" It was/' I said, " the seat of the Philipsons, an-
ciently a family of the first distinction in these parts,
who possessed not only Calgarth, but the large island
in Windermere which we visited this morning, where
they had a house called the Holm-house. During the
Civil Wars in the reign of Charles I. Mr. Robert
Philipson sustained a siege of eight or ten days in the
island, and was then relieved by his brother, Mr.
Huddleston Philipson. The former obtained the
nick-name of Robin the Devil, from an act of des-
perate enterprise which he performed, in riding with
three or four companions into Kendal when it was in
possession of the royalists, and entering the church on
horseback, during service, to search for a special foe.
He missed his man, but he himself escaped unhurt,
after killing a sentinel. The old hall is said to be
haunted : two human skulls for a long time occupied
a place in the windows, and tradition says that when
taken away, though they should be buried or burned,
they invariably re-appeared in their place at the win-
dow ; they were supposed to have belonged to two poor
old people who were unjustly executed for a robbery.
So says Mr. West ; but Mr. Green* informs us

* Mr. Wm. Green, the late artist, and author of " The Tourist's
New Guide," in two octavo volumes, published in 1819. This
gentleman resided at Ambleside, and for many years devoted all
the powers of his pencil and his pen to illustrate the picturesque
scenery of the Lakes. His water-colour Views of the Lakes may
be seen in the Exhibition at Keswick, and will gratify the visiter.
