alents than
for his warm and affectionate heart, rich imagination, great love of
humour, and deep and earnest piety. He was a facile versifier, an
elegant prose writer, an able botanist and physiologist. Possessing a
fine ear, rich voice, and great musical taste, he not only took his
vocal share in part-song, but wrote several melodies, which have been
published. In one species of rapid mental calculation, or rather
combination of figures--giving in an instant the sum of a double column
of twenty figures in each row, or a square of six figures--he far
excelled Bidder, the calculating boy. He was a skilful draughtsman, a
clever mimic and ventriloquist, an excellent _raconteur_, an
accomplished conversationist, ever fascinating in the select social
circle, and always "tender and wise" in that of home. He was a man of
genuine benevolence, a cordial friend, an affectionate husband and
father, and a humble and devout Christian. His family crest was a garb
or wheat-sheaf, with the motto, "I am ready;" and in his case--though
his death was sudden and unexpected--illness and bereavement, mental and
physical suffering--in short, the chastenings and discipline of life,
had done their work. His "sheaf" was "ready for the garner."

_October_ 1866.

FOOTNOTES:

[5] This Memoir has been almost wholly derived from the "Sketch of the
Literary Life and Character of John Roby," written by his widow, and
occupying 117 pages of the posthumous volume of his _Legendary and
Poetical Remains_.

PREFACE TO THE FIRST SERIES.

A preface is rarely needed, generally intrusive, and always
tiresome--seldom read, more seldom desiderated: a piece of egotism at
best, where the author, speaking of himself, has the less chance of
being listened to. Yet--and what speaker does not think he ought to be
heard?--the author conceives there may be some necessity, some reason,
why he should step forward for the purpose of explaining his views in
connection with the character and design of the following pages.

In the northern counties, and more particularly in Lancashire, the great
arena of the STANLEYS during the civil wars--where the progress and
successful issue of his cause was but too confidently anticipated by
CHARLES STUART, and the scene especially of those strange and unholy
proceedings in which the "Lancashire witches" rendered themselves so
famous--it may readily be imagined that a number of interesting legends,
anecdotes, and scraps of