orders
sent over from England for the restraint of the first settlement at
Salem, whipping was enjoined, "as correccon is ordaned for the fooles
back"--and fools' backs soon were found for the "correccon"; tawny skins
and white shared alike in punishment, as both Indians and white men were
partakers in crime. Scourgings were sometimes given on Sabbath days and
often on lecture days, to the vast content and edification of Salem
folk.

The whipping-post was speedily in full force in Boston. At the session
of the court held November 30, 1630, one man was sentenced to be
whipped for stealing a loaf of bread; another for shooting fowl on the
Sabbath, another for swearing, another for leaving a boat "without a
pylott." Then we read of John Pease that for "stryking his mother and
deryding her he shalbe whipt."

In 1631, in June, this order was given by the General Court in Boston:

"That Philip Ratcliffe shall be whipped, have his eares cutt off, fined
40 pounds, and banished out of the limits of this jurisdiction, for
uttering malicious and scandalous speeches against the Government."

Governor Winthrop added to his account of this affair that Ratcliffe was
"convict of most foul slanderous invectives against our government."
This episode and the execution of this sentence caused much reprehension
and unfavorable comment in England, where, it would seem, whipping and
ear-lopping were rife enough to be little noted. But the mote in our
brother's eye seemed very large when seen across the water. Anent it, in
a letter written from London to the Governor's son, I read: "I have
heard divers complaints against the severity of your government, about
cutting off the lunatick man's ears and other grievances."

In 1630 Henry Lynne of Boston was sentenced to be whipped. He wrote to
England "against the government and execution of justice here," and was
again whipped and banished. Lying, swearing, taking false toll, perjury,
selling rum to the Indians, all were punished by whipping.

Pious regard for the Sabbath was fiercely upheld by the support of the
whipping-post. In 1643 Roger Scott, for "repeated sleeping on the Lord's
Day" and for striking the person who waked him from his godless slumber
was sentenced to be severely whipped.

Women were not spared in public chastisement. "The gift of prophecy" was
at once subdued in Boston by lashes, as was unwomanly carriage. On
February 30, 1638, this sentence was rendered:

"Anne ux. R