Curious Antiquities

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1820 edition. Excerpt: ...be put over the fire place; and that all the family should retire to rest, or at least keep within doors. The time when this ought to be done, was signified by the ringing of a bell, called therefore the curfew bell, or ignitegium. It was the law of William the Conqueror, which introduced this practice first into England, and was abolished by Henry the First, in 1100. The ringing of the curfew bell gave rise to the prayer bell, as it is called, which is still retained in some protestant countries. Pope John the twenty-third, with a view to avert certain apprehended misfortunes, which rendered his life uncomfortable, gave orders, that every person, on hearing the ignitegium, should repeat the Ave Maria three times. When the appearance of a comet, and a dread of Turks, alarmed all Christendom, Pope Calixtus the Third increased these periodical times of prayer, by ordering the prayer bell to be rung also at noon. Whitsunday, why so called. Whitsunday is a solemn festival of the Christian church, observed on the fiftieth day after Easter, in memory of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles, in the visible appearance of fiery cloven tongues, and of those miraculous powers which were then conferred upon them. It is called Whitsunday, or Whitesunday, because this being one of the stated times for baptism of the ancient church, those who ware baptised put on white garments, as types of that spiritual purity they received in baptism. As the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles happened upon the day which the Jews called Pentecost, this festival retained the name of Pentecost amorig the Christians. Chapel, derivation of the word. A place of divine worship called a chapel, is derived from the Latin capella. In former times, when the kings of...