are occasionally lighted out of doors, not very far from each other. Young persons, of both sexes, then chase each other between them; in utter ignorance, however, that this "passing between two fires" is of early eastern origin, and was formerly of much significance.

The virtues of the symbol of the cross are acknowledged by our peasantry on many widely different occasions. If the fire will not burn readily, almost every housewife will place the poker against the bars, and amongst the coals, so as to form a cross, in full confidence that the fire will soon burn briskly. Blackberries are considered to be unwholesome, and ought not to be eaten, after the spiders have covered them with their silken webs; for then "the Devil has thrown his club over them." Very few mothers will suffer the full moon to shine in at the bedroom windows when their children have retired to rest; for the popular opinion is, that her rays will cause the sleepers to lose their senses. Should children observe the moon looking into their rooms, they are taught to endeavour to avert her influence by repeating the words

"I see the moon ;
The moon sees me.
God bless the priest

That christened me."

Common salt is considered to have many purifying qualities; and a plateful is frequently placed on the chest of a corpse, under the impression that it will prevent the body from swelling. Miners are in general very ignorant, and consequently very superstitious. Very few of them go to work without some charm being hung round the neck, or worn in the pocket. Gambling is one of their besetting sins, and they possess quite a code of observances in order that every one may leave off a

winner. No one will whistle when he is working in the mine, under the idea that the roof may fall upon and smother him.

The near approach of visitors is indicated by various omens; and rules are laid down by which even their sex may be distinguished. Thus :-a flake of soot on the first bar of the fire-grate betokens a boy visitor; on the second a man; on the third a woman; and on the fourth a girl. If the hands are clapped before the flake, it will fly off at the end of as many strokes as there will be days before the visitor arrives. The number of flakes also indicates the number of persons who will visit the house within the limited time. Our modern Lancashire witches are celebrated for their beauty; and many of them are not a little proud of their fair complexions. Maid-servants possess this weakness in common with their mistresses; some of them employ natural cosmetics in order to preserve their beauty, and may be detected washing themselves in cold spring water for this purpose, or in May dew during that month of the year. This is said, and with much truth, to have the property of removing freckles from the skin. The old adage is still in full force

"Those who wish to be fair and stout,

Must wipe their faces with the dish-clout;
Those who wish to be wrinkled and grey,
Must keep the dish-clout far away."

Thin oatmeal bread is much used by the operatives in Lancashire; and may be found on the rack in almost every house. From this our youths have obtained the name of "Oat Cake Lads," and under this designation have rendered themselves notorious during several popular commotions. At certain seasons of the year, groups of children parade the villages and demand a piece of

oat-cake at every house; while some rattle at the door the rest sing

"One for Peter; two for Paul;

Three for Christ, who made us all.

Up with your kettle-down with your pon;
Give us some oat cake, and we will begone."

At Christmas they are more jealous of one another, and are desirous of securing all the presents individually. Hence, each boy or girl visits the houses alone; and both early in the morning and late at night we may hear a feeble voice at our doors plaintively calling—

"I wish you a merry Christmas,

And a happy New Year;
Your pocket full of money,

Your cellar full of beer.

The road is very dirty,

But my shoes [or clogs] are very clean;
I've got a little pocket,

To put a penny in.

I knock at the knocker,

I ring the little bell ;

Please give me then a penny,
For singing this so well."

As will have been seen in the early portions of this work, several of our local legends turn upon the stratagems by which the devil has been outwitted. This is a portion of our folk-lore which we hold in common with many different races of people; and has probably been imported into our country by some of our earlier colonists. At Hothersall Hall, near Ribchester, a demon is supposed to be "laid " under a laurel tree until he can spin a rope from the sands of the River Ribble, which runs near the house. The same stratagem occurred to a schoolmaster resident at Cockerham, near Lancaster, on

the shores of Morecambe Bay, when he was at his wits' end how he might avoid being carried bodily off to hell. Some local rhymester has woven the story into rude verse; but the transcriber has mislaid his reference to the old magazine in which the composition first appeared :

66 THE DEVIL AT COCKERHAM."

"A story strange I'll tell to you,
Of something very old and new.
New-because of it you 've never heard ;
Strange-even now, upon my word.

"The devil his presence hath maintained;
He came unfettered and unchained;
In the churchyard his form was seen,
His habit mixed of blue and green;
Such ne'er before, or since, was seen.

"What time his reverence had escaped,
When the wide gates of hell wide gaped;
He with his horrid crew in plight,
From thence on lowly earth alight.

"As smoke uprolleth from some mighty fire,

These spirits blue and green rise from the mire ;

All shapes and sizes they at will assume

Of grovelling snakes, or warriors decked with plume.

26 Wandering up and down the earth,

Midst scenes of sorrow, scenes of mirth;

Till at last the devil tired hard,

Alights in Cockerham Churchyard;
Invisible, but still he prowled
About, and oft at midnight howled,
Scaring the natives of the vale,

Dwelling in neighbourhood of my tale.

All things went wrong, and nought was right,
None could do aught, try as they might;
By night, by day, his presence was felt,
When they ate or fasted, stood or knelt.

Q

"The people at length in assembly met,

And appointed the schoolmaster the devil to get;
To try his skill if he could not master,

And with his power the devil bind faster ;

So proud of his station, and confidence placed in him,
He determined to seek and try to chasten him.

"One day in the school, in the corner of churchyard,
The windows all fastened, the doors all barred,
With the gypsies' blarney, and the witches' cant,
He drew him forth with his horrible rant.
"Amazed stood the pedagogue, frightened to see,
A spirit in harness from head to the knee;
With eyes large as saucers, and horns on his head,
His tail out behind, a dread shadow he shed.
"All silent he stood, the master quaked more,
And tried to move, as if for the door;
The spirit his tail gave a wag from behind,
Now for his doom! the master made up his mind.
'Ay,' thought he, 'I'm now in a pickle,

But wouldn't I mangle him, if now I'd my sickle !'
So to put on a bold face, he straightway began—
'Who art thou? answer, fiend or man?'

'Know I'm the devil, hear and tremble,

And unless thou attendest me, thou 'lt soon me resemble ; And unless by thy lore thou anon entanglest me, By the shivers and brimstone, mangled thou 'lt be.' "'Twas said in a voice deep as thunder outpoured, 'Twas a terrible sound, as a lion had roared. Aghast stood the master, his limbs oscillating, Too frightened to speak, or to think, contemplating! 'Quick,' said the devil, 'three questions thou must put, Or otherwise off with me thou must to my hut.'

"This put the chap more in a terrible flutter,

His voice now had gone, he could only mutter ;
At length, after thrice essaying, he thus began—

'Tell me, kind sir,' (O Moses! how wan

Was the fellow's countenance as he began)—

'How many drops of dew on yon hedges are hinging?' The devil and imps flew past it swinging;