of copper, shaped not unlike a deep “blower,” which was used in order to extinguish the fire when the bell rang.  There are a few specimens in England of these curious covers:  they stood about ten to fifteen inches high, with a handle at the top, and closed in on three sides, open at the back.  The embers were shovelled close to the back of the hearth, and the curfew, with the open side against the back of the chimney, was placed over them, thus excluding all air.  Horace Walpole owned, at Strawberry Hill, a famous old curfew, in copper, elaborately decorated with vines and the York rose.

[Illustration:  A COPPER “CURFEW”]

[Illustration:  SANCTUARY KNOCKER, DURHAM CATHEDRAL]

The Sanctuary knocker at Durham Cathedral is an important example of bronze work, probably of the same age as the Cathedral door on which it is fastened.  They both date from about the eleventh century.  Ever since 740, in the Episcopate of Cynewulf, criminals were allowed to claim Sanctuary in Durham.  When this knocker was sounded, the door was opened, by two porters who had their accommodations always in two little chambers over the door, and for a certain length of time the criminal was under the protection of the Church.

In speaking of the properties of lead, the old English Bartholomew says:  “Of uncleanness of impure brimstone, lead hath a manner of neshness, and smircheth his hand who toucheth it... a man may wipe off the uncleanness, but always it is lead, although it seemeth silver.”  Weather vanes, made often of lead, were sometimes quite elaborate.  One of the most important pieces of lead work in art is the figure of an angel on the chewet of Ste. Chapelle in Paris.  Originally this figure was intended to be so controlled by clockwork that it would turn around once in the course of the twenty-four hours, so that his attitude of benediction should be directed to all four quarters of the city; but this was not practicable,