Vol. in. MfcelUma Curiofa. 6j 



Their Puniflinients are very fevere, this 

 being judg'd the moft eifeftual way to pre- 

 vent all publick Diforders and Mifchiefs. 

 They ufe no great Formality in their 

 Procefles: If the Criminal be , taken in the 

 Fad, and the Witnefies ready and prefeht 

 to atteft it, and fometimes if there be but 

 probable circumftances, without full Convi- 

 aion, condemn him j and foon after Sentence^ 

 fometimes an Hour, or lefs, hurry him away 

 to Execution. For an ordinary Crime, hang- 

 ing istheufual Death; But for Robbery and 

 Murder, commited upon the High Way by 

 fuch as Rob in Parties and alarm whole Pro- 

 vinces, or for Sacriledge, or for any hain- 

 ous Crime againft the Government, either 

 Gaunching or Excoriation, or cutting off the 

 Legs and Arms, and leaving the Trunk of 

 the Body in the High Way, or Empaling, 

 that is, thrufting an Iron Stake through the 

 Body out under the Neck or at the Mouth j 

 'in which extreme Torment the miferable 

 Wretch may live two or three Days, if the 

 Gats or the Heart happen not to be wounded 

 by the pointed Spike in its Paffage. This 

 Punilhment feems to have been in ufe among 

 Romans^ SemctCs, Epift. 14. Cogita hoc loco 

 carcerem, ,& cruces^ & eculeos, & uncum^ & 

 adaEium per medium hominem^ qui per as emergat^ 

 ftipitem: and fo in his Book De ConfoUtione 

 dd Marciam cap. 2.0. AU capite converfos in UT" 

 ram fufpendere : Alii per ohfcena ftipitem egerutit i 

 Alii hrachia patibulo explicuerunt. Murder 19 

 feldom Pardon'd, and efpecially if the Re- 

 lations of the Murder'd Perfon demand Ja- 



