s by Ordeal resorted to in Modern and Ancient
Times--Ordeal by means of Hot Iron--Plunging the Arm
into Boiling Water or Oil--Walking Blindfold in
Dangerous Places--Weighing a Witch--Extending the Arms
before a Cross--Swallowing Consecrated Bread--Ordeal
among the Hindoos--Touching a Dead Body--A Murdered
Traveller--An Inquest, how conducted long ago--Dead
Henry's Wounds--Sir George M'Kenzie's Opinion of Trial
by Ordeal--Killing a Brother by Sorcery--Touching a
Dead Body--Sir K. Digby on Trial by Ordeal.

Trial by ordeal were resorted to by many people and nations both in
ancient and modern times, with the view of establishing the
criminality or innocence of suspected persons. Among the ordeals may
be enumerated: holding in the hand a red-hot bar of iron, plunging the
arm into boiling water or oil, walking blindfold amidst burning
ploughshares, passing through fires, swallowing a morsel of
consecrated bread, swimming or sinking in water (or, as it was
occasionally termed, weighing a witch), stretching out the arms before
the cross until the sorest wearied competitor dropped his arms, and so
lost his cause, and therewith perhaps his life or his estate, or it
might be both.

* * * * *

A dispute occurred between the Bishop of Paris and the Abbot of St.
Denis about the patronage of a monastery; and Pepin, surnamed the
Short, not being able to decide such an intricate question, decreed
that the matter should be settled by ordeal. Each of the disputants
chose a man, and both the men appeared in a chapel, where they
extended their arms in the form of a cross. Numerous spectators were
present to witness the trial, and betted on the feat. The bishop's
representative dropped his arms first, and thereby ruined his
employer.

Warren Hastings has found, from Asiatic researches, that trial by
ordeal was common among the Hindoos. He says these trials are
conducted in nine ways: first, by the balance; secondly, by fire;
thirdly, by water; fourthly, by poison; fifthly, by the Cosha, or
water in which an idol has been washed; sixthly, by rice; seventhly,
by boiling oil; eighthly, by red-hot iron; ninthly, by images.

"I. Ordeal by the balance is thus performed:--The beam
having been previously adjusted, the cord fixed, and
both scales made perfectly even, the person accused
and a Pandit fast a whole day; then, after the