58 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HARE 



required to pay a fine of 50/. If he failed to meet 

 this heavy HabiHty, the culprit went to gaol for a course 

 of penitentiary discipline, not exceeding a year. He 

 was a lucky man if he obtained his discharge without 

 the addition of a public whipping outside the gaol. 

 This correction was bestowed on the culprit between 

 the hours of twelve and one in the afternoon, so that 

 all the gossips and lazy apprentices might gaze open- 

 mouthed at the strokes of the scourge in their dinner 

 hour. This primitive discipline was also provided for 

 by an Act of William III., which struck at the use of 

 nets and harepipes, and other unhandsome devices 

 for killing hares. The offender was haled before a 

 justice of the peace, who demanded a good account 

 of how he became possessed of dogs or illegal engines. 

 If he could pay his fine, he went home a free man. 

 Otherwise, the authorities were willing to distrain 

 upon his personal property. But there was a proper 

 proviso for the scamp who possessed no worldly 

 chattels. His rascally inroads upon the hares were 

 rewarded by the chastening influence of the house of 

 correction. To improve the occasion the more effec- 

 tually, he was to be soundly whii)ped, and kept to 

 hard labour. 



Such remedial methods have become distasteful 

 to our modern refinement. All the same there are 



