Free Public Executions: From Ancient Rome to the Present Day by Nigel Cawthorne Page A

going to be performed by his son, Charles-Henri. The old man accompanied his son to the scaffold, where he loosened the prisoner's bonds and removed the iron gag that had been put on him by the jailers at the Bastille. The condemned man protested his innocence and prayed. Once his hands were untied, he handed his handsome gold jacket, made for him in India, to Jean-Baptiste. 'Now you can strike,' he said to Charles-Henri.
    Lally-Tollendal's hair had not been cut so it obstructed the blade and the sword cut into the comte's cheek and jaw instead, breaking his teeth. Lally-Tollendal fell to the ground. He sprung back to his feet and glared at Jean-Baptiste. A quick-witted assistant grabbed the comte by the ears as Jean-Baptiste Sanson suddenly recovered his strength. He grabbed the blooded sword from his son and, before the cry of horror that had risen from the crowd had subsided, removed Lally-Tollendal's head.
    Charles-Henri made amends when executing the Chevalier de la Barre later that year. The handsome, nineteen-year-old chevalier had set his heart on marrying a particular girl. However, her guardian, the Lieutenant Criminel of Abbeville, had arranged a more favourable match. To get the unwanted chevalier out of the way, he accused him of failing to salute passing monks, a blasphemous act which in itself warranted a sentence of death.
    On the scaffold, Sanson asked the chevalier to kneel. He refused. 'But it is the custom for criminals to kneel,' insisted Sanson. 'I cannot; I am no criminal,' said the chevalier. 'Strike me as I am...Now be quick.' Sanson swung his sword, this time with astonishing accuracy. It passed through the neck cleanly without dislodging the head and the body remained standing for a few moments. An eyewitness reported that Sanson had said 'shake yourself – the job is done' to the upright corpse. To the amazement of all that witnessed the feat, it was only when the body had crumpled at last that the head rolled across the scaffold. Charles-Henri Sanson went on to oversee the introduction of the guillotine.

Beheading in the Far East
    In most European countries, the sword was the preferred method of execution but it was also popular in the Far East. However, there was one marked difference: beheading was regarded as a dishonourable end in that part of the world. In death, it was considered important for the body to remain intact, so dividing the head from the body and disposing of the parts separately was looked upon as shameful.
    In 1691, the Dutch traveller Engelbert Kaempfer witnessed the public execution of two criminals in Japan:
    'Early in the morning of the execution, the governor of Nagasaki sent notice to our director to keep himself with the rest of the Dutchmen in readiness to see the criminals executed. About an hour later, numerous flocks of people arrived, our interpreters, landlords, cooks, with the sheriffs and other officers of justice, in all to the number of at least 200 people. Before the company was carried a pike with a tablet, whereon the crime for which the criminals were to suffer was specified in large characters. Then followed the two criminals surrounded by bailiffs. The first was the buyer of the stolen goods, a young man of twenty-three years of age, very meanly clad, upon whom the stolen property, camphor, was found. The second was a well-looking man, about forty years of age, who suffered only for having lent the other, formerly a servant of his, the money to buy it with. One of the bailiffs carried an instrument upright, formed like a rake, but with iron hooks instead of teeth, to be made use of if any of the malefactors should attempt to make his escape as it easily catches hold of one's clothes. Another carried another instrument, proper to cut, to stab, and to pin one fast to the wall. Then followed the two officers of the governor's court with their retinues, to preside at this act, and at some distance came two clerks. At the scene I saw the two criminals in the