neck verse. Hist. A verse, usu. consisting of the opening verse of Psalm 51 (Miserere mei, Deus “Have mercy on me, O God”), which was used as a literacy test for an accused who claimed benefit of clergy. • An accused who read the passage satisfactorily would not receive the maximum sentence (the person’s neck […]
Hist. A verse, usu. consisting of the opening verse of Psalm 51 (Miserere mei, Deus “Have mercy on me, O God”), which was used as a literacy test for an accused who claimed benefit of clergy. • An accused who read the passage satisfactorily would not receive the maximum sentence (the person’s neck would be
neck verse 保命诗 指《圣经·诗篇》〔Psalm〕第51章第1节，旧时当囚徒声称拥有神职人员特权〔benefit of clergy〕时，用于测验其阅读能力，以证明其是否可享受该特权。保命诗经常被用以逃避绞刑。