The old historian of the county, Dr. Plot, pleads
quaintly the cause of the brank:

"We come to the arts that respect mankind, amongst which as elsewhere,
the civility of precedence must be allowed to the women, and that as
well in punishments as in favours. For the former, whereof they have
such a peculiar artifice at Newcastle and Walsall for correcting of
scolds, which it does too, so effectually and so very safely that I look
upon it as much to be preferred to the ducking-stool, which not only
endangers the health of the party, but also gives her tongue liberty to
wag, twixt every dip, to neither of which is this at all liable, it
being such a bridle for the tongue as not only quite deprives them of
speech, but brings shame for the transgression, and humility thereupon,
before its taken off.... Which being put upon the offender by the order
of the magistrate, and fastened with a padlock behind, she is led
through the town by an officer, to her shame, nor is it taken off till
after the party begins to show all external signs imaginable of
humiliation and amendment."

Mr. Llewellyn Jewitt, editor of the _Reliquary_, gives an explicit
account of the way a brank was worn:

"The Chesterfield brank is a good example, and has the additional
interest of bearing a date. It is nine inches in height, and six and
three-quarters across the hoop. It consists of a hoop of iron, hinged on
either side, and fastening behind, and a band, also of iron, passing
over the head from back to front and opening dividing in front to admit
the nose of the woman whose misfortune it was to wear it. The mode of
putting it on would be thus: The brank would be opened by throwing back
the sides of the hoop, and the hinder part of the top band by means of
the hinges. The constable would then stand in front of his victim and
force the knife or plate into her mouth, the divided band passing on
either side of her nose, which would protrude through the opening. The
hoop would then be closed behind, the band brought down from the top to
the back of the head, and fastened down upon it, and thus the cage would
at once be firmly and immovably fixed so long as her tormentors might
think fit. On the left side is a chain, one end of which is attached to
the hoop, and on the other end is a ring by which the victim was led, or
by which she was at pleasure attached to a post or wall. On the front of
the brank is the date 1688."

This brank is depicted in the _