tions. As Shakespeare, remarks Malone, "has coupled this species of
punishment with another that certainly was unknown to ancient Rome, it
is highly probable that he was not apprised of the story of Mettius
Tuffetius, and that in this, as in various other instances, the practice
of his own times was in his thoughts, for in 1594 John Chastel had been
thus executed in France for attempting to assassinate Henry IV."

Coriolanus (iii. 2) says:

"Let them pull all about mine ears, present me
Death on the wheel, or at wild horses' heels."

_Whipping._ Three centuries ago this mode of punishment was carried to a
cruel extent. By an act passed in the 2d year of Henry VIII., vagrants
were to be carried to some market-town, or other place, and there tied
to the end of a cart, naked, and beaten with whips throughout such
market-town, or other place, till the body should be bloody by reason of
such whipping. The punishment was afterwards slightly mitigated, for, by
a statute passed in 39th of Elizabeth's reign, vagrants "were only to be
stripped naked from the middle upwards, and whipped till the body should
be bloody." The stocks were often so constructed as to serve both for
stocks and whipping-posts.[853] Among the numerous references to this
punishment by Shakespeare, we may quote "2 Henry IV." (v. 4), where the
beadle says of Hostess Quickly: "The constables have delivered her over
to me, and she shall have whipping-cheer enough, I warrant her." In the
"Taming of the Shrew" (i. 1), Gremio says, speaking of Katharina, "I had
as lief take her dowry with this condition,--to be whipped at the
high-cross every morning," in allusion to what Hortensio had just said:
"why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light on
them, would take her with all faults, and money enough." In "2 Henry
VI." (ii. 1), Gloster orders Simpcox and his wife to

"be whipped through every market-town,
Till they come to Berwick, from whence they came."

[853] See "Book of Days," vol. i. pp. 598, 599.

_Wisp._ This was a punishment for a scold.[854] It appears that "a wisp,
or small twist of straw or hay, was often applied as a mark of
opprobrium to an immodest woman, a scold, or similar offender; even,
therefore, the showing it to a woman, was considered a grievous
affront." In "3 Henry VI." (ii. 2) Edward says of Queen Margaret:

"A wisp of straw were worth a thousand crowns,
To make this shameless