Leighton, the father of the illustrious Archbishop,
incurred the vengeance of the Star Chamber in 1630 on account of his
treatise entitled _Syon's Plea against Prelacy_ (1628), and received the
following punishment: "To be committed to the Fleet Prison for life, and
to pay a fine of ten thousand pounds to the king's use; to be degraded
from the ministry; to be brought to the pillory at Westminster, while the
court was sitting, and be whipped, and after the whipping to have one of
his ears cut, one side of his nose slit, and be branded in the face with
the letters S.S., signifying Sower of Sedition: after a few days to be
carried to the pillory in Cheapside on a market-day, and be there likewise
whipped, and have the other ear cut off, and the other side of his nose
slit, and then to be shut up in prison for the remainder of his life,
unless his Majesty be graciously pleased to enlarge him." A sentence quite
sufficiently severe to deter any rash scribe from venturing upon
authorship! Maiming an author, cutting off his hands, or ears, or nose,
seems to have been a favourite method of criticism in the sixteenth
century. One John Stubbs had his right hand cut off for protesting against
the proposed marriage of Queen Elizabeth with the Duke of Anjou, which
bold act he committed in his work entitled _Discoverie of a Gaping Gulf
whereinto England is like to be swallowed by another French marriage, if
the Lord forbid not the banes by letting her Majestie see the sin and
punishment thereof_ (1579).
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