Ballad of Dick and the Devil

About the middle of the seventeenth century, occasionally resided, on the large island in Windermere, a member of the ancient but now extinct family of Philipson, of Crooke Hall. He was a dashing cavalier, and, from his fearless exploits, had acquired among the Parliamentarians the significant, though not very respectable, cognomen of "Robin the Devil." One one of these characteristic adventures, he rode, heavily armed, into the large old church and Kendal, with the intention of there shooting and individual, from whom he had received a deeply resented injury. His object, however, was unaccomp…