Had the circumstance really taken place as tradition prescribes, it would probably have obtained a greater permanency than oral recital; for during the festivities at Hoghton Tower, on the occasion of the visit of the “merrie monarch”, there was present a gentleman after Captain Cuttle’s own heart, who would most assuredly have made a note of it.  This was Nicholas Assheton, Esq., of Downham, whose Journal, as Dr. Whitaker well observes, furnishes an invaluable record of “our ancestors of the parish of Whalley, not merely in the universal circumstances of birth, marriage, and death, but acting and suffering in their individual characters; their businesses, sports, bickerings, carousings, and, such as it was, religion.”  This worthy chronicler thus describes the King’s visit:—­

“August 15. (1617).  The king came to Preston; ther, at the crosse, Mr. Breares, the lawyer, made a speche, and the corporn presented him with a bowle; and then the king went to a banquet in the town-hall, and soe away to Houghton:  ther a speche made.  Hunted, and killed a stagg.  Wee attend on the lords’ table.

“August 16, Houghton.  The king hunting:  a great companie:  killed affore dinner a brace of staggs.  Verie hot:  soe hee went in to dinner.  Wee attend the lords’ table, abt four o’clock the king went downe to the Allome mynes, and was ther an hower, and viewed them p[re]ciselie, and then went and shott at a stagg, and missed.  Then my Lord Compton had lodged two brace.  The king shott again, and brake the thigh-bone.  A dogg long in coming, and my Lo.  Compton shott agn and killed him.  Late in to supper.

“Aug. 17, Houghton.  Wee served the lords with biskett, wyne, and jellie.  The Bushopp of Chester, Dr. Morton, p[re]ched before the king.  To dinner.  Abt four o’clock, ther was a rush-bearing and piping affore them, affore the king in the middle court; then to supp.  Then abt ten or eleven o’clock, a maske of noblemen, knights, gentlemen, and courtiers, affore the king, in the middle round, in the garden.  Some speeches:  of the rest, dancing the Huckler, Tom Bedlo, and the Cowp Justice of Peace.

    “Aug. 18.  The king went away abt twelve to Lathome.”

The journalist who would note so trivial a circumstance as the heat of the weather, was not likely to omit the knighting of the Sirloin, if it really occurred; and hence, in the absence of more positive proof, we are disposed to take Mr. Roby’s view of the case, and treat it as one of the thousand and one pleasant stories which “rumour with her hundred tongues” ever circulates amongst the peasantry of a district where some royal visit, or {332} other unexpected memorable occurrence, has taken place.

But this is not the only “pleasant conceit” of which the “merrie monarch” is said to have delivered himself during his visit to Hoghton Tower.  On the way from Preston his attention was attracted by a huge boulder stone which lay in the roadside, and was still in existence not a century ago.  “O’ my saul,” cried he, “that meikle stane would build a bra’ chappin block for my Lord Provost.  Stop! there be letters thereon:  unto what purport?” Several voices recited the inscription:—­