All honour to those who, like Fielding, Mandeville, Meredith, Basil Montague, Bentham, Romilly, laboured to bring home to their fellow-citizens a sense of the iniquity of these murderous laws. Nor should we forget their predecessors. Sir Thomas More stated once for all the true view of the case: “This punyshment of theues passeth the limites of Iustice, and is also very hurtefull to the weale publique. For it is too extreame and cruel a punishment for thefte, and yet not sufficient to refrayne and withold men from thefte. For simple thefte is not so great an offense, that it owght to be punished with death.” We owe also grateful mention to Samuel Chidley, who, in the time of the Commonwealth, wearied not in protesting against “this over-much justice in hanging men for stealing.” =1177.= The first recorded execution which can be referred to Tyburn occurred in this year. It is probable that Tyburn was the place of execution, but, leaving this case aside for the time, we come to the execution of William Fitz Osbert, or “Longbeard,” expressly stated to have been carried out at Tyburn. =1196.= William Fitz Osbert, or Osborn, popularly known as “Longbeard,” was a citizen of London, described as skilled in the law. He is first made known to us by the story of a vision seen by him and a companion on board a ship, one of the fleet of Richard Cœur de Lion, on its way to the Holy Land. In a great storm at sea there appeared to them three times St. Thomas of Canterbury, who said to them, “Fear not, for I and the Blessed Martyr Edmund, and the Blessed Confessor Nicholas have taken charge of this ship of the King of England. And if the men of this ship will eschew evil and seek pardon for past offences, God will give them a prosperous voyage.” Having thrice said this, he vanished and the storm ceased. This was in 1190. Richard, on his return, was captured and held to ransom by the emperor. The raising of the ransom proved very grievous to the people. There was trouble in the City of London as to the way of assessing the burden. The poorer sort claimed that the citizens should not be called on to pay so much per head, whether rich or poor, but that the assessment should be according to means. William Longbeard took the part of the poor citizens: it came to be a matter to be fought to the death between the magnates and Longbeard. Moreover, Longbeard had accused of extortion Hubert, Archbishop of Canterbury and Justiciar. An armed band was told off to arrest Longbeard. He resisted, slew two chiefs of the band, but was compelled to fly for protection to the church of St. Mary-le-Bow. Then the archbishop did a thing unheard of. He, a churchman, bound by every consideration to guard the privileges of the church, set at nought the right of sanctuary, kindled a fire, and drove Longbeard out of the church. In his attempt to escape Longbeard was wounded by the son of one of those whom he had killed in trying to escape arrest. He was hurried to