Edwin Waugh, in his story of "_The Grave of Grislehurst Boggart_,"[49] says, the most notable boggart of the hilly district towards Blackstone Edge, was the Clegg Ho' Boggart, still the theme of many a winter's tale among the people of the hills above Clegg Hall. The proverb, "Aw 'm heere agen, like Clegg Ho' Boggart," is common there, and in all the surrounding villages.... Boggarts appear, however, to have been more numerous than they are now upon the country side, when working people wove what was called "one lamb's wool" in a day; but when it came to pass that they had to weave "three lambs' wools" in a day, and the cotton trade arose, boggarts, and fairies, and feeorin' of all kinds, began to flee away from the clatter of shuttles. As to the Grislehurst Boggart, here is part of the story as told to Waugh, or by him:--"Whau it isn't aboon a fortnit sin' th' farmer's wife at the end theer yerd seed summat i' th' dyhed time o' th' neet; an' hoo war welly thrut eawt o' bed, too, besides--so then" ... "Th' pranks 'at it's played abeawt this plaze at time an' time, 'ud flay ony wick soul to yer tell on ... unyawkin' th' byes, an' turnin' carts an' things o'er i' th' deep neet time; an' shiftin' stuff up and deawn th' heawse when folk are i' bed; it's rayther flaysome yo may depend." FOOTNOTES: [1] See Thorpe's _Northern Mythology_, vol. i. pp. 118-231. [2] See Mallet's _Northern Antiquities_, Keightley's _Mythology of Greece and Rome_, and Kelly's _Indo-European Tradition and Folk-lore_. [3] Keightley's _Fairy Mythology_, pp. 2, 3. [4] Roby's _Traditions of Lancashire_, p. xiv. [5] It may be stated that this introductory essay is abridged from two papers read before the Historical Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, in 1859 and 1860, which were written long before the writer saw any of the almost identical general deductions and conclusions in Dr. Dasent's introduction to his _Popular Tales from the Norse_. [6] This popular opinion appears to be very ancient and wide-spread; for it has been noticed by Moses as prevailing in Egypt.--Exodus xi. 5-7. [7] The use of the old style in effect, is not yet extinct in Lancashire. The writer knows an old man, R. H., of Habergham, about 77 years of age, who always reckons the changes of the seasons in this manner. He alleges the practice of his grandfather and father in support of his method; and states with much confidence that--"Perliment didn't change t' seeasuns wen thay chang'd t' day o't' munth." [8] _Conybeare_, p. 242. [9] Charnock's _Breviary of Natural Philosophy_ in Ashmole's _Theatrum Chemicum_, p. 297. [10] _Companion to Almanac_ for 1837, p. 22. [11] Maier's _Symbola Ameæ Mensæ_. [12] Thomson's _Annals of Philosophy_, n. s., vol. vi. p. 241. [13] Ben Jonson, in his play of the _Alchemist_, has the following lines:--