242 ^KcgiijJtcIt ^©fetrict 



liberty. The wife was so delighted that she said if she had 

 a score of children, she would make them all scholars, — 

 if she had to begin life again. 



It is by no means to be supposed, however, that there 

 was no wit in the valley, but what came from St. Bees. On 

 the contrary, a native genius, on one occasion, came to a 

 conclusion so striking that it is doubtful whether any univer- 

 sity could rival it. A stranger came riding into the dale on 

 a mule, and being bound for the mountains, went up the 

 pass on foot, leaving the animal in the care of his host. The 

 host had never seen such a creature before, nor had his 

 neighbours. Fearing mischief, they consulted the wise man 

 of the dale ; for they kept a Sagum, or medicine-man, to 

 supply their deficiencies. He came, and after an exami- 

 nation of the mule, drew a circle round it, and consulted 

 his books while his charms were burning, and, at length, 

 announced that he had found it ; the creature must be, he 

 concluded, a peacock. So Borrowdale could then boast, 

 without a rival, of a visit from a stranger who came riding 

 on a peacock. There is a real and strong feeling in the 

 district about these old stories. Only a few years ago, when 

 a Borrowdale man entered a country inn, a guest who was 

 there before said simply 'Cuckoo,' and was instantly 

 knocked down ; and a passionate fight ensued. 



A party of these dalesmen were once escorting a waggon- 

 load of their valuable lead ore to London ; and, it being the 

 days when thieves and highwaymen abounded, they were all 

 armed with blunderbusses, to guard their treasure. Resting 

 the first night at Keswick, they were sheltered in one of the 

 houses there, the waggon being placed in the entrance gate- 

 way, which was closed by large doors, the men taking it in 

 turn to w^atch. Now it so happened that the owner of the 

 house possessed, what was then rather uncommon, a cuckoo 



