The punishment, or more properly torture, alluded to by ABHBA, was the
"peine forte et dure," commonly applied in the early part of the last
century to such criminals as refused to plead. Many died under it in order
to save their estates, &c. from forfeiture to the crowns. In my forthcoming
anecdotes of "The Eighteenth Century," several cases are cited from the
newspapers of the time; but, as the MS. is now in the printer's hands, I
cannot refer to them. Writing from memory, I think that the last case in
which this torture was applied at the Old Bailey in London was in 1735, and
reported in the _London Magazine_ of that year. The "Press-yard" at Newgate
derives its name from being the scene of these tortures.