Bell, Andrew, D.D. , inventor of what is called the Lancas/erian School System, was born at St. Andrew's, 1752, and educated at the University there. Taking orders in the Church of England, he was appointed chaplain at Fort St. George, and minister of St. Mary's church at Madras. Here he commenced instructing gratuitously the orphan children of the military asy- lum, and made the first attempt at the system of mu- tual instruction. On his return to England he pub- lished in London, in 1797, An Experiment made at the Male Asylum at Ma Iras, suggesting a Systi m by which a School or Family may teach itself und r th > superintend- ence of the Master or Parent. The pamphlet attracted but little attention until, in the following year, Joseph Lancaster opened a school in Southwark for poor chil- dren, supported by subscription, and conducted upon this system. It was so successful that similar, schools were established elsewhere. The education of the poor being undertaken on so large a scale by a secta- rian, the subscribers being also in the main dissidents from the Church of England, caused some alarm in the leading members of that church. Bell was opposed to Lancaster, and in 1807 was employed to establish schools where the Church doctrine would he taught, and to prepare books for them. Funds were provided, and the rivalry, by stimulating both parties to exer- tion, resulted in nothing but good; though the par- ticular feature, that of mutual instruction with the help of a master only, has been found to require very material modifications. Dr. Bell, as a reward for his labors, was made a prebendary of Westminster. He died at Cheltenham, January 28, 1832, leaving over $600,000 for educational purposes. — English < yclopcedia. Bell, "William, D.D., an English divine, was born about 1731, and was educated at Magdalen College, Cambridge. He became prebendary of St. Paul's, and throughout a long life was noted for his piety, learn- ing, and benevolence. In 1810 he founded eight new scholarships at Cambridge for the benefit of sons of poor clergymen. He died at Westminster in 1816. His writings include An Inquiry into th' d'vine Mission of John the Baptist and of Christ (Lond. 1761, 8vo ; 3d e'd. 1K1K); Defence of Revelation (1750, 8vo); Author- ity, Nature, and Design of the Lord's Supper ( ! 780, 8vo) ; Sermons on various Subjects (Lond. 1817, 2 vols. 8vo). — Darling, Cycli>p>rdin /Jiblingraphica, i, 233; Allibone, Dictionary of Authors, i, 101.
Bell, Book, and Candle. In the Romish Church the ceremony of excommunication was formerly at- tended with great solemnity. Lamps or candles were extinguished by being thrown on the ground, with an imprecation that those against whom the excommuni- cation was pronounced might be extinguished by the judgment of God. The summons to attend this cere- mony was given by the ringing of a bell, and the curses accompanying it were pronounced out of a book by the ! priest. Hence the phrase of "cursing by bell, book, and candle." The following account, from the arti- cles of the General Great Curse, found at Canterbury A.D. 1502, as it is sot down by Thomas Becon, in the I Reliqucs of Rome, is taken from Eadie, s. v. This was
BELLAMY
737
BELLARMINE
solemnly thundered out once in every quarter — that is, as the old book saitli . — "''The Fyrst Sunday of Ad- vent, at eomyng of our Lord Jhesu Cryst : 'i he fyrst Sunday of Lenteen : The Sonday in the Feste of thj Trynyte : and Sonday within the Utas (Octaves) of the Blessed Vyrgin our Lady St. Mary.' At which Action the Prelate stands in the Pulpit in his Aulbe, the Cross being lifted up before him, and the Candles lighted on both sides of it, and begins thus, ' By Au- thority God, Fader, Son, and Holy-Ghost, and the glo- rious Mother and Mayden, our Lady St. Mary, and the Blessed Apostles Peter, and Paul, and all Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Vyrgyne, and the hallows of God; All thos byn accursed that purchases YVritts, or Let- ters of any Leud Court, or to let the Processe of the Law of Holy Chirch of Causes that longcn skilfully to Christen Court, the which should not be denied by none other Law: And all that maliciously bereaven Holy Chirch of her right, or maken Ho\y Chirch lay fee, that is hallowed and Blessed. And also all thos that for malyce or wrathe of Pi.tsou, Vicare, or Priest, or of any other, or for wrongfull covetyse of himself with- holden rightful Tyths, and Offerings, Rents, or Mortu- aries from her own Parish Chirch, and by way of covet}'se fals lyche taking to God the worse, and to hemself the better, or else torn him into another use, then hem oweth. For all Chrysten Man and Women been hard bound on pain of deadty Sin, not onlycheby ordinance of Man, but both in the ould Law, and also in the new Law, fur to pay trulyche to God and holy Chirch the Tyth part of all manner of encrease that they winnen trulyche by the Grace of God, both with her travell, and alsoe with her craftes whatsoe they be truly gotten.' And then concludes all with the ( lurse it self, thus, 'And now b}r Authoritie aforesaid we De- nounce all thos accursyd that are. so founden guyltie, and all thos that maintaine hem in her Sins or gyven hem hereto either help or councell, soe they be depart- ed froe God, and all holi Chirch : and that they have noe part of the Passyon of our Lord Jhesu Cryst, ne of noe Sacraments, ne no part of the Prayers among Christen Folk : But that they be accursed of God, and of the Chirch, froe the sole of her Foot to the crown of her hede, sleaping and waking, sitting and standing, and in all her Words, and in all her Wcrks; but if they have noe Grace of God to amend hem here in this Lyfe, for to dwell in the pain of Hell for ever withouten End : Fiat : Fiat. Doe to the Boke : Quench the Candles : Ring the Bell : Amen, Amen.' And then the Book is clapped together, the Candles blown out, and the Bells rung, with a most dreadful noise made by the Congregation present, bewailing the accursed persons concerned in that Black Doom pro- nounced against them."