_Of their prisons they doo vse, and the order they haue in the
executing of iustice vpon the culpable._
[Sidenote: Thirteene prisons in euery great cittie.]
[Sidenote: Victualing houses in the prisons and shops.]
Euen as the iudges and ministers are seuere and cruell in punishing,
euen so are they in putting them in prisons, the which are as terrible
and as cruell, with the which they doo keepe in peace and iustice this
mightie kingdome: and as there is much people, so haue they manie
prisons and verie great. There are in euery principal citie throughout
al these prouinces thirteene prisons, inclosed and compassed about with
high wals, and of so great largenesse within, that besides the lodgings
of the keeper and his officers, and for a garison of souldiours that are
there continually, there are fish ponds, gardeines, and courts, whereas
the prisoners do walke and recreate themselues all the day, such as are
in for small matters. Likewise there are victualling houses and shops,
whereas is solde all manner of such things as the prisoners doo make for
to sustaine themselues: which if they did not vse, their whole substance
were not sufficient for their maintenance, the time is so long that they
be there, although it be for a small matter: the occasion is for that
the iudges take deliberation in their sentences: and againe, their
cities are great and ful of other matters. Likewise they are slowe in
the execution of any sentence. So that many times it doth fall out, that
men being condemned to die, doo remaine so long in prison after their
condemnation, that they die with pure age, or some other sicknesse or
infirmitie, or by the crueltie of the straight and asper prison. Of
these thirteene prisons aforesaide, alwayes foure of them are occupied
with prisoners condemned vnto death, and in euerie one of them there is
a captaine ouer one hundred souldiers which are reparted, and dooth
keepe watch and warde day and night: euery one of these condemned
prisoners hath a bord tied about his necke that hangeth downe vnto his
knees, a third of a yarde brode; it is made white with a certain
whiting, and written vpon it the occasion wherefore he was condemned to
die. The keeper of the prison hath a booke, wherein is written all the
names of them that are condemned, and the occasion wherfore: for to be
accountable of them at all times when they shalbe demaunded of him by
the iudges or vizroies. They are shakled and manakled, and put in wards
that do answere into the court, whereas the officers of the prison do
make them to lie with their face downewarde vpon a floore made of bords
for the same purpose, and do drawe ouer them iron chaines, drawne
through great iron rings that are placed betwixt prisoner and prisoner,
wherewith they are so strait crushed that they cannot mooue nor turne
them from one side to another: also they doo lay on them a certaine
couering of timber, wherein remaineth no more space of hollownesse then
their bodies doth make: thus are they vsed that are condemned to death.
This prison is so painefull and grievous, that many doo dispaire and
kill themselues because they cannot suffer it. In the day time they do
take them forth and take off their manacles, that they may worke for to
sustaine themselues; all such as haue nothing to maintaine themselues,
nor any other that will help them, them the king doth giue a pittance of
rice to sustaine them. Likewise they do worke what they may to better
the same.
There is neuer no execution done vpon such as are condemned to die, but
at the comming of the visiters or iudges of residence, whom they do call
Chenes and Leuchis,[116] the which doe make their visitation in secret
(as you doo vnderstande in the chapter where I spake of them). These doo
visite the prisoners and demaund a note of the names of all them that
are condemned, and the cause wherefore: and although that some of their
sentences are confirmed by the king and his counsell, yet they will see
them againe in the presence of these iudges that did condemne them, or
such as did gouerne in their absence, for to be informed of them the
faults of euerie one: whereby he may see and vnderstand whether his
sentence of condemnation bee done with iustice or not. This diligence
being done, they doo choose out among them fiftie condemned men, such
whose faults are most odious, and commande the iayler to put all things
in order for to doo execution on them: the which being done, they do
examine them a new, and looke vpon the causes and faults, to see if by
any meanes they can saue them. And if they do finde in any of them any
iot of discharge, they do apart them from the rest, and straightwayes
command three pieces of ordinance to be shot off, which is to giue
warning to bring forth them that shalbe executed. Then againe, when they
doo bring them forth, they doo a new enter into counsell, to see if they
can saue any of them: and when not, they command other three peeces of
ordinance to be shot off, to cause them to be brought out into the
fielde, and yet before they do breake vp their counsell, they doo turne
and see once againe all their faults, to see if that by any meanes
possible there might bee some remedie to saue them. If they do finde
any, or any suspect of indicion, they do returne out of the fielde that
person, and sende him againe to the prison. Some doo returne with an
euill will, for that they had rather die at once, then for to suffer the
straightnes and crueltie of the prison. In the meane time while they are
perusing their causes, and concluding the same, they do cause these
condemned prisoners to sit vpon heaps of ashes, and do giue them to
eate. So when all yt these diligences are concluded, and they can find
no remedy to saue any of them according vnto iustice, they doo commande
three peeces of artilery more bee shot off, then do they execute iustice
according vnto their sentence giuen them.
[Sidenote: Adulterie is death.]
The deathes that they do execute is hanging, setting vppon stakes,
quartering, and burning: but there is none that is burned, but such as
are traitors to the king. When the last three of artilerie is shot off,
then the belles do ring, and a great rumor is in the cittie, for that
this execution is done but seldome. The day of execution all their shops
are shut in, and there is none that doth worke vntill sun be set, which
is after that the executed men are buried, the which is done with the
companie of much people. The next day after this is done, the visitors
do make the second visitation, which is of the theeues (a thing verie
much abhorred amongst them): and such as they doo finde culpable, hee is
whipped throughout the common streetes with great shame, with a borde
hanging about his necke (as aforesaide), whereon is written his fault:
and therewith they are carried throughout the streetes three or foure
dayes. They do beate them on the calues of their legges, with a broade
and thicke cane of foure fingers broad, and as thicke as a mans finger,
the which they do lay in water before, the more for to torment them:
they are bound with their hands behind them, and their faces downewards
to the earth: two hangmen do execute this whipping of them, the one at
one legge and the other at the other, and it is done with so great
crueltie, that after they haue giuen sixe blowes, they cannot stande
vppon their feete, and many times it chanceth that with fiftie blowes
they die. The most part of these theeues do die in the punishments, and
many times there is whipped togither of theeues two hundred. So that
with these and others that are punished in the prisons (is of a verie
truth) that there do die euerie yeare in one of these principall cities
of the prouince more than sixe thousande persons. At these punishments
the iudges are alwaies in presence, and for that they should not be
mooued to compassion, in the meanetime that execution is done, they do
occupie themselues in banquettings or other pastimes. Adulteries are
death, and such as do consent to be coockoldes (which is neuer founde
but amongst them of the basest sort), are punished with exemplar
punishments ordained for the same.