doublet off. He prayed
also with the company, but made no speech to them; nor did any other
speak to the people. The executioner stood behind him, with a great naked
sword in his hand and a linen apron before him, and while the offender
was praying the headsman in an instant, at one back-blow, cut off his
head, which fell down upon the sand; and some friends took it from the
executioner, and carried it away with the body to be buried. Presently
after this execution was past, two other offenders for smaller crimes
were brought to the same place, to suffer the punishment of the law,
which they call running the gauntlet,--a usual punishment among
soldiers.

[SN: Running the gauntlet.]

The people stood in length in the market-place about a hundred yards,
leaving an open space or lane between them of about five yards' distance;
then the offender, being naked to the waist, was brought to one end of
the lane or open place. The people had rods or switches of birch given to
as many as would take them; the offender was to run or go, as he pleased
(and one of them walked but a Spanish pace), from one end of the lane of
people to the other, twice or thrice forward and backward; and all the
way as he went, the people who had the switches lashed the offender as he
passed by them, harder or softer, as they favoured him. These are the
most usual ways of executions which they have for criminal offences, and
they do not execute men by hanging, which they say is only fit for dogs;
but in cases of great robberies and murders sometimes they execute
justice by breaking the offenders upon the wheel, and leave the quarters
of the body upon it; some whereof were in the way as Whitelocke passed in
his journey by the great wilderness.

[SN: Vestiges of the Scandinavian mythology.]

In the afternoon Senator Schuett came to Whitelocke and invited him to
take the air to see the town of old Upsal, about a mile off; and being
there, Schuett showed him three great mounts of earth, cast up by the
hands of men, for monuments in memory of their ancient famous kings,
whose seat had been here, and the place of their coronation. These mounts
had been dedicated to three of their Pagan gods: the one to the god whom
they call Teuo, who was Mars, and from him they have the name of the day
of the week _Teuosdag_, which we call Tuesday, and the Germans
_Tuisconsdaeg_, and the Latins _Dies Martis_; the second mount was
dedicated to their god Woden, so they cal