PULLING THE BELL OF WORCESTER COLLEGE CHAPEL.

Samuel Foote was a student at Worcester College, Oxford, and when there
he practised many tricks, and soon found out what was ridiculous in any
man's character.

His biographer[273] records one of these tricks which he played off on
Dr Gower, the provost of the college. "The church belonging to the
college fronted the side of a lane where cattle were sometimes turned
out to graze during the night, and from the steeple hung the bell rope,
very low in the middle of the outside porch. Foote saw in this an object
likely to produce some fun, and immediately set about to accomplish his
purpose. He accordingly one night slyly tied a wisp of hay to the rope,
as a bait for the cows in their peregrination to the grazing ground.
The scheme succeeded to his wish. One of the cows soon after smelling
the hay as she passed by the church door, instantly seized on it, and,
by tugging at the rope, made the bell ring, to the astonishment of the
sexton and the whole parish.

"This happened several nights successively, and the incident gave rise
to various reports, such as not only that the church was haunted by evil
spirits, but that several spectres were seen walking about the
churchyard in all those hideous and frightful shapes which fear,
ignorance, and fancy usually suggest on such occasions.

"An event of this kind, however, was to be explored, for the honour of
philosophy, as well as for the quiet of the parish. Accordingly the
doctor and the sexton agreed to sit up one night, and on the first alarm
to run out and drag the culprit to condign punishment. Their plan being
arranged, they waited with the utmost impatience for the appointed
signal; at last the bell began to sound its usual alarm, and they both
sallied out in the dark, determined on making a discovery. The sexton
was the first in the attack. He seized the cow by the tail, and cried
out, 'It was a gentleman commoner, as he had him by the tail of his
gown;' while the doctor, who had caught the cow by the horns at the same
time, immediately replied, 'No, no, you blockhead, 'tis the postman, and
here I have hold of the rascal by his blowing-horn.' Lights, however,
were immediately brought, when the character of the real offender was
discovered, and the laugh of the whole town was turned upon the
doctor."

THE GENERAL'S COW.

At Plymouth there is, or was, a small green opposite the Government
House, over which no one was