Penal Methods of the Middle Ages: Criminals, Witches, Lunatics

"Penal Methods of the Middle Ages: Criminals, Witches, Lunatics" by George Burnham Ives is a historical exploration of punishment in medieval England, focusing on criminals, witch trials, and how mental illness was understood and handled. The book, originally written in the early 1900s, examines the brutal legal and social systems that determined how people were punished back then. Starting with the historical roots of prisons, the book traces how imprisonment became a common way to deal with criminals. Ives looks at the early penal system, showing how making amends was sometimes preferred over revenge, how social class played a big part in punishment, and the different penalties people faced based on their social standing. Fines, physical harm, and even slavery are discussed as punishments within a world that valued revenge and solving problems through personal conflict, rather than a set legal code.