was athwart the nose, which separated the flesh of the nose, and cut it quite through into the nostril"; and this he took to be a slitting of the nose, " besides which," said the judge, " the surgeon swore that the nose was slit." The sentence was that each of the prisoners should " go from hence to the place from whence you came, and from thence to the place of execution, where you shall be severally hanged by the neck until you be severally and respectively dead, and the Lord have mercy on your souls." The rapidity with which new felonies were created in the reigns succeeding those of Charles II. is apparent by simply reading the titles to the statutes; and while no full list can be given without occupying much space, yet here are some of the offenses, indicative of the spirit and temper of the times, which were thought by English kings and queens, lords and commons, to merit the death-penalty : — To maliciously burn stacks of corn, or kill cattle in the night; to personate bail; to counterfeit lottery-tickets, stamps, the seal of the Bank of England, exchequer bills; to blanch copper and mix it with silver; to willfully destroy an/ ship; to as sault a privy counsellor in the execution of his office; to burn any wood or coppice; to steal a pump from any ship; to return from transportation, or take a reward for the recovery of stolen goods; to engage in any riotous assembly; to spoil the garments of any person in the street; to engage in smuggling; to counterfeit the name of, or personate, a proprietor for transferring stock, or receiving dividends; to assault any mas ter woolcomber, weaver, or maliciously break tools; to break down any turnpike gate; to steal any lead, iron bar, or palisade from any dwelling-house, garden, court-yard, or fence; to assault with intent to rob; to counterfeit the acceptance of a bill of ex change; to appear in disguise in any forest; unlawfully hunt deer; rob any warren, or to steal any fish out of any river or pond; to
break down the hedge or mound of an)- fish pond, whereby the fish might escape; to kill, maim, or wound any cattle; to cut down any trees planted in any avenue, or growing in any garden, orchard, or plantation, either for ornament, shelter, or profit; to set fire to any house, barn, or outhouse, or stack of I hay or corn; to send anonymous letters demanding money, venison, or other valuable thing (this was the celebrated Waltham Black Act); to damage Westminster bridge; to enlist in the service of any foreign prince; to export wools from Great Britain; to steal sheep or cattle; to steal any woolen yarn, or wool left out to dry on bleaching-fields; to assist in the escape of prisoners from lawful custody; to steal linen fustian and cotton goods and wares; to send threatening let ters; to break by day or by night into any house or shop with intent to cut or destroy any velvet, raw silk, or silk mixed with other materials in the loom, or in warp or shute, tools, tackle, or utensils; to destroy any such tools used in the weaving or making of velvet; to cut or destroy any oak, beech, ash, elm, fir, chestnut, or other timber tree, without the consent of the owner; or to pluck up in the night time and carry away any root, shrub, or, plant of the value of five shillings, in any garden or nurseryground; to counterfeit the copper coin of the realm; to receive stolen jewels, gold and silver plate, in the case of burglary or highway robbery; to counterfeit any stamp or seal issued for securing the duties on starch; or to slaughter any horse, mare, ass, bull, cow, calf, sheep, hog, or goat, for any other purpose than for butcher's meat; to steal from a person to the value of five shil lings; to interfere with the collection of duties on hats; to steal oysters from oysterbeds; to aid in the escape of prisoners; to embezzle letters from the post-office; to destroy stocking or lace frames; to shoot at or wound revenue officers; to demolish en gines belonging to c6llieries; to forge cer tificates, or other vouchers of pay of navy
