Page:Lancashire Legends, Traditions, Pageants, Sports, Etc., with an Appendix Containing a Rare Tract.djvu/249

 made there when the Parliamentary forces took it in 1645. This saying comes in when a flitting, a white-washing, or any other domestic 'stir' of an unpleasant nature, makes an apology needful on the score of untidiness and confusion."

Fuller, in his "Worthies," notices only two Lancashire proverbs. The first he gives—"Lancashire fair women," which is doubtless the origin of our more modern phrase of "Lancashire Witches." "I believe" (adds the quaint old worthy) "that the God of nature, having given fair complexions to the women of this county, Art may save her pains (not to say her sins) in endeavouring to better them. But let the females of this county know, that though in the Old Testament express notice be taken of the beauty of many women—Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Abigail, Tamar, Abishag, Esther,—yet in the New Testament no mention is made at all of the fairness of any woman; not because they wanted, but because grace is chief gospel beauty. Elizabeth's unblamableness, the Virgin Mary's pondering God's Word, the Canaanitish woman's faith, Mary Magdalen's charity, Lydia's attention to Paul's preaching,—these soul-piercing perfections are far better than skin-deep fairness." The other proverb cited by Fuller is—

He adds: "We suppose some monumental wall in Rome, as a register whereon the names of principal places were inscribed, then subject to the Roman empire; and probably this Ribchester anciently was some eminent colony (as by pieces of coins and columns, there daily digged