ectations; and
a second edition was called for within twelve months. The late Sir
Francis Palgrave, in a letter to Mr Roby, dated 26th October 1829, thus
estimates the work:--

"As compositions, the extreme beauty of your style, and the skill
which you have shown in working up the rude materials, must entitle
them to the highest rank in the class of work to which they
belong.... You have made such a valuable addition, not only to
English literature, but to English topography, by your
collection--for these popular traditions form, or ought to form, an
important feature in topographical history--that it is to be hoped
you will not stop with the present volumes."

The _second_ series of the "Traditions," consisting also of two volumes
(including twenty tales), uniform with the first, was published in 1831,
and met with similar success. Both series were reviewed in the most
cordial manner by the leading periodicals of the day; while they were
more than once quoted by Sir Walter Scott, who characterised the whole
as an elegant work. In the production of these tales, Mr Roby's practice
was to make himself master of the historical groundwork of the story,
and as far as possible of the manners and customs of the period, and
then to commence composition, with Fosbroke's _Encyclopedia of
Antiquities_ at hand, for accuracy of costume, &c. He always gave the
credit of his style, which the _Westminster Review_ termed "a very model
of good Saxon," to his native county, the force and energy of whose
dialect arises mainly from the prevalence of the Teutonic element. "The
thought digs out the word," was his favourite saying, when the exact
expression he wanted did not at once occur. In these "Traditions" his
great creative power is conspicuous; about two hundred different
characters are introduced, no one of which reminds the reader of
another, while there is abundant diversity of both heroic and comic
incident and adventure. A gentleman, after reading the "Traditions,"
remarked that for invention he scarcely knew Mr Roby's equal. All these
characters, it should be stated, are creations: not one is an idealised
portrait. The short vivid descriptions of scenery scattered throughout
are admirable. Each tale is, in fact, a cabinet picture, combining
history and romance with landscape. Mr Roby excelled in depicting the
supernatural; and one German reviewer declared his story of Rivington
Pike to be