Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 10.pdf/471

This page needs to be proofread.
436
The Green Bag.

from the accompanying engraving, has aper tures for the eyes, a prominence to fit the nose, and a long funnel-shaped peak pro jecting from the mouth. This example was exhibited to the Archaeological Institute at

Carrington, whose death has just taken place, was figured in the " Archadogical Jour nal," and is shown in the accompanying en graving. It bears upon it the letter " W " sur mounted by an open arched crown, which Mr. Carrington well supposed to denote its date; viz., the reign of William III. In it the front of the band is made to fit the nose, while the lower part of the face is enclosed in a plate. It thus partakes somewhat of

the character of a mask; but not so much so as a very grotesque example in the pos session of Colonel Jarvis of Doddington Park in Lincolnshire, which it will be seen

the meeting at Lincoln and engraved in the "Journal." At Newcastle-under-Lyme in Stafford shire, a remarkably good brank was pre served, and was thus alluded to by the celebrated Dr. Plott : — "We come to the Arts that respect Mankind, amongst which as elsewhere, the civility of pre cedence must be allowed to the women, and that as well as in punishments as favours. For the former, whereof they have such a peculiar arti fice at New-Castle [under Lyme] and WallsnII for correcting of scolds, which it does too so effectually and so very safely, that I look upon it as much to be preferred to the Ducking-Stoole which not only endangers the health of the party, hut also gives the tongue liberty twixt every dipp; to neither of which is this at all lyable; it being such a bridle for the tongue, as not only quite deprives them of speech, but brings shame for the transgression, and humility thereupon before it is taken off. Which being an instrument scarce heard of, much less seen, I have here presented it to the reader's view (tab. 32, fig. 9) as it was taken from the original one, made of iron, at New-Castle-under-Lyme, wherein the letter a shews the joynted collar that comes round the neck; b, c the loops and staples to let it out and in, according to the bigness and slenderness of the neck; d the joynted semicircle that comes