Among the Anglo-Saxon a subject conceiving himself wronged by the king… — The Devil's Dictionary
SAPIR 861
Among the Anglo-Saxon a subject conceiving himself wronged by the king was permitted, on proving his injury, to beat a brazen image of the royal offender with a switch that was afterward applied to his own naked back. The latter rite was performed by the public hangman, and it assured moderation in the plaintiff's choice of a switch.
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (WLC), CC BY 4.0