CURFEW, COURFEW, or COUVRE-FEU, a signal given in cities taken in war, for the inhabitants to go to bed. Pasquin says it was so called from being intended to advertise the people to secure themselves against the robberies and debaucheries of the night.

Curfew-Bell, in French couvre-feu, and in the law Latin of the middle ages, ignitium, or pyrigeum, was a signal for all persons to extinguish their fires. The most remarkable curfew in England was that established by William the Conqueror, who ordained, under severe penalties, that, as the ringing of the bell at eight o'clock in the evening, all lights and fires should be put out, and every one should go to bed; and hence to this day a bell rung about the time in question is called a curfew-bell. This law was abolished by Henry I. in 1100.

The practice in question was highly necessary to prevent accidents in those ages when the fires were placed in a hole in the middle of the floor, under an opening in the roof to allow the escape of the smoke. This hole was covered up when the family went to bed. The same practice still exists in some countries, particularly in certain parts of Scotland. But besides securing houses against accidents by fire, the law, so generally established in England for extinguishing or covering fires, was probably meant also to check the turbulence which frequently prevailed in the middle ages, by forcing the people to retire to rest, or to keep within doors. From this ancient practice has arisen a custom in Lower Saxony, of people, when they wish to go home sooner than the company choose to separate, saying that they hear the burgerglocke, the burgher's bell.

The ringing of the prayer bell, as it is called, which is still practised in some Protestant countries, originated in that of the curfew-bell. Pope John XXXIII. dreading that misfortunes were about to befall him, ordered every person on hearing the ignitium to repeat the Ave Maria three times, with a view to avert them. When the appearance of a comet, and a dread of the Turks, alarmed all Christendom, Pope Calixtus VIII. increased these periodical times of prayer, by ordering the prayer-bell to be also rung at the hour of noon.