Front matter
Reading edition
Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Archaic, dialect and variant spellings remain as printed. Greek text appears as originally printed, but with a mouse-hover transliteration, Βιβλος.
C. Potter, Delt.
W. Morton, Sculpt.
THE SPECTRE HUNTSMAN Page 153.
TRADITIONS, SUPERSTITIONS, AND FOLK-LORE, (CHIEFLY LANCASHIRE AND THE NORTH OF ENGLAND:) Their affinity to others in widely-distributed localities; THEIR EASTERN ORIGIN AND MYTHICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
BY CHARLES HARDWICK, AUTHOR OF "HISTORY OF PRESTON AND ITS ENVIRONS," "MANUAL FOR PATRONS AND MEMBERS OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES," ETC.
"Thou has hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."—Matthew, c. xi. v. 25.
"Every fiction that has ever laid strong hold of human belief is the mistaken image of some great truth, to which reason will direct its search, while half reason is content with laughing at the superstition, and unreason with disbelieving it."—Rev. J. Martineau.
MANCHESTER: A. IRELAND & CO., PALL MALL. LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & CO., STATIONERS' HALL COURT. 1872.
TO HIS VERY DEAR AND EVER KIND FRIEND, ELIZA COOK, THIS WORK IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED, AS A VERY HUMBLE BUT SINCERE TRIBUTE TO HER POETIC GENIUS AND HER PRIVATE WORTH, BY ITS AUTHOR, CHARLES HARDWICK.