to do the
same penance at home, in their county at Norwich; and that a precept
shall be directed to the mayor and sheriffs of the city of Norwich
aforesaid, to see the said parties do the said penance in the said city,
upon Saturday, the 22d day of this present month of November, openly in
the market-place there, with papers on their heads, whereupon shall be
written the same words above written."

The old mode of trial by ordeal, consisting as it did of an appeal to
Heaven for judgment, either directly by miraculous interference, as in
the ordeals of fire and water, or indirectly, in the ordeals of single
combat, might well have had their charms in the memory of culprit and
jurors both, when such a substitute alone was offered by the courts of
justice that had superseded them. There are, however, two extremes that
may be gone to about every thing; and we believe a little wholesome
penance might, even in the nineteenth century, not come amiss to stir up
the wits of many a sleepy juror. Certes, they often richly merit it.

From the assize court we bend our steps upward, to the region where we
may feel at no loss in our search for objects of genuine antiquity, and
find ourselves in the _Council Chamber_; and here we arrive at the very
pinnacle of magisterial dignity--the zenith of municipal glory--the seat
of mayoralty and aldmermanship and common councilship, once broadly
separate and distinct in their grades of rank and power, in very truth an
upper and a lower house, a peerage and a commons--assembling themselves
in chambers becomingly graduated in their degrees of splendour--but now,
alas! in these degenerate days of reformation and democratic sovereignty,
as some might please to call them, all merged into one conglomerated body
corporate--shall we add, of _order Gothic composite_?

The old chamber looks as if it had seen better days; two or three
patched-up windows of variegated colours, still retaining many quaint and
curious devices, bear witness of the taste and liberality of our
forefathers; and imagination, by the aid of history's pen, can fill up
the unsophisticated plain glass lights at the side, with the old subjects
that once occupied their space, but which have fallen a sacrifice to the
despoiler's barbarous hand;--one of the unjust judge, who, being flayed
alive, was succeeded in office by his son, and the picture, so they tell
us, was elucidated by some very characteristic specimens of antique
poetry-