![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silversolitaireI'm reading some of the texts I need for my shameful Introduction into American Literature class (okay so I didn't realize I had to take it and need to do it now with all the n00bs, fuck off!) and I came upon this curious text.
From: William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, (Heath Anthology, Fourth Edition, Vol. I)
"Not only incontinency between persons unmarried, for which many both men and women have been punished sharply enough, but some married persons also. But that which is worse, even sodomy and buggery (things fearful to name) have broke forth in this land oftener than once." [p. 328]
I found this still rather amusing. And then this...
"[A Horrible Case of Bestiality]
And after the time of the writing of these things befell a very sad accident of the like foul nature in this government, this very year, which I shall now relate. There was a youth whose name was Thomas Granger. He was servant to an honest man of Duxbury, being about 16 or 17 years of age. (His father and mother lived at the same time at Scituate.) He was this year detected of buggery, and indicted for the same, with a mare, a cow, two goats, five sheep, two calves and a turkey. Horrible it is to mention, but the truth of the history requires it. He was first discovered by one that accidentally saw his lewd practice towards the mare. (I forbear particulars.)* 1 Being upon it examined and committed, in the end he not only confessed the fact with that beast at that time, but sundry times before and at several times with all the rest of the forenamed in his indictment. And this his free confession was not only in private to the magistrates (though at first he strived to deny it) but to sundry, both ministers and others; and afterwards, upon his indictment, to the whole Court and jury; and confirmed it at his execution.)* 2 And whereas some of the sheep could not so well be known by his description of them, others with them were brought before him and he declared which were they and which were not.)* 3 And accordingly he was cast by the jury and condemned, and after executed about the 8th of September, 1642. A very sad spectacle it was. For first the mare and then the cow and the rest of the lesser cattle were killed before his face, according to the law, Leviticus xx. 15, and then he himself was executed.)* 4 The cattle were all cast into a great and large pit that was digged of purpose for them, and no use made of any part of them." [p. 329]
*1: Too bad, I would have loved to hear how the thing with the turkey worked out...
*2: !!!!!!!!!!!
*3: Good thing he managed to identify the animals... O.o;
*4: What was sad, the execution of the animals or the fact that they're killing a teenager for such a silly thing?
Okay, so... he's been caught doing nasty stuff with aforementioned animals, some of which make you wonder who on earth he might have managed that, was forced to identify the animals so that they could be put to death and then was executed for his crimes. >_> Yeah... right. Puritans. Gotcha...
From: William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, (Heath Anthology, Fourth Edition, Vol. I)
"Not only incontinency between persons unmarried, for which many both men and women have been punished sharply enough, but some married persons also. But that which is worse, even sodomy and buggery (things fearful to name) have broke forth in this land oftener than once." [p. 328]
I found this still rather amusing. And then this...
"[A Horrible Case of Bestiality]
And after the time of the writing of these things befell a very sad accident of the like foul nature in this government, this very year, which I shall now relate. There was a youth whose name was Thomas Granger. He was servant to an honest man of Duxbury, being about 16 or 17 years of age. (His father and mother lived at the same time at Scituate.) He was this year detected of buggery, and indicted for the same, with a mare, a cow, two goats, five sheep, two calves and a turkey. Horrible it is to mention, but the truth of the history requires it. He was first discovered by one that accidentally saw his lewd practice towards the mare. (I forbear particulars.)* 1 Being upon it examined and committed, in the end he not only confessed the fact with that beast at that time, but sundry times before and at several times with all the rest of the forenamed in his indictment. And this his free confession was not only in private to the magistrates (though at first he strived to deny it) but to sundry, both ministers and others; and afterwards, upon his indictment, to the whole Court and jury; and confirmed it at his execution.)* 2 And whereas some of the sheep could not so well be known by his description of them, others with them were brought before him and he declared which were they and which were not.)* 3 And accordingly he was cast by the jury and condemned, and after executed about the 8th of September, 1642. A very sad spectacle it was. For first the mare and then the cow and the rest of the lesser cattle were killed before his face, according to the law, Leviticus xx. 15, and then he himself was executed.)* 4 The cattle were all cast into a great and large pit that was digged of purpose for them, and no use made of any part of them." [p. 329]
*1: Too bad, I would have loved to hear how the thing with the turkey worked out...
*2: !!!!!!!!!!!
*3: Good thing he managed to identify the animals... O.o;
*4: What was sad, the execution of the animals or the fact that they're killing a teenager for such a silly thing?
Okay, so... he's been caught doing nasty stuff with aforementioned animals, some of which make you wonder who on earth he might have managed that, was forced to identify the animals so that they could be put to death and then was executed for his crimes. >_> Yeah... right. Puritans. Gotcha...
