How To Really Punish Bankers

March 30, 2009 at 6:38 am

Always bringing the latest in breaking news, this topical example of how to deal with bankers and their ilk comes from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Bear with TheEye on this one…it is worth it.

“1125AD In this year sent the King Henry, before Christmas, from Normandy to England, and bade that all the mint-men that were in England should be mutilated in their limbs; that was, that they should each of them lose the right hand, and their testicles beneath.

“This was because the man that had a pound could not lay out a penny at a market. And the Bishop Roger of Salisbury sent over all England, and bade them all that they should come to Winchester at Christmas.

“When they came thither, then were they taken one by one, and deprived each of the right hand and the testicles beneath. All of this was done within the twelfth-night.

“And that was all done in perfect justice, because they had undone the whole land with the great quantity of base coin that they all bought.”

Makes taking Sir Ken Goodwin’s pension away look a little bit feeble, really.

(Spotted in Private Eye but not online.)