, it made part of the humour of the thing, since he prescribed it to
himself, amongst the rest of the ceremonial.
    I led him then to the bench, and according to my cue, play'd at forcing him
to lie down: which, after some little shew of reluctance, for form-sake, he
submitted to; he was straightway extended flat upon his belly, on the bench,
with a pillow under his face; and as he thus tamely lay, I tied him slightly
hand and foot, to the legs of it; which done, his shirt remaining truss'd up
over the small of his back, I drew his breeches quite down to his knees; and now
he lay, in all the fairest, broadest display of that part of the back-view; in
which a pair of chubby, smooth-cheek'd and passing white posteriours rose
cushioning upwards from two stout, fleshful thighs, and ending their cleft, or
separation by an union at the small of the back, presented a bold mark, that
swell'd, as it were, to meet the scourge.
    Seizing now one of the rods, I stood over him, and according to his
direction, gave him in one breath, ten lashes with much good-will, and the
utmost nerve and vigour of arm that I could put to them, so as to make those
fleshy orbs quiver again under them; whilst he himself seem'd no more concern'd,
or to mind them, than a lobster would a flea-bite. In the mean time, I viewed
intently the effects of them, which to me at least appear'd surprisingly cruel:
every lash had skimmed the surface of those white cliffs, which they deeply
reddened, and lapping round the side of the furthermost from me, cut specially,
into the dimple of it such livid weals, as the blood either spun out from, or
stood in large drops on; and, from some of the cuts, I picked out even the
splinters of the rod that had stuck in the skin. Nor was this raw work to be
wonder'd at, considering the greenness of the twigs and the severity of the
infliction, whilst the whole surface of his skin was so smooth-stretched over
the hard and firm pulp of flesh that fill'd it, as to yield no play, or elusive
swagging under the stroke: which thereby took place the more plum, and cut into
the quick.
    I was however already so mov'd at the piteous sight, that I from my
