been　possible。　For　instance；　one　woollen　manufacturer　says　that；　not　five　and　twenty　years　ago；　he　had　to　rise　betimes　to　set　off　on　a　winter's…　morning　in　order　to　be　at　Bradford　with　the　great　waggon…load　of　goods　manufactured　by　his　father；　this　load　was　packed　over…night；　but　in　the　morning　there　was　a　great　gathering　around　it；　and　flashing　of　lanterns；　and　examination　of　horses'　feet；　before　the　ponderous　waggon　got　under　way；　and　then　some　one　had　to　go　groping　here　and　there；　on　hands　and　knees；　and　always　sounding　with　a　staff　down　the　long；　steep；　slippery　brow；　to　find　where　the　horses　might　tread　safely；　until　they　reached　the　comparative　easy…going　of　the　deep…rutted　main　road。　　People　went　on　horseback　over　the　upland　moors；　following　the　tracks　of　the　pack…horses　that　carried　the　parcels；　baggage；　or　goods　from　one　town　to　another；　between　which　there　did　not　happen　to　be　a　highway。
  But　in　winter；　all　such　communication　was　impossible；　by　reason　of　the　snow　which　lay　long　and　late　on　the　bleak　high　ground。　　I　have　known　people　who；　travelling　by　the　mail…coach　over　Blackstone　Edge；　had　been　snowed　up　for　a　week　or　ten　days　at　the　little　inn　near　the　summit；　and　obliged　to　spend　both　Christmas　and　New　Year's　Day　there；　till　the　store　of　provisions　laid　in　for　the　use　of　the　landlord　and　his　family　falling　short　before　the　inroads　of　the　unexpected　visitors；　they　had　recourse　to　the　turkeys；　geese；　and　Yorkshire　pies　with　which　the　coach　was　laden；　and　even　these　were　beginning　to　fail；　when　a　fortunate　thaw　released　them　from　their　prison。
  Isolated　as　the　hill　villages　may　be；　they　are　in　the　world；　compared　with　the　loneliness　of　the　grey　ancestral　houses　to　be　seen　here　and　there　in　the　dense　hollows　of　the　moors。　　These　dwellings　are　not　large；　yet　they　are　solid　and　roomy　enough　for　the　accommodation　of　those　who　live　in　them；　and　to　whom　the　surrounding　estates　belong。　　The　land　has　often　been　held　by　one　family　since　the　days　of　the　Tudors；　the　owners　are；　in　fact；　the　remains　of　the　old　yeomanrysmall　squireswho　are　rapidly　becoming　extinct　as　a　class；　from　one　of　two　causes。　　Either　the　possessor　falls　into　idle；　drinking　habits；　and　so　is　obliged　eventually　to　sell　his　property：　　or　he　finds；　if　more　shrewd　and　adventurous；　that　the　〃beck〃　running　down　the　mountain…side；　or　the　minerals　beneath　his　feet；　can　be　turned　into　a　new　source　of　wealth；　and　leaving　the　old　plodding　life　of　a　landowner　with　small　capital；　he　turns　manufacturer；　or　digs　for　coal；　or　quarries　for　stone。
  Still　there　are　those　remaining　of　this　classdwellers　in　the　lonely　houses　far　away　in　the　upland　districtseven　at　the　present　day；　who　sufficiently　indicate　what　strange　eccentricity　what　wild　strength　of　willnay；　even　what　unnatural　power　of　crime　was　fostered　by　a　mode　of　living　in　which　a　man　seldom　met　his　fellows；　and　where　public　opinion　was　only　a　distant　and　inarticulate　echo　of　some　clearer　voice　sounding　behind　the　sweeping　horizon。
  A　solitary　life　cherishes　mere　fancies　until　they　become　manias。　And　the　powerful　Yorkshire　character；　which　was　scarcely　tamed　into　subjection　by　all　the　contact　it　met　with　in　〃busy　town　or　crowded　mart；〃　has　before　now　broken　out　into　strange　wilfulness　in　the　remoter　districts。　　A　singular　account　was　recently　given　me　of　a　landowner　（living；　it　is　true；　on　the　Lancashire　side　of　the　hills；　but　of　the　same　blood　and　nature　as　the　dwellers　on　the　other；）　who　was　supposed　to　be　in　the　receipt　of　seven　or　eight　hundred　a　year；　and　whose　house　bore　marks　of　handsome　antiquity；　as　if　his　forefathers　had　been　for　a　long　time　people　of　consideration。　　My　informant　was　struck　with　the　appearance　of　the　place；　and　proposed　to　the　countryman　who　was　accompanying　him；　to　go　up　to　it　and　take　a　nearer　inspection。　　The　reply　was；　〃Yo'd　better　not；　he'd　threap　yo'　down　th'　loan。　　He's　let　fly　at　some　folk's　legs；　and　let　shot　lodge　in　'em　afore　now；　for　going　too　near　to　his　house。〃　　And　finding；　on　closer　inquiry；　that　such　was　really　the　inhospitable　custom　of　this　moorland　squire；　the　gentleman　gave　up　his　purpose。　　I　believe　that　the　savage　yeoman　is　still　living。
  Another　squire；　of　more　distinguished　family　and　larger　property　one　is　thence　led　to　imagine　of　better　education；　but　that　does　not　always　followdied　at　his　house；　not　many　miles　from　Haworth；　only　a　few　years　ago。　　His　great　amusement　and　occupation　had　been　cock…fighting。　　When　he　was　confined　to　his　chamber　with　what　he　knew　would　be　his　last　illness；　he　had　his　cocks　brought　up　there；　and　watched　the　bloody　battle　from　his　bed。　　As　his　mortal　disease　increased；　and　it　became　impossible　for　him　to　turn　so　as　to　follow　the　combat；　he　had　looking…glasses　arranged　in　such　a　manner；　around　and　above　him；　as　he　lay；　that　he　could　still　see　the　cocks　fighting。　　And　in　this　manner　he　died。
  These　are　merely　instances　of　eccentricity　compared　to　the　tales　of　positive　violence　and　crime　that　have　occurred　in　these　isolated　dwellings；　which　still　linger　in　the　memories　of　the　old　people　of　the　district；　and　some　of　which　were　doubtless　familiar　to　the　authors　of　〃Wuthering　Heights〃　and　〃The　Tenant　of　Wildfell　Hall。〃
  The　amusements　of　the　lower　classes　could　hardly　be　expected　to　be　more　humane　than　those　of　the　wealthy　and　better　educated。　　The　gentleman；　who　has　kindly　furnished　me　with　some　of　the　particulars　I　have　given；　remembers　the　bull…baitings　at　Rochdale；　not　thirty　years　ago。　　The　bull　was　fastened　by　a　chain　or　rope　to　a　post　in　the　river。　　To　increase　the　amount　of　water；　as　well　as　to　give　their　workpeople　the　opportunity　of　savage　delight；　the　masters　were　accustomed　to　stop　their　mills　on　the　day　when　the　sport　took　place。　　The　bull　would　sometimes　wheel　suddenly　round；　so　that　the　rope　by　which　he　was　fastened　swept　those　who　had　been　careless　enough　to　come　within　its　range　down　into　the　water；　and　the　good　people　of　Rochdale　had　the　excitement　of　seeing　one　or　two　of　their　neighbours　drowned；　as　well　as　of　witnessing　the　bull　baited；　and　the　dogs　torn　and　tossed。
  The　people　of　Haworth　were　not　less　strong　and　full　of　character　than　their　neighbours　on　either　side　of　the　hills。　　The　village　lies　embedded　in　the　moors；　between　the　two　counties；　on　the　old　road　between　Keighley　and　Colne。　　About　the　middle　of　the　last　century；　it　became　famous　in　the　religious　world　as　the　scene　of　the　ministrations　of　the　Rev。　William　Grimshaw；　curate　of　Haworth　for　twenty　years。　　Before　this　time；　it　is　probable　that　the　curates　were　of　the　same　order　as　one　Mr。　Nicholls；　a　Yorkshire　clergyman；　in　the　days　immediately　succeeding　the　Reformation；　who　was　〃much　addicted　to　drinking　and　company…keeping；〃　and　used　to　say　to　his　companions；　〃You　must　not　heed　me　but　when　I　am　got　three　feet　above　the　earth；〃　that　was；　into　the　pulpit。
  Mr。　Grimshaw's　life　was　written　by　Newton；　Cowper's　friend；　and　from　it　may　be　gathered　some　curious　particulars　of　the　manner　in　which　a　rough　population　were　swayed　and　governed　by　a　man　of　deep　convictions；　and　strong　earnestness　of　purpose。　　It　seems　that　he　had　not　been　in　any　way　remarkable　for　religious　zeal；　though　he　had　led　a　moral　life；　and　been　conscientious　in　fulfilling　his　parochial　duties；　until　a　certain　Sunday　in　September；　1744；　when　the　servant；　rising　at　five；　found　her　master　already　engaged　in　prayer；　she　stated　that；　after　remaining　in　his　chamber　for　some　time；　he　went　to　engage　in　religious　exercises　in　the　house　of　a　parishioner；　then　home　again　to　pray；　thence；　still　fasting；　to　the　church；　where；　as　he　was　reading　the　second　lesson；　he　fell　down；　and；　on　his　partial　recovery；　had　to　be　led　from　the　church。　As　he　went　out；　he　spoke　to　the　congregation；　and　told　them　not　to　disperse；　as　he　had　something　to　say　to　them；　and　would　return　presently。　　He　was　taken　to　the　clerk's　house；　and　again　became　insensible。　　His　servant　rubbed　him；　to　restore　the　circulation；　and　when　he　was　brought　to　himself　〃he　seemed　in　a　great　rapture；〃　and　the　first　words　he　uttered　were；　〃I　have　had　a　glorious　vision　from　the　third　heaven。〃　　He　did　not　say　what　he　had　seen；　but　returned　into　the　church；　and　began　the　service　again；　at　two　in　the　afternoon；　and　went　on　until　seven。
  From　this　time　he　devoted　himself；　with　the　fervour　of　a　Wesley；　and　something　of　the　fanaticism　of　a　Whitfield；　to　calling　out　a　religious　life　among　his　parishioners。　　They　had　been　in　the　habit　of　playing　at　foot…ball　on　Sunday；　using　stones　for　this　purpose；　and　giving　and　receiving　challenges　from　other　parishes。　　There　were　horse…races　held　on　the　moors　just　above　the　village；　which　were　periodical　sources　of　drunkenness　and　profligacy。　　Scarcely　a　wedding　took　place　without　the　rough　amusement　of　foot…races；　where　the　half…naked　runners　were　a　scandal　to　all　decent　strangers。　　The　old　custom　of　〃arvills；〃　or　funeral　feasts；　led　to　frequent　pitched　battles　between　the　drunken　mourners。　　Such　customs　were　the　outward　signs　of　the　kind　of　people　with　whom　Mr。　Grimshaw　had　to　deal。　　But；　by　various　means；　some　of　the　most　practical　kind；　he　wrought　a　great　change　in　his　parish。　　In　his　preaching　he　was　occasionally　assisted　by　Wesley　and　Whitfield；　and　at　such　times　the　little　church　proved　much　too　small　to　hold　the　t