The death penalty was a sanction for a long list of non-violent crimes: criticizing the king, stealing a loaf of bread. Slavery, of course, was the preferred labor-saving device, and cruelty was a popular form of entertainment. Perhaps the most vivid example was the practice of cat burning, in which a cat was hoisted on a stage and lowered in a sling into a fire, and the spectators shrieked in laughter as the cat, howling in pain,
而能处以死刑的非暴力罪行有长长的列表： 比如批评国王，偷面包。当然，奴隶制 是种理想的节约劳力的制度，而残忍行为 则被当作流行的娱乐方式。也许最生动的例子 是火烧猫的行为。猫在平台上被吊起来 通过吊索被慢慢放入火里 猫在火中痛苦地嚎叫直到被烧死