prevail with the persons who lived there.
Twenty-two years before the famous Lancashire League had been formed,
under the encouragement of Dr. Allen, afterwards the Cardinal, whose
members pledged themselves to determined recusancy; with the result that
here and there church-doors were closed, and the Book of Common Prayer
utterly refused. Owing partly to Bishop Downman's laxity towards the
recusants, the principles of the League had retained their hold
throughout the county, ever since '68, when ten obstinate Lancastrians
had been haled before the Council, of whom one, the famous Sir John
Southworth himself, suffered imprisonment more than once.

Anthony and Isabel then found their life in the North very different to
that which they had been living at Stanfield. Near the towns, of course,
precaution was as necessary as anywhere else in England, but once they
had passed up on to the higher moorlands they were able to throw off all
anxiety, as much as if the penal laws of England were not in force there.

It was pleasant, too, to go, as they did, from great house to great
house, and find the old pre-Reformation life of England in full vigour;
the whole family present at mass so often as it was said, desirous of the
sacraments, and thankful for the opportunities of grace that the arrival
of the priest afforded. Isabel would often stay at such houses a week or
two together, while Anthony made rounds into the valleys and to the
moorland villages round-about; and then the two would travel on together
with their servants to the next village. Anthony's ecclesiastical outfit
was very simple. Among Isabel's dresses lay a brocade vestment that might
easily pass notice if the luggage was searched; and Anthony carried in
his own luggage a little altar-stone, a case with the holy oils, a tiny
chalice and paten, singing-cakes, and a thin vellum-bound Missal and
Ritual in one volume, containing the order of mass, a few votive masses,
and the usual benedictions for holy-water, rue and the like, and the
occasional offices.

In this manner they first visited many of the famous old Lancashire
houses, some of which still stand, Borwick Hall, Hall-i'-the-Wood,
Lydiate Hall, Thurnham, Blainscow, where Campion had once been so nearly
taken, and others, all of which were provided with secret hiding-places
for the escape of the priest, should a sudden alarm be raised. In none of
them, however, did he find the same elaboration of device as at