I praise the true God,
I summon the people,
I assemble the clergy,
I mourn the dead,
I put the plague to flight,
I grace the feast,
I wail at the funeral,
I abate the lightening,
I proclaim the Sabbath,
I arouse the lazy,
I scatter the winds,
I soften the cruel.

– Medieval Bell Inscription
(Coleman, Bells: Their History Legends, Making and Uses)