Curious Punishments of Bygone Days

								

me, a miller; who then sayd that his brother Benjamin Keach is author of
it, and that there are fiveteen hundred of them printed. This Benjamin
Keach is a Tayler, and one that is a teacher in this new-fangled-way and
lives at Winslow a market town in Buckinghamshire. Pray take some
speedie course to acquaint my Lord Archbishop his Grace with it, whereby
his authoritye may issue forth that ye impression may be seized upon
before they be much more dispersed to ye poisoning of people; they
containing (as I conceive) schismaticall factions and hereticall matter.
Some are scattered in my parish, and perchance in no place sooner
because he hath a sister here and some others of his gang, two whereof
I have bought up. Pray let me have your speedie account of it. I doubt
not but it will be taken as acceptable service to God's church and
beleeve it a very thankeful obligement to


Honoured Sir,

    Your truely Loving Brother,"

             THOMAS DISNEY.
As a result of Disney's neighborly and zealous offices, Benjamin Keach
was thus sentenced:
"That you shall go to gaol for a fortnight without bail or mainprise;
and the next Saturday to stand upon the pillory at Ailsbury for the
space of two hours, from eleven o'clock to one, with a paper on your
head with this inscription: For writing, printing and publishing a
schismatical book, entitled 'The Child's Instructor; or, a New and Easy
Primmer.' And the next Thursday so stand, and in the same manner and
for the same time, in the market of Winslow; and there your book shall
be openly burnt before your face by the common hangman, in disgrace to
you and your doctrine. And you shall forfeit to the King's Majesty the
sum of £20, and shall remain in gaol till you find securities for your
good behaviour and appearance at the next assizes, there to renounce
your doctrine and to make such public submission as may be enjoined
you."
Keach stood twice with head and hands set in the pillory, and his book
was burnt, and his fine was paid; but never was he subdued, and never
did he make recantation.
Pope wrote a well-known, oft-quoted, yet false line:


"Earless on high stood unabashed De Foe."
The great Daniel De Foe did stand on high on a pillory, but he was not
earless. He was by birth and belief a Dissenter, and he wrote a severe
satire against the Church party, entitled The Shortest Way with the
Dissenters, which so ironically, and with such apparent soberness,
reduced the argument of the intolerant to an absurdity, that for a short
time it deceived zealous church-folk, who welcomed and praised it, but
who turned on him with redoubled hatred when they finally perceived the
satire. It was termed a scandalous and seditious pamphlet, and fifty
pounds reward was offered for him. He was arrested, tried, pilloried in
three places, and imprisoned for a year; but the Queen paid his fine for
his release from prison, and his pillory was hung with garlands of