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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Although not on bells, the motto </DIV>
<DIV>INTACTUM SILEO PERCUTE DULCE CANO</DIV>
<DIV>is certainly on instruments of the harpsichord family dating from 1579 and
well into the 1750's and probably much earlier too </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>PJT</DIV>
<DIV> </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=philip_denton@kzo3f-PXFThU3rWW_3vwo0_CDFp9VeAwAwtNT7WPkmaofaV6_7sIRY9h0ySpjXsnkqRhypC8z6_JSfHK_oZphm1wnUe5OFHkQcfMMg.yahoo.invalid
href="mailto:philip_denton@Nrzx85Q6bckX5L1ePSS3fpDFiCu_cXE-ySaGs4XrAoClSehIpX-mBrY9nCp5eDSLzPwI-ONBu7vr-d8irX53iw.yahoo.invalid">Philip Denton</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com
href="mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com">bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, May 08, 2011 1:19 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Bell Historians] Latin
Inscription</DIV>
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<DIV>I would be interested to discover the earliest known uses of the
Latin inscription </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>INTACTUM SILEO PERCUTE DUCE CANO</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(which translates approximately as "Untouched I am silent, when
struck I sweetly sing.")</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It appears on the tenor at Hornchurch (my home tower), which is by
William Mears 1779. I am aware of it appearing on bells by various other
C18 founders, but I'm not sure whether it first came into use at that
time, or was reused by these founders from older bells which had been
recast. Was it used on pre-Reformation bells? I have had a quick look
through the relevant parts of various county surveys, but haven't
spotted it as a medieval inscription.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Philip</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P></DIV><!-- end group email --></BODY></HTML>