following lewd Women, and indulging their Lufts from which Men will be terrified hereafter, when they think of the dreadful Punishment of Castration. 5th. Since the Pleafures of Love, and Hopes of Iffue are almost universal, no Punishment can be invented, that can have a deeper Impreffion upon the Mind; People will be more careful in the Education of their Children, and give them early Correction when they first begin to practice the Art of Thieving; Mothers, Nurses, and all Females, who have the greatest Influence on little Children (For certain Reasons) will be always plying them with good Advice and fmart Whipping for every little pilfering Trick: By these Means, honeft Principles will be fo fix'd, that they will scarce ever wear out, and fuch Females as formerly entic'd Men to commit Robbery, and Theft, will then turn their most powerful Arguments againft it, to perfwade them to live honeftly, rather than hazard a Lofs that cannot be retriev'd, fo from a careful Education of Youth, Honefty, Industry, Religion, and Virtue will be in greater Efteem among us. 6th. The Pains of Hanging are quickly over, and the Death and Name of the Party are foon Forgotten: Whereas, the Circumstances of Caftration will remain as a living Monument of Shame and Difgrace, and will more effectually deter People from thofe Crimes, for which they fuffer'd, than if they had been hung in Chains on a Gibbet, where the Body and Bones, continue but a fhort Time, and that only in one Place, while the gelded Thief will fometimes be obliged to travel from Town to Town where the Mob will follow him as a May-Game, or an outlandish Monster. 7th. In most civiliz'd Nations there is an Abhorrence of Robbery, and Theft, and the Punishment of Criminals is executed with greater Severity abroad than with us, so that we cannot be juftly tax'd by our Neighbours for Cruelty, in making this Law inftead of Death, fince Difputes about Religion are out of the Cafe, Cafe, for it is not the Intent of this Paper, that Clergymen or Preachers of any Religion, fhou'd for any Offence be liable to this Punishment least it fhou'd be made a Precedent to Turks, Pagans, or Infidels, by that Means to hinder the Progrefs of Chriftianity, in Countries where Caftration is practis'd. 8th. There was once a Rebellion, and fome Murders committed by the Moors in the Ifland of Barbadoes; where the Planters wifely confider'd that many of them would be Lofers by putting all the Guilty to Death, whereupon, a great Number of the rebellious Slaves, were order'd (like fome wild vicious Cattle) to fuffer the Punishment of Caftration, and although it was perform'd by fome Surgeons of Ships, who never faw the like before, yet very few died of the Operation, this ftruck fuch a Terror in the Minds of the Blacks, that we never heard that they attempted any more Rebellions. 9th. It has been obferv'd that Rapine, and Theft like Madnefs, very often runs in the Blood, and thofe Vices in fome Families become Hereditary; if this Law happen to fucceed (as there is great Hopes to beleive it may from the Reasonablenefs thereof) it will be an Advantage to the Commonwealth by difabling a Set of vile People from leaving their pernicious Brood behind them; Hector Boetius affirms, that the antient Scots gelded fuch Men as labour'd under Madness or infectious Diftempers, which they thought might be communicated to their Offspring. 10th. Thefe Criminals will afterwards become dull, and heavy, and confequently timorous in venturing upon any bold, or dangerous Enterprize, but if they fhould happen to offend again, then let Hanging, or Transportation be their Fate: We have heard of many that have been often burnt in the Hand for Facts commited in different Countries, because the Mark of the burning Iron was worn out and no Record in Court against them; whereas if a Fellow be once caftrated, he will will be very remarkable in the Country while he lives; if he be cut when he is young, the Shrilnefs of his Voice, and the Want of a Beard will discover him, and the Sheriffs may provide a Castrator as readily as they now do a Hangman. 11th. Gentlemen upon Juries are often tender Hearted, and unwilling, even upon pretty good Proof, to take away the Life of a Prifoner, fo that commonly they bring in their Verdict, Not Guilty, which wou'd feldom happen, when the Punishment is only Caftration: And very few would fcruple giving their Voice for makking Examples of fome of our idle thievifh Rakes, in order to have a peacable, honest Country. 12th. If they be cut like Capons when they are young, they may become very useful to the Publick, as Muficians, and fine Singers, and fave the Money at Home that is frequently given to Italians and other Forrigners, befides, young, and old, may become good Stewards, Labourers, and Servants, and may be entrusted in our Houfes, with the Care of our Wives, Daughters, and Female Friends. 13th. Hanging, is reputed a mild and eafy Death, fo that difcourfing upon this Subject, moft People prefer it before the infamous Punishment of Caftration, which plainly fhews the Latter to be the most likely Method to fucceed in preventing the abovementioned Crimes, which are likely to continue as they have done for fome hundreds of Years paft, unless some other Expedient be found out. 14th. It is obferv'd that Watching, and taking Care of our Goods at home and abroad to prevent Stealing, confumes a great Part of our Time, which might be apply'd in Trade and Labour; it wou'd be then of great Service to our Country to gain fo many Hands, and also that the Hands of all our idle Thieves and Robbers were brought into the Way of honest Business. 15th. It 15th. It is affirmed, that there are Companies of Thieves that deal chiefly in Horfes, who have eftablifh'd a Correfpondence in many remote Parts of this Kingdom, and fo trade from one to another, that it is very common to steal Horses, and ride them fo far in one Night, that the Owner can scarce ever recover them; they find Horses are easier ftolen than any other fort of Cattle; when they are far off, they commonly fell them in the publick Fairs, as the Law directs; by those Means, many honeft Farmers and trading Perfons are utterly ruin'd, and undone; and it is found by Experience, that the Laws already made against HorseStealing, are not fufficient to prevent it, therefore it is hoped, fome of thofe galloping Jockies will have the honour of the firft Experiment of this Law. 16th. As to the Female Felons it will be a fevere Mortification to think that their Husbands, Lovers, or Friends may come under this Punishment, befides the old Ways of Hanging, Whipping, Tranfporting, or burning them in the Hand may continue till fome other Expedient be found out, and if those that are order'd to be transported to America, were oblig'd to serve for a longer Term of Years, it wou'd make the Expence of Transportation more eafy, and the Punishment, more dreadful. 17th. Some are of Opinion that this Experiment will be well apply'd in cooling the fiery Heat of those that are guilty of Rape, or Sodomy. 18th. It is computed that less than five hundred Examples of this Kind, which are about fifteen in every County, will have fuch Influence upon the Kingdom, that in a fhort Time our Judges, and Juries will have much lefs Bufinefs upon their Hands: but it is fear'd the Clerks of the Crown, the Sub-Sheriffs, and others about the Bar, who live chiefly by the Tranfgreffions of the People, will be confiderable Lofers if this Project takes Effect, and that some of them will plead against the paffing of this Law, because it is of our own Manu |