An early reference to Change Ringing?

June 10, 2013
A Thomas Miller
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The English are serious, . . . They are good sailors and betterpirates, cunning, treacherous and thievish; above three hundred are said to behanged annually at London. , . . Hawkingis the general sport of the gentry; they are more polite in eating than theFrench, devouring less bread, but more meat, which they roast to perfection. .. . They are powerful in the field, successful against their enemies, impatientof anything like slavery; vastly fond of great noises that fill the ear, suchas the firing of cannon, drums, and the ringing of bells, so that it is commonfor a number of them, that have got a glass in their heads, to go up into somebelfry, and ring the bells for hours together for the sake of exercise. If theysee a foreigner very well made, or particularly handsome, they will say: 'It isa pity he is not an Englishman!'

A GERMAN VISITOR (in 1598)

Quoted by T H White in “England Have My Bones�