cart's tail through the town. Southwick, for returning after having
been banished, was whipped through the towns of Boston, Roxbury, and
Dedham. These are only a few of the cases of the punishments inflicted
upon the Quakers. Mr. Felt says in reference to the persecution of the
Quakers:

"Before any new denomination becomes consolidated, some of its
members are apt to show more zeal than discretion. No sect who are
regular and useful should have an ill name for the improprieties
committed by a few of them."

Our "pious forefathers," we must confess, were too apt to be a little
hard towards those who annoyed them with their tongue and pen upon
Church doctrine and discipline or the administration of the
government. As early as 1631, one Philip Ratclif is sentenced by the
Assistants to pay £40, to be whipped, to have his ears cropped, and
to be banished. What had he done to merit such a punishment as this?
He had made "hard speeches against Salem Church, as well as the
Government." "The execution of this decision," Mr. Felt says, "was
represented in England to the great disadvantage of Massachusetts."
Jeffries was not yet on the bench in England.

In 1652 a man was fined for excess of apparel "in bootes, rebonds,
gould and silver lace."

Mr. Charles W. Palfrey contributed in 1866 to the "Salem Register" the
following interesting item on the Salem witchcraft trials:

Among the many attempts to remedy the mischiefs caused by the
witchcraft delusion, the subjoined is not without interest. About