"In winter's tedious nights, sit by the fire With good old folks, and let them tell thee tales." SHAKSPERE. PREFACE. In this little volume, relating, principally, to a district with which the writer is intimately acquainted, he has gathered up a few points of local interest, and, in connection with these, he has endeavoured to embody something of the traits of present life in South Lancashire with descriptions of its scenery, and with such gleanings from its local history as bore upon the subject, and, under the circumstances, were available to him. How far he has succeeded in combining a volume of local matter, which may be instructive or interesting, he is willing to leave to the judgment of those readers who know the country and the people it deals with. He is conscious that, in comparison with the fertile field of strong peculiarities which Lancashire presents to writers who are able to gather it up, and to use it well, this volume is fragmentary and discursive; yet he believes, that, so far as it goes, it will not be wholly unacceptable to native readers. The historical information interspersed throughout the volume, has been gathered from so many sources that it would be a matter of considerable difficulty to give a com |