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the hours, was peculiar to Germany. In seem to have been first established on a per Berlin, the Elector John George appointed manent footing in Germany, and perhaps be watchmen in the year 1588, but in 1677 there fore watchmen in the streets. In England were none in that capital, and the city officers there were none of these watchmen; and in were obliged to call out the hours. Mon general they were very rare beyond the taigne, during his travels in 1580, thought boundaries of Germany. That watchmen were posted on the tops of towers, in the the calling out of the night-watch in Ger earliest ages, to look out for the approach of man cities a very singular custom. "The watchmen," says he, "went about the houses an enemy, is well known. In the times of in the night-time, not so much on account of feudal dissension, whert one chief, if he thieves as on account of fires and other 1 called in any assistance, could often do a alarms. When the clocks struck, the one great deal of harm to a large city, either by plundering and burning the suburbs and was obliged to call out aloud to the other, neighboring villages, or by driving away the and to ask what it was o'clock, and then to cattle of the citizens, and attacking single wish him a good night." This circumstance travellers, such precaution was more neces he remarks also when speaking of Innsary than at present. The nobility, there spruck. Mabillon likewise, who made a literary tour through Germany, describes fore, kept watchmen in their strong castles stationed on towers; and this practice pre calling out the hours as a practice alto gether peculiar to that country. The horn vailed in other countries besides Ireland and of the watchmen seems to be the biiccina of Burgundy. It appears by the laws of Wales that a watchman with a horn was kept inthe ancients, and was at first an ox's horn, though it was afterwards made of metal. the king's palace. The German princes had The rattle, which was most proper for cities, in their castles, at any rate in the sixteenth as horns were for villages, seems to be of century, tower watchmen, who were obliged later invention. From the name of this in to blow a horn every morning and evening. strument, called in some parts of Germany a At first the citizens themselves were rate!, arose the appellation of ratclwache, obliged to keep watch in turns on the church which was established in Hamburg in 1671. steeples, as well as at the town gates, as may The Chancellor Von Ludwig deduces the be seen in a police ordinance of the city of common form of watchmen's cry, "Hear, Einbeck in the year 1573. It was the duty my masters, and let me tell you," from the of these watchmen, especially where there Romans, who, as he says, were most liberal were no town clocks, to announce certain with the word "master;" but the Roman periods, such as those of opening and shut watchmen did not call out. The city ser ting the city gates. The idea of giving or vants or beadles were most likely the first ders to these watchmen to attend not only persons appointed to call out the hours. to danger from the enemy but from fire also, These, therefore, called out to their masters, and after the introduction of public clocks to and "our masters" is still the usual appella prove their vigilance by making a signal tion given to the magistrates in old cities, with a horn, must have naturally occurred : and the utility of this regulation was so im particularly in the central and southern por tions of Germany and Switzerland. portant that watchmen on steeples were re Watchmen who were stationed on steeples tained even when cities, by the prevalence of by day as well as by night, and who, every peace, had no occasion to be apprehensive time the clock struck, were obliged to give of hostile incursions. After this period per a proof of their vigilance by blowing a horn, sons were appointed for the particular pur