Page:Lancashire Legends, Traditions, Pageants, Sports, Etc., with an Appendix Containing a Rare Tract.djvu/296

 tumbling, and other times tearing and bruising their flesh, while the poor fellow got time enough to make his escape; but the catchpoles cried out for mercy, thinking the devil had led them a dance. At length she left them in the middle of a stinking pond, to shift for themselves.

Of a Lancashire witch being in love with a gentleman; of her haunting him in the shape of a hare, and obtaining her ends. , the youngest daughter of the Lancashire witch, being in love with a gentleman's son about a mile from their home, was resolved to have him in her arms at any rate; wherefore, knowing he admired hunting, she often turned herself into a hare to make him sport, and still drew him towards her mother's house; for when he went that way he was used to call to chat with them, the which caused in Cicely the first fatal passion. But once this had liked to have proved fatal; for the charm wanting somewhat of its force, one of the foremost hounds catched her by the haunches, just as she was entering her creep-hole, and gave her a terrible pinch; and happy was it for her that she was so near, or her loving had been for ever spoiled. The young man, commonly losing the hare about this house, began to wonder, and supposing it to have run in at the sink, he entered the house, where he found Cicely rubbing of her back; but not meeting what he sought, nor looking for such a transformation, he departed, and she for the future grew cautious of showing him any more sport of that kind. But when he was going to be married to a beautiful