The Lancashire Witches

Lancashire Witches, by William
Harrison Ainsworth

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Title: The Lancashire Witches A Romance of Pendle Forest
Author: William Harrison Ainsworth
Release Date: March 29, 2005 [EBook #15493]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[Illustration: NICHOLAS ASSHETON AND THE THREE DOLL
WANGOS LEAVING HOGHTON HALL.]

THE LANCASHIRE WITCHES. A Romance of Pendle Forest.
By William Harrison Ainsworth, Esq.
Sir Jeffery.--Is there a justice in Lancashire has so much skill in witches
as I have? Nay, I'll speak a proud word; you shall turn me loose against
any Witch-finder in Europe. I'd make an ass of Hopkins if he were
alive.--SHADWELL.
Third Edition.
Illustrated by John Gilbert.
London: George Routledge & Co., Farringdon Street. 1854.
To James Crossley, Esq., (of Manchester,)
President of the Chetham Society, And the Learned Editor Of "The
Discoverie of Witches in the County of Lancaster,"--
The groundwork of the following pages,-- This Romance, undertaken at
his suggestion, is inscribed by his old, and sincerely attached friend,
The Author.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION.
The Last Abbot of Whalley.
I. THE BEACON ON PENDLE HILL II. THE ERUPTION III.
WHALLEY ABBEY IV. THE MALEDICTION V. THE MIDNIGHT
MASS VI. TETER ET FORTIS CARCER VII. THE ABBEY MILL
VIII. THE EXECUTIONER IX. WISWALL HALL X. THE
HOLEHOUSES

BOOK THE FIRST.
Alizon Device.
I. THE MAY QUEEN II. THE BLACK CAT AND THE WHITE
DOVE III. THE ASSHETONS IV. ALICE NUTTER V. MOTHER
CHATTOX VI. THE ORDEAL BY SWIMMING VII. THE RUINED
CONVENTUAL CHURCH VIII. THE REVELATION IX. THE TWO
PORTRAITS IN THE BANQUETING-HALL X. THE NOCTURNAL
MEETING

BOOK THE SECOND.
Pendle Forest.
I. FLINT II. READ HALL III. THE BOGGART'S GLEN IV. THE
REEVE OF THE FOREST V. BESS'S O' TH' BOOTH VI. THE
TEMPTATION VII. THE PERAMBULATION OF THE
BOUNDARIES VIII. ROUGH LEE IX. HOW ROUGH LEE WAS
DEFENDED BY NICHOLAS X. ROGER NOWELL AND HIS
DOUBLE XI. MOTHER DEMDIKE XII. THE MYSTERIES OF
MALKIN TOWER XIII. THE TWO FAMILIARS XIV. HOW
ROUGH LEE WAS AGAIN BESIEGED XV. THE PHANTOM
MONK XVI. ONE O'CLOCK! XVII. HOW THE BEACON FIRE
WAS EXTINGUISHED
BOOK THE THIRD.
Hoghton Tower.
I. DOWNHAM MANOR-HOUSE II. THE PENITENT'S RETREAT
III. MIDDLETON HALL IV. THE GORGE OF CLIVIGER V. THE
END OF MALKIN TOWER VI. HOGHTON TOWER VII. THE
ROYAL DECLARATION CONCERNING LAWFUL SPORTS ON
THE SUNDAY VIII. HOW KING JAMES HUNTED THE HART

AND THE WILD-BOAR IN HOGHTON PARK IX. THE BANQUET
X. EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS XI. FATALITY XII. THE LAST
HOUR XIII. THE MASQUE OF DEATH XIV. "ONE GRAVE" XV.
LANCASTER CASTLE

INTRODUCTION.
The Last Abbot of Whalley.
CHAPTER I.
--THE BEACON ON PENDLE HILL.
There were eight watchers by the beacon on Pendle Hill in Lancashire.
Two were stationed on either side of the north-eastern extremity of the
mountain. One looked over the castled heights of Clithero; the woody
eminences of Bowland; the bleak ridges of Thornley; the broad moors
of Bleasdale; the Trough of Bolland, and Wolf Crag; and even brought
within his ken the black fells overhanging Lancaster. The other tracked
the stream called Pendle Water, almost from its source amid the
neighbouring hills, and followed its windings through the leafless forest,
until it united its waters to those of the Calder, and swept on in swifter
and clearer current, to wash the base of Whalley Abbey. But the
watcher's survey did not stop here. Noting the sharp spire of Burnley
Church, relieved against the rounded masses of timber constituting
Townley Park; as well as the entrance of the gloomy mountain gorge,
known as the Grange of Cliviger; his far-reaching gaze passed over
Todmorden, and settled upon the distant summits of Blackstone Edge.
Dreary was the prospect on all sides. Black moor, bleak fell, straggling
forest, intersected with sullen streams as black as ink, with here and
there a small tarn, or moss-pool, with waters of the same hue--these
constituted the chief features of the scene. The whole district was
barren and thinly-populated. Of towns, only Clithero, Colne, and
Burnley--the latter little more than a village--were in view. In the
valleys there were a few hamlets and scattered cottages, and on the

uplands an occasional "booth," as the hut of the herdsman was termed;
but of more important mansions there were only six, as Merley,
Twistleton, Alcancoats, Saxfeld, Ightenhill, and Gawthorpe. The
"vaccaries" for the cattle, of which the herdsmen had the care, and the
"lawnds,"