Flagellation in France from a medical and historical standpoint.

Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Flagellation in France from a medical and historical standpoint. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    83/190 (page 65)
    denomination whicli appears to have been an opprobrious nickname), perambulated France, disencumbered of vain accoutrements; and, in 1535, some Anabaptists made an excursion in Amsterdam in the condition in which they had quitted their baths, for which breach of decorum the impious burgomasters had them bastinadoed. We further read of one Friar Juniperus, a worthy Franciscan, who, according to history, entered the town of Viterbod, and while he stood within the gate, he put his hose on his head, and his gown being tied round his neck in the sliape of a load, he walked through the streets of the town, where he suffered much abuse and maltreat- ment from the wicked inhabitants; and, still in the same situation, he went to the convent of the brother ^ who all exclaimed against him, but he cared little for them, so holy tvas the good little brother {tarn sanctus fait iste fraticellus).^ The pranks of brother Junipe have been performed at sundry periods by various holy men. Are we not war- ranted in conceiving that these individuals were di\?mono- maniacs? for surely the devil alone could have inspired them with such fancies, although Cardinal Damian defends the practice in the following terms, when speaking of the day of judgment: Then shall the sun lose its lustre, tlie moon shall be involved in darkness; the stars shall fall from their places, and all the elements be confounded together; of what service then will be to you those clothes and fjarments with irhich you ((re now covered, and which you refuse to lay aside, to submit to the exercise of peni- tence?' It must be remarked, in extenuation of these exhibitions, that they were accompanied by flagellation; which some- times bore a close analogy to those of the Saturnalia and