the prison locks flew open, and they made their escape ; and many, when they had been cast into the water for a trial, have swam like a cork. One of them boasted she could go over the sea in an egg shell. It is held on all hands that they adore the devil, and become his bondslaves, to have for a term of years their pleasure and revenge. And indeed many of them are more mischievous than others in laming and destroying of cattle, and in drowning ships at sea, by raising storms. But the Lancashire Witches we see, chiefly divert themselves in merriment, and are therefore found to be more sociable than the rest.

CHAPTER XII.

A short description of the famous Lapland Witches.

THE Lapland witches, they tell us, can send wind to sailors, and take delight in nothing more than raising of storms and tempests, which they effect by repeating certain charms, and throwing up sand into the air. The best way to avoid their power is to BELIEVE IN God, who will not suffer them to hurt us; for here they are held to be restrained. As many mistake their children and relations to be bewitched when they die of distempers somewhat strange to the unskilful, so one poor woman or other is falsely accused of things which they are entirely ignorant of. So it has often happened.

This may suffice as to what comically or really happened, or related to witches; or such as are imagined to be possessed with evil and familiar spirits.

THE EAGLE AND CHILD.

(See page 19.)

Probably the most curious version of this legend is that contained in Hare's MSS., vol. ii.; which has been printed by the Lancaster Herald in the seventh volume of the Journal of the British Archæological Association. As the orthography is almost unintelligible to most readers the spelling is here modernised.

"THE FAUSE FABLE OF THE LORD LATHOM. A FAYNED TALE.”—When the war was 'twixt the Englishmen and the Irishmen, the power of the English so sore assaulted the Irishmen, that the king of them, being of Ireland, was constrained to take succour, by flight, into other parts for his safeguard; and the queen, being pregnant and great with child, right near her time of deliverance, for dread of the rudeness of the commonalty, took her flight into the wilderness, where her chance was to suffer travail of child; bringing forth two children, the one a son, the other a daughter; when after by natural compulsion, she and such gentlewomen as were with her was constrained to sleep, insomuch that the two children were ravished from the mother; and the daughter, as it is said, is kept in Ireland with the fairies. Insomuch that against the time of death of any of that blood of Stanleys, she maketh a certain noise in one quarter of Ireland, where she useth [to stay].

The son was taken and borne away with an eagle, and brought into Lancashire, into a park called Lathom Park, whereas did dwell a certain Lord named the Lord Lathom; the which Lord Lathom walking in his park heard a child lament and cry, and perceived the skirts

of the mantle lying over the nest side, and made his servants to bring down the child unto him.

And whereas both he and his wife being in far age, and she past conceiving of child; considering they never could have issue; reckoning that God had sent this child by miracle, they condescended to make this child their heir, and so did. At length this Lord Lathom and his wife deceased, and this young man, which was named Oskell of Lathom, reigned and ruled this land as right heir, and he had to issue a daughter which was his heir and child by the Lady Lathom.

It chanced so that one Stanley, being a younger brother of the House of Wolton in Cheshire, was servant to the Abbot of West Chester; this young man Stanley was carver to the Abbot, and he would not break his fast on the Sunday till he had heard the High Mass. Insomuch that it chanced one Sunday when the meat was served on the table, he had so great hunger he carved the pig's head, and conveyed one of the ears of the pig and did eat it.

When the Abbot sat down, and perchance missed this pig's ear, he was miscontent and in a great fume, and reviled so extremely and so heinously this young Stanley, that he threw the napkin at his head, and said he would do him no more service and departed. And he came to the king's court and obtained his service, and proved so active a fellow that the renown sprang and inflamed upon him, insomuch that the fame and bruit descended from him around this realm.

And when, as the use then was, that noble adventurers would seek their fortune and chance into divers and strange nations, one renowned gallant came into England, and he called as challenger for death and life, come who list. Insomuch that the king commanded this Stan

ley to cope with him; and, to make short protestation, his chance was to overthrow the challenger and obtain the victory.

Then the king made him knight, and gave him certain lands to live on.

After this foresaid Stanley came for marriage to the daughter of Oskell of Lathom, which was found in the eagle's nest, and obtained her favour, and espoused her. And then after the death of Oskell he was Lord Lathom, and enjoyed it many years. And for such service as he did afterwards the king made him Lord Stanley; and he was the first lord of the name; and so by that reason the Stanleys descended of Lathom give the eagle and child in their arms.

SAMLESBURY HALL AND THE LADY IN WHITE.

MIDWAY between Blackburn and Preston, on a broad and rich plain of glacial drift, stands the famous old Hall of Samlesbury. The view towards the south comprehends the wooded heights of Hoghton ;-on the east the background is filled in by the elevated ridges which run through Mellor, Ramsgreave, and Billington to Pendle; -the west is occupied by Preston and the broad estuary of the Ribble, the ancient Belisama; and on the north the correctly-named Longridge leads on to the heights of Bowland ;-thus enclosing a landscape which, for picturesque beauty, and historic interest, has few equals in the country.

It was here, in the early part of the reign of Henry II., that Gospatric de Samlesbury was seated in his ancestral home; surrounded by rich pastures and shut in by primeval forests of oak, from which the massive timbers

were selected which formed the framework of the magnificent structure erected during the reign of Edward III. The family pedigrees tell us that Cicely de Samlesbury married John de Ewyas about the middle of the thirteenth century; but, dying without male heir, his daughter was united to Sir Gilbert de Southworth, and the property thus acquired remained in the possession of his family for upwards of three hundred and fifty years. It was then sold to the Braddylls, and ultimately passed into the hands of Joseph Harrison, Esq., of Galligreaves, Blackburn; whose eldest son, William Harrison, Esq., now resides at the Hall.

After the disposal of the property by John Southworth, Esq., in 1677, the house was suffered to fall into decay. For many years it was occupied by a number of cottagers; it was afterwards converted into a farmhouse, and passed through various stages of degradation from neglect. Mr Harrison, however, determined that this fine old structure should be no longer thus desecrated. With a wise and just appreciation he restored both the exterior and the interior of the house in accordance with their original design; and under his hands the Old Hall at Samlesbury has become one of the most interesting and instructive mansions in the county.

Sir John Southworth was the most distinguished personage of his race. He was high in military command during the early years of the reign of Elizabeth — he mustered three hundred men at Berwick; and served the office of Sheriff of Lancashire in 1562. His possessions included Southworth, Samlesbury, Mellor, besides lands in eighteen other townships; but he was illiterate, bigoted, and self-willed. His rigid devotion to the faith of his ancestors led him to speak rashly of the changes introduced into the national religion; he also acted un