Delaware State journal and statesman., 1869-09-24
Suing ihe Bugs.

In the Middle Ages the German peasant SUI
fered constantly from the ravages of enormous
swarms of injurious insects upon his crops, ana
his only means of defence was to institute le-
gal proceedings against his little enemies, be
fore either the legal or the ecclesiastical courts
Such a procedure now appears ridiculous
but it was then the prevailing idea that every
criminal must be punished according to his
crime, no matter whether the guilty were ra-
tionally responsible or not.
These processes against insects were in the
highest degree curious. Special rules were
prepared for them many illegal gentlemen
Of that time made them their study, and books
full of scholarly research were written upon
the subject The form of trial varied accord
ing to the class of the accused animal. 1.-THE
animal could be arrested, 1t made its appear
ance in person before the criminal court, If
the criminals were small, such as snails, cat
erpillars, field worms, ETC., and the people had
no means of capturing them, the case was
brought before the clerical judges, the only
authorities which were then considered Ca
pable OF bringing down the punishment OF
heaven upon the offenders. The owners oi
the devastated field or district appeared as ac
cusers, and a person was usually appointed to
defend the cause Of the insects. The minutest
forms of justice were observed both parties
were heard, and the sentence was pronounced
form of an exorcsm or ban.
The delinquents received peremptory orders
to leave the land they had devastated, and tC
withdraw to an uncultivated neighborhood
where they could not harm mankind, and
which was often expressly designated to them
Such an order reads as follows
"Rats, caterpilars, snails, and all you un
clean animals which destroy the harvest o
our brothers, begone out of the canton which
Of nj WUelt
you can injure nobody"
If it was suspected that the mischief-makeri
were instigated by the devil, the anathema
was added to the command. In urgent cases
the insects were sentenced to leave the neigh
borhood at once, being allowed from thre
hours to three days grace. Frequently tn
insects were warned, before being brought Il
Judgment, to desst from further injury, AM
to leave the land and, in order that the.
could not plead ignorance, this warming, a
well as the Judges sentence, was made know
in the whole devastated district by means {
public criers, amid the blowing OF trumpet
and the beating of drums.
Such processes are frequently recorded q
having taken place from the fourteenth up
the eighteenth century. One such was lnstl
tuted against masses of Spanish flies whic
had committed much damage to a strip of Ian
in the electorate of Mayence The Judge, Vi
consideration of the smallness Of the body an
youth of the accused" had assigned them
guardian and advocate and the latter yer
warmly defended the cause of his client. Il
did not deny the damage done by them, bl
he urged that it was a case of necessity, an
desired that they should have territory a
lotted to them, where they could live like hoi
est people, without doing others an injury
His demands were granted, and ''even to-day
says a writer of the PERIOD "the inhabitant
of that neighborhood conclude a contract wit
the Spanish flies, by which they give up
them certain strip of land, so that the
chafers shall be suficed Herewith, and
more attempt to pass the boundaries agre'
1nnn ~