was obliged to rebuild it almost entirely, with the exception of
Agricola's Tower, the walls of which are nine feet thick. The
elevation of the new part is in unison with that of the Roman
tower, and forms altogether a handsome castellated building. The
situation is eminently striking, and was well chosen for
commanding the different passes over the mountains. It is
surrounded with mountain scenery on the north, south, and east;
while extensive plantations, a rich and cultivated country, with
the sea in the distance, makes a combination of scenery than
which it is scarcely possible to imagine anything more
beautiful or more picturesque.

We are tempted to conclude this description with the words of
John, Lord Muncaster, who himself so greatly contributed to its
renovation. Upon being requested to give an outline of its
beauties, he replied that it consisted of "wood, park, lawn,
valley, river, sea, and mountain."

The reason or excuse we give for introducing within our
Lancashire series this tradition, of which the occurrences took
place in a neighbouring county, is, that the family was
originally native to our own. By the village of Pennington,
situated about midway between Dalton and Ulverstone, is the
Castle Hill, the residence of this family before the Conquest.
The area of the castle-yard appears to have been an octagon or a
square, with obtuse angles, about forty-five yards in diameter.
The south and east sides have been defended by a ditch about ten
yards wide, and by a vallum of earth, still visible. There are
no vestiges of the ancient building. It stood apparently on the
verge of a precipice, at the foot of which flows a brook with
great rapidity. The side commands an extensive view of the
sea-coast and beacons, and was excellently situated for
assembling the dependants in cases of emergency. The name is
diversely written in ancient writings, as Penyngton, Penington,
Pennington, and in Doomsday Book _Pennegetun_, perhaps from
_Pennaig_, in British "a prince or great personage," to which
the Saxon termination _tun_ being added, forms Pennegetun, since
smoothed into Pennington.

PART FIRST.

"Come hither, Sir John de Pennington,
Come hither, and hearken to me;
Nor silver, nor gold, nor ladye-love,
Nor broad lands I give unto thee."