at Lathom, particularly as it
does not appear to be generally known.
After the execution of Sir William Stanley, when the King visited
Lathom, the Earl, when his royal guest had viewed the whole house,
conducted him up to the leads for a prospect of the country. The Earl's
fool, who was among the company, observing the King draw near to the
edge of the leads not guarded with a balustrade, stepped up to the Earl,
and pointing down to the precipice, said, "_Tom, remember Will_." The
King understood the meaning, and made all haste down stairs, and out of
the house; and the fool long after seemed mightily concerned that his
lord had not had courage to take that opportunity of avenging himself
for the death of his brother.--_Kennett's MSS_. 1033. fol. 47.
It was on a still and sultry evening, about the close of summer, in the
year of grace one thousand three hundred and forty-seven, that a
solitary traveller was seen hastily descending, by a woodland path, into
the gloomy thickets that surrounded the neighbouring priory of
Burscough. The rain-drops were just pattering on the dark leaves above
him, and the birds were fast hastening to some deeper shelter.
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