Plymouth Laws, dated 1638:

"Whereas divers persons unfit for marriage both in regard of their yeong
yeares, as also in regarde of their weake estate, some practiseing the
inveagling of men's daughters and maids under gardians contrary to their
parents and gardians likeing, and of maide servants, without the leave
and likeing of their masters: It is therefore enacted by the Court that
if any shall make a motion of marriage to any man's daughter or mayde
servant, not having first obtayned leave and consent of the parents or
master soe to doe, shall be punished either by fine or corporall
punishment, or both, at the discretions of the bench, and according to
the nature of the offense."

The New Haven Colony, equally severe on unlicensed lovemaking, specified
the "inveagling," whether done by "speech, writing, message,
company-keeping, unnecessary familiarity, disorderly night meetings,
sinfull dalliance, gifts or, (as a final blow to inventive lovers) in
any other way."

The New Haven magistrates had early given their word in favor of a
whipping-post, in these terms:

"Stripes and whippings is a correction fit and proper in some cases
where the offense is accompanied with childish or brutish folly, or
rudeness, or with stubborn insolency or bestly cruelty, or with idle
vagrancy, or for faults of like nature."

In the "Pticuler" Court of Connecticut this entry appears. The
"wounding" was of the spirit not of the body:

"May 12, 1668. Nicholas Wilton for wounding the wife of John Brooks, and
Mary Wilton the wife of Nicholas Wilton, for contemptuous and
reproachful terms by her put on one of the Assistants are adjudged she
to be whipt 6 stripes upon the naked body next training day at Windsor
and the said Nicholas is hereby disfranchised of his freedom in this
Corporation, and to pay for the Horse and Man that came with him to the
Court to-day, and for what damage he hath done to the said Brooks His
wife, and sit in the stocks the same day his wife is to receive her
punishment."

In New York a whipping-post was set up on the strand, in front of the
Stadt Huys, under Dutch rule, and sentences were many. A few examples of
the punishment under the Dutch may be given. A sailmaker, rioting in
drink around New Amsterdam cut one Van Brugh on the jaw. He was
sentenced to be fastened to a stake, severely scourged and a gash made
in his left cheek, and to be banished. To the honor of Vrouw Van Brugh
let me add that she reque