American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1824-08-17
The Benefit Of Clergy Explained.

The Benefit oil Clergy, is a legal phrase, or techs
ncal term, which we often hear, and sometimes res
peat, without understanding its precise nearing,
1 he dark cloud OF barbarsm which succeeGtd the
downfall Of the Roman empile having nearly ef9as
ced literary pursuits, the attention ct the nobility.
and the body OF the people placed above labor, was
wholly absorbed by military exercise and the chase,
while the regular and secular clergy, became, far
ages, with some exceptions, almost The sole depos;4
tarles OF books, and the learned languages. AS il
is natural to respect what we do not understand, the
Monks TUNED the advantage TO good account, and
it gradually became principle of conn on law.
that no clerk that is to say, no priest, should be-
tried by the civil power
This privilege was enjoyed and abused without
restriction, till he reign oil Henry the Second when
the council, or parliament of Clarendon, or the
sense of the nation, we're provoked BY murder,
rape, and other crimes, TO SET bounds TO ecesastic
RIGHTEOUSNESS, by ssutary regulation on tins sub
ject but law so necessary was evsded by the in
science OF Beckett, and the base pusillanmty Of
King John, aud his successor.
During period equally dsgraceful to The mons
arch and the clergy, provision arfu, because it
seemed TO wear the face OF a remedy, was enacted,
by which any person tried tor felony and found gull
ty, was pronounced to be exempt from punishment
81 tegt ut cericus, il he able read as pries,
From this fneSse The Monks derived considerable
however odous or bloody their crimes, --rescued
them from the penalty Of the laws, and also answer.
ed another important purpose, as by these MEANS,
men OF The most desperate characters, were thus
rendered humble and obedent tools of the chul CHI,
This lucrative monopoly remained, till il was pro-
vided against in the twenty seventh year OF the reign
Of Edward the Third: but the noxious weed grew
up in shade OF ignorance and confusion, during
the bloody contests Of The houses of Lancaster and
Work considerable
Edward the Sixth, when it was determined that no
person convicted OF mapsaughter shall claim the
benefit OF clergy, unless he is peer of the realm,
or clerk in priests orders; and by the ninth Of
James the First it was entirely taken away from
those deinquens.
Persons at all conversant in legal points, gem
eral reading, will, per haps, smile at this arcle
a subject which they consider as generally under
stood but we have frequently met with persons
who imagined that the words. without benefit Of
clergy, implied that criminal should have no spi-
ritual guide, when no more IS meant, than that his
being able to read or write, shall not III any man
ner exempt him from punishment and that he shall
not be entitled to any of those preyllges formerly
enjoyed by the clergy.
The length of pipe for lighting the Parish Of
Mary lie Bore, London, with gas, exceeds siaty
miles
Al dinner few days since, at the Steam Boat
Hotel, New Brunswick, N. ]. among the company
was an Englishman, thorough bred, who as is usual
complained much Of every article Of food natural to
our country. What this gentleman most disliked,
however was American Mustard. Says Mr. G. ona
OF the party from New York, this is not American
mustard, sir. o yes it is, says MIR. ID. No sir
plies Mr.. c. it is English mustard, but being mixed
with American vinegar is the reason the mustard
is no better; they never could agree well together,
The whole company burst into laughter, and the
imnor,et gentleman looked if he wished himself
where Sawney did---boc again. ". II, Reg.