Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-10-13

7
tors last named belonged to party of fftcen
who, having arrived at London from New Ann
sterdam, thence dispersed themselves into New
England. Three women of this company Sa-
rah, Gibbons, Mary We0thered, and Dorothy
Waugh, had been sent to England with Holden,
Copeland and others, in the year before.
1t seemed probable that the recent enact
mcnts had had some effect, while it was clear
that they were not fully adequate to their pur-
pose; ana both considerations prompted to the
thai Of measures more severe. The fine Tor
hurbuiing QuakcrS was increased to the amount
Of forty Nhillings for every hour the forfeiture
for bringing them was enforced by a more rigid
rule; and it was ordered that every Quaker
coming into the jurisdiction, after having been
once punished, should, for the first offence. suf-
Ter the loss of one ear for a second offence,
the loss of the other; and for a third, should
have the tongue "bored through with hot
IRON" Oi the three last mentioned provisions,
the last two never took effect. The other, after
a lapse of nearly a ycar--:or the repugnancc to
it must have been hard to o,ercome-was cx-
ecutcd ia three instances. Holden, Copeland,
and John Rouse, who had twice come back af-
ter being banishcd each had the right ear cut
off by the constable The sad scene took place
within the prison walls in the presence only Of
few Witnesses OF this mutilation--a mode
OF punishment then well known in the mother
country-thcrc has been no example since that
time i'll New England. The federal commits
slurtrS we're at this moment in session at BoS-
ton, under the presidency of Endicott Their
last proceeding before they parted was to pass
the following vote;
Where's there !. nm accur,ed and pernicous sect of
h"retcs lately risen up in the world who are cal ed
Quaker-. who take upon them to he Immediately sent
ltfI 81 Istl l.lt.
ba- phcm"us things, de>psiug government. and the
order OF Gud in church and commoHw caiil, speaking
eNI "t dighties cproaching and rcviliug mag-tn
and the ministers Of the gospel seeking to turn the
people fl m the faith and to gain prosclytes to their
pcrniciou, ways and whereas the several Jurisdictions
nave made divers laws to prohibit and restrain The
aforesaid cursed hcretcs from coming amongst them,
yet uotwsiandiugthev are not deferred thercb, but
aTo@lutly and prcsumpouuslv do press into the
ernl Jurisdictions, and there vent their PER- ciou- and
dcvi>h opinions which being permitted tends mani
ictIy To tie disturbance Of oul leaCe the withdraw
ing ui the hearts of the people from their .uliccon
Z" government, nnd so IN IL cuu>e division and
ruiu II mo- melv prevented, IL j. therefore prutouud-
ci and seriously commended tp the several General
Courts to make u llw that all such Quikers form g'v
c"nric'ci ;ud uni>icd - such. shall they ir urY
r'!cl uu e he sad jar .d'clioi under pH ~ relth.
Hii % n'rr"Hrl they presume tpcu,ic H-it iu'ntl.J
Iuu-iici"i, iIru io Lr A. to death it, pre-. ump'uuu
81 iprDr1- u'c. uilp-s tl"V suI U'GuV and pullc.l
t"roUncc 'noir cursed opu'o,>; lu lr such Quaker,
"- 'ltil come into dl Jurisdiction from amy foreign
parts ug -u,u shall .r.r Within ihr -Iuc lii, r uc
convection ;t thcf d. ur ~ +, uf tina, curse. sect
of Hcreiir-. 'rN Ice bti -hol i.le. pain - .cVetc
c"r'"nl punishment. aAj If iho, return Ge.i %. ilcu
@" i'y Nuu ci .Dr ru .i'. ut ban hrl Uiuea is,i'i
oi hcati: arl il % crvrd tiry ~lil yct presume fu
come .'t, 'l"i 200 DE- pa; 'o ca't - at ir-il. cN-
'rit 'Lcv 'r then ;ul tcie plainly and publicly ic-
iHul'c thc -.lid cur-e opinion, and dey.l>Hteue:s.
Massachusetts alone. of the four colonies.
carried thi, advice into full effect.
For lii,ic time there seemed reason to hope
that the Law would do It's office without harm t.
any ON. The first six Quikor> who were ban.
l>hed after lis enaclmen, went away and returned
no more. But men more desperate than those
had the matter in hard. William Robinson.
"bring in Rhode Island" conceived that 9TH,
Lord had commanded him to 90 to Boston and
to lay down his life theie" Marmnduke Stcy-
cnsun was at the Island of Barbados whc, he
heard that New England had made law to
put the servants of the living God to death. il
they returned after they were sentenced away"
He took passage for Rhode Island. and there
"the word of the Lord came unto him. saving.
Go 10 Boston with thy brother William lob
nSou. The pair went accordingly. Mary
ilyer "NaS moved Of the Lord to come from
Rhode Island TO visit them; and they we're
ai>o joined at Boston by Nicholas Davis, from
Barnstah!c in Plymouth colony. The four were
appicheuded and received sentence of ba >h-
ment with the addition that they should suffer
death unless they withdrew from the iuri>dc-
ton. "Ncholas Davis and Mary DYER found
freedom 10 drpart but the other two were con-
strained in the love and power of the Lord not
TO depart, but to stay in the jurisdiction, and TO
try the bloody law unto death" Possibly they
doubted whether the magistrates had nerve to
execute ii, or would be able TO resist the pupu-
lar pressure in favor of mercy. In that case
their own triumph would be signal But in
the last resort, they expected to conquer by dy-
ing.
Robinson and Stevenson were at that age Of
early manhood when enthusiasm is most neon
sideratc. and when experience shows that life is
the least priced. The day after their discharge
they appeared at Salem, whence they pursued
their way to the settlements on the Pisca,aqua.
After four weeks they returned to Boston, ac-
companied by some Salem friends, one of whom
woman, showed the governor some linen
which She said she had brought for the winding
sheets oi those who were to suffer- Mary nyer,
having reconsidered her duty. had returned to
Boston few days before. On the second day
of the session of the general court, Robinson
Stevenson and Dyer were arraigned at its bar,
Tor "rebcllion, sediton and preSumpiuou, oh.
trudlng themselves, notwithstanding their being
sentenced to banishment ON pain of death. as
nnderminers of this government" &c. A,ow-
ing themselves to be the persons "banished by
the last court of assistants, they were sentenced
to be hanged on the eighth day f lowing Pre-
cautions were taken against popular outbreak.
capt. James Oliver with 100 soldiers. COM
ple,cly armed with pixies, and musketeers with
powder and bullet was instructed ITO lead
them to the place of execution" Thiry-six
soldiers were also to be "ordered bv Capt. Oil
yer, to remain in and about the town, as senti-
nels to preserve the peace of the place while the
rest Should go to the execution" And the Sc
lectmen of Boston were "to press ten or twelve
able and faithful persons every night during the
sitting of the court, to watch with great care
the town. especially the prison."
Ga the appointed day. the con,icts, sur ound-
cd by the guards, went from the gaol to Boston
common hand-in-hand, Mary Dyer between her
companions. Tney attempted to address the
crowd, bu; were prevented by the beating of
drums. The two men were hanged and their
bodies buried beneath the gallows. Mary DYER
who had stood duling the scene with a halter
about her neck was now told that she was dis
missed to the care Of her son, who had come
from Rhode Island, to ntprcede with the mar