The "Neck Verse" aka Fifty-First Psalm

[crimsoncrow]

Came across this bit o' historical information and thought I would pass it along. Taken from the October, 2004 issue of "Lattitudes & Attitudes", article by Frank Lanier.

Until 1536, English pirates sentenced to hang could escape the gallows by reading the first verse of the fifty-first Psalm from a Latin manuscript. Afterwards, the lax laws of the day enabled court officials, (who more often than not were on the payrollof said pirates), the option of granting them "Benefit of Clergy" and therefore, entitled to immunity from prosecution.

Based loosely on the passage in Chronicles stating, "Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm", the law itself was an effort by the church to declare its' supremacy in all matters concerning members of the clergy, whether secular or civil in nature.

Didn't take long for those less savory in nature, however, to corrupt it to the point that it encompassed not only church officials, but even those potentially capable of ebtering the priesthood by virtue of being able to read and write.

As such, the psalm or "Neck Verse" as it was commonly known, was widely memorized by pirates in efforts to save their, well......necks.

[Capt. Flint]

Thats so cool. I can't wait to look it up. Has anyone ever heard of anything else like this. Would love to hear about it.

[Lady Seahawke]

a quick search and this is what I found.

E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.

Neck-verse (Psalm li. 1).

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” This verse was so called because it was the trial-verse of those who claimed benefit of clergy; and if they could read it, the ordinary of Newgate said, “Legit ut cler cus,” and the convict saved his neck, being only burnt in the hand and set at liberty

“If a clerk had been taken

For stealing of bacon,

For burglary, murder, or rape.

If he could but rehearse

(Well prompt) his neck-verse,

He never could fail to escape.”

Dictionary.

Neck verse. (1) The verse formerly read to entitle a party to the benefit of clergy, said to be the first verse of the fifty-first Psalm, Miserere mei,'' etc. --Sir W. Scott.

2) Hence, a verse or saying, the utterance of which decides one's fate; a shibboleth.

These words, ``bread and cheese,'' were their neck verse or shibboleth to distinguish them; all pronouncing ``broad an