E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Charles Aldarondo, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 15271-h.htm or 15271-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/2/7/15271/15271-h/15271-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/2/7/15271/15271-h.zip) "I know I have herein made myself subject unto a world of judges, and am likest to receive most controulment of such as are least able to sentence me. Well I wote that the works of no writers have appeared to the world in a more curious age than this; and that, therefore, the more circumspection and wariness is required in the publishing of anything that must endure so many sharp sights and censures. The consideration whereof, as it hath made me all the more needy not to displease any, to hath it given not the less hope of pleasing all." VERSTEGAN, _Rest. dec. Ant._ [Illustration: JOHN ROBY] TRADITIONS OF LANCASHIRE by JOHN ROBY, M.R.S.L. Illustrated by Engravings on Steel and Wood In Two Volumes VOL. I. Fifth Edition. London: George Routledge and Sons, Manchester: L.C. Gent. 1872 CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. ADVERTISEMENT TO FIFTH EDITION PUBLISHERS' PREFACE TO FOURTH EDITION MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR PREFACE TO FIRST SERIES PREFACE TO SECOND SERIES INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SERIES TRADITIONS SIR TARQUIN THE GOBLIN BUILDERS MAB'S CROSS THE PRIOR OF BURSCOUGH THE EAGLE AND CHILD THE BLACK KNIGHT OF ASHTON FAIR ELLEN OF RADCLIFFE THE ABBOT OF WHALLEY SIR EDWARD STANLEY GEORGE MARSH, THE MARTYR DR DEE, THE ASTROLOGER THE SEER THE EARL OF TYRONE HOGHTON TOWER THE LANCASHIRE WITCHES SIEGE OF LATHOM RAVEN CASTLE THE PHANTOM VOICE THE BAR-GAIST THE HAUNTED MANOR-HOUSE CLITHEROE CASTLE THE GREY MAN OF THE WOOD LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. MAB'S CROSS, WIGAN BURSCOUGH ABBEY RADCLIFFE TOWER WHALLEY ABBEY HORNBY CASTLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH, MANCHESTER TYRONE'S BED, NEAR ROCHDALE HOGHTON TOWER EAGLE CRAG, VALE OF TODMORDEN LATHOM HOUSE SOUTH PORT INCE-HALL, NEAR WIGAN CLITHEROE CASTLE ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FIFTH EDITION. The Fourth Edition of the "TRADITIONS OF LANCASHIRE" was published five years ago, and the whole of the impression was ordered from the publishers before it had left the printers' hands. Owing to the difficulty in obtaining copies, it has been suggested that a re-issue, in a cheap form, is a desideratum, and the present volumes are the result. This is the only Complete Edition (except the Fourth, from which it is an unabridged reprint), of Roby's Traditions--several Legendary Tales being incorporated which were not included in any of the earlier copies of the work. _November_ 1871. THE PUBLISHERS' PREFACE TO FOURTH EDITION.