.

began to gain strength, is uncertain. The last is very probable; for the wild country around the town was inhabited by a lawless set, whose depredations on the cloth-tenters might soon stifle the efforts of infant industry. For the protection of trade, and for the greater terror of offenders by speedy execution, this custom seems to have been established, so as at last to receive the force of law, which was, "That if a felon be taken within the liberty of the forest of Hardwick, with goods stolen out, or within the said precints, either hand-habend, back-berand, or confessioned, to the value of thirteen-pence halfpenny, he shall, after three marketdays within the town of Halifax, next after such his apprehension, and being condemned, be taken to the gibbet, and there have his head cut from his body."

"The offender had always a fair trial; for as soon as he was taken, he was brought to the lord's bailiff at Halifax: he was then exposed on the three markets (which here were held thrice in a week), placed in a stocks, with the goods stolen on his back, or, if the theft was of the cattle kind, they were glaced by him; and this was done both to strike terror into others, and to produce new informations against him. The bailiff then summoned four freeholders of each town within the forest to form a jury. The felon and prosecutors were brought face to face: the goods, the cow or horse, or whatsover was stolen, produced. If he was found guilty, he was remanded to prison, had a week's time allowed for preparation, and then was conveyed to this spot, where his head was struck off by this machine. I should have premised, that if the criminal, either after apprehension, or in the way to execution, could

escape

escape out of the limits of the forest (part being close to the town), the bailiff had no farther power over him; but if he should be caught within the precincts at any time after, he was immediately executed on his former sentence.

"This privilege was very freely used during the reign of Elizabeth: the records before that time were lost. Twenty-five suffered in her reign, and at least twelve from 1623 to 1650; after which, I believe, the privilege was no more exerted.

"This machine of death is now destroyed; but I saw one of the same kind in a room under the parliament-house at Edinburgh, where it was introduced by the regent Morton, who took a model of it as he passed through Halifax, and at length suffered by it himself. It is in form of a painter's easel, and about ten feet high: at four feet from the bottom is a cross bar on which the felon lays his head, which is kept down by another placed above. In the inner edges of the frame are grooves; in these is placed a sharp ax, with a vast weight of lead, supported at the very summit with a peg: to that peg is fastened a cord, which the executioner cutting, the ax fails, and does the affair effectually, without suffering the unhappy criminal to undergo a repetition of strokes, as has been the case in the common method. I must add, that if the sufferer is condemned for stealing a horse or a cow, the string is tied to the beast, which, on being whipped, pulls out the peg, and becomes the executioner."

Such is the guillotine of France, whereby the last unfortunate king and queen of that unsettled nation, and several others, have lately suffered: a vessel is placed underneath to receive the head and blood.

GIPSIES.

GIPSIES. See STROLLERS.

HAMSTRINGING.

This punishment is reported to have been inflicted upon malefactors in China, who have endeavoured to make their escape. The criminal is forced to lie down, his legs made bare, the operation is performed by a sabre: a vessel containing Chunam, a species of mortar, is at hand, to be applied, by way of styptic, to the wounds. It is said that this punishment has been lately abolished, the legislature considering, that the natural inclination for liberty, merited not a chastisement of such severity. Punishments of China.

HAWKERS AND PEDLARS, THEIR FRAUDULENT PRACTICES.

Many sharpers and swindlers obtain licences to be hawkers and pedlars, under cover of which every species of villainy is practised upon the country people, as well as upon the unwary in the metropolis, and all the great towns in the kingdom.The artifices by which they succeed are various, as for example:-By fraudulent raffles, where plated goods are exhibited as silver, and where the chances are exceedingly against the adventurers:By selling and uttering base money, and frequently forged bank notes, which make one of the most profitable branches of their trade;-By dealing in smuggled goods, thereby promoting the sale of articles injurious to the revenue, besides cheating the ignorant with regard to the value ;-By receiving stolen goods to be disposed of in the country, by which discoveries are prevented, and assistance afforded

forded to common thieves and stationary receivers ; -By purchasing stolen horses in one part of the country, and disposing of them in another, in the course of their journies; in accomplishing which, so as to elude detection, they have great opportunities;-By gambling with É O tables at fairs and horse-races.

A number of other devices might be pointed out, which render this classs of men great nuisances in society and shew the necessity of either suppressing them totally, (for in fact they are of little use to the public;) or of limiting the licences only to men of good character; to be granted by a general board of police under whose controul they should be placed, while they enter at the same time into a recognizance in a certain sum, with one surety for good behaviour; by which the honest part would be retained, to the exclusion of the fraudulent. Colquhoun.

HIGH TREASON. See TREASON,

HIGHWAYMEN.

These are Robbers upon horse back, who infest the chief post roads and stop travellers, either alone, or in coaches, post-chaises, &c. They always take care to be well mounted for the purpose of escaping if pursued and are generally armed with pistols. See CRIMES, ROBBERIES &C..

Many who have taken the road, as it is called, have been first induced either through recessity or extravagance; and being probably successful in their first attempts, they renew their depredations, notwithstanding they have procured a competency: but money thus obtained is soon spent ; their success only tends to increase their audacity, and at

length