Among its peculiarities, Bale had no lawyers,—­this happy and united Bale.  The Balois did not trouble themselves about the Imperial law, says Sylvius; but when disputes or accusations were brought before the magistrates, they were decided according to custom and the equity of each case.  They were nevertheless inexorably severe in administering justice.  A criminal could not be saved either by gold, or by intercession, or by the authority and influence of his family.  He who was guilty must be punished; and the punishments were terrible.  Criminals were banished, hung, beheaded, broken on the wheel, drowned in the Rhine, (a bad use to which to put that “excellent river,”) left to starve on a gradually diminished supply of bread and water.  To compel confessions, tortures inconceivably horrible were used, to which the alternative of death would have been a boon; and yet there were not wanting those among the Balois who would endure these torments rather than utter their own condemnation.

They were devoted to religion, and held in great reverence the pictures and images of the Saints; but not on account of any admiration of the skill of painter or sculptor; for they cared little for the arts, and were so ignorant of literature that “no one of them had ever heard of Cicero or of any other orator.”

The men of Bale were of noble presence, and dressed well, although they avoided magnificence.  Only those of knightly rank wore purple; the wealthy burghers confined themselves to black velvet; but their wives, on fete-days, blazed in splendid silk and satin and jewels.  The boys went with naked feet, and, adds the reverend divine, the women wore upon their white legs only shoes.  There was no distinction of age by costume, among the women,—­a very great singularity in those days, when every stage and rank of life was marked by some peculiar style of dress; but in Bale the face alone distinguished the young girl from the matron of mature years.  It may, however, be doubted by some, whether this is peculiar to the town of Bale or to the time of Sylvius.  The men were addicted to voluptuous pleasures; they lived sumptuously, and passed a long time at table.  In the words of our churchman, “They were too much devoted to Father Bacchus and Dame Venus,”—­faults which they deemed venial.  But he adds, that they were jealous of their honor, and held to what they promised; they would rather be upright than merely seem to be so.  Though provident, they were content, unless very poor.

Another peculiarity of Bale:  its clocks were one hour ahead of all others, and so continued at least till the middle of the last century.  This of course depended on no difference of time; it was merely that when, for instance, at mid-day, the clocks of neighboring towns struck twelve, the clocks of Bale struck one.  The origin of this seeming effort to hasten him who usually moves rapidly enough for us all is lost in obscurity.