subs. (Winchester College).—See quots.
c. 1840. MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College, 62. The junior in chamber had a hard time of it;… while endeavouring to get through his multifarious duties, he had to keep a sharp ear on the performance of the chapel bell, and to call out accordingly, ‘first peal!’ ‘second peal!’ and BELLS DOWN!
1878. H. C. ADAMS, Wykehamica, 256. At a quarter to six the peal again rang out, and the cry of ‘BELLS GO’ was sounded in shrill tones through every chamber of College and Commoners…. After ten minutes the peal changed, and only a single bell continued to ring. This was notified by the cry ‘BELLS GO SINGLE,’ and five minutes afterwards, by that of ‘BELLS DOWN.’… Presently the Head-master … would descend from his library; or the Second Master … would appear at the archway near Sixth Chamber, and the warning voice would be heard ‘Gabell,’ or ‘Williams through,’ ‘Williams,’ or ‘Ridding in.’ Straightway there would be a general rush, the College-boys darting across the quadrangle in the rear of the Præfect of Chapel; while the Commoners hurried in, keeping up a continuous stream from their more distant quarters.
GIVE HER THE BELLS, AND LET HER FLY, phr. (old).—An old proverb taken from hawking, meaning that when a hawk is good for nothing, the bells are taken off, and it is suffered to escape, applied to the dismissal of any one that the owner has no longer occasion for. See Reliquiæ Antiquæ, i. 27; Patient Grissel, p. 16. (HALLIWELL).
