ed is a ring of twelve musical bells, and though I am not master
of the bob major and tripple-grandfire, yet am well informed, the
ringers are masters of the bell-rope: but to excel in Birmingham is
not new.

The seats in the church would disgrace a meaner parish than that of
Birmingham; one should be tempted to think, they are the first ever
erected upon the spot, without taste or order: the timber is become hard
with age, and to the honour of the inhabitants, bright with use. Each
sitting is a private freehold, and is farther disgraced, like the coffin
of a pauper, with the paltry initials of the owner's name. These divine
abodes are secured with the coarse padlocks of a field gate.

By an attentive survey of the seats, we plainly discover the increasing
population of Birmingham. When the church was erected, there was
doubtless sufficient room for the inhabitants, and it was probably the
only place for public worship during 800 years: as the town increased,
gallery after gallery was erected, 'till no conveniency was found for
more. Invention was afterwards exerted to augment the number of
sittings; every recess capable only of admitting the body of an infant,
was converted into a seat, which indicates, the continual increase of
people, and, that a spirit of devotion was prevalent among them.

The floor of the church is greatly injured by internment, as is also the
light, by the near approach of the buildings, notwithstanding, in 1733,
the middle roof of the chancel was taken off, and the side walls raised
about nine feet, to admit a double range of windows.

Dugdale, who wrote in 1640, gives us twenty-two drawings of the arms, in
the windows, of those gentry who had connection with Birmingham.

1. Astley. 10. Freville.
2. Sumeri. 11. Ancient Birmingham.
3. Ancient Birmingham. 12. Knell.
4. Ancient Birmingham, 13. Fitz-Warrer.
the 2nd house. 14. Montalt.
5. Seagreve. 15. Modern Birmingham.
6. Modern Birmingham. 16. Hampden.
7. Ancient and modern 17. Burdet.
Birmingham, 18. Montalt.
quartered. 19. Modern Birmingham.
8. Peshale quartering 20. Beauchamp.
Bottetort. 21. Ferrers.
9. Birmingham quartering 22. Latimere.
Wyrley.

These twenty