a violent pain inflicted on persons to force them to confess the crimes laid to their charge, or as a punishment for crimes committed.

Torture was never permitted among the Romans except in the examination of slaves: it would therefore appear, that it was a general opinion among them, that a slave had such a tendency to falsehood, that the truth could only be extorted from him. To the disgrace of the professors of Christianity, torture was long practised by those who called themselves Catholics, against those whom they termed heretics; that is, those who differed in opinion, from themselves. Finding that they could not bring over others to adopt their sentiments by the force of argument, they judged it proper to compel them by the force of punishment. This practice was very general among orthodox Christians, but especially among Roman Catholics. See Inquisition.

By the law of England, torture was at one period employed to compel those criminals who stood obstinately mute when brought to trial, and refused either to plead guilty or not guilty; but it is now abolished (see Arraignment, and Rack). A history of the machines which have been invented to torture men, and an account of the instances in which they have been employed, would exhibit a dismal picture of the human character.