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BEN 
ring of the anchor; bend the sail, make it 
fast to the yard. 
BENDS, in a ship, the same with what is 
called wails, or wales; the outmost timbers 
of a ship’s side, on which men set their feet 
in climbing up. They are reckoned from 
the water, and are called the first, second, 
or third bend. They are the chief strength 
of a ship’s sides, and have the beams, knees, 
and foot-hooks bolted to them. 
BENDY, in heraldry, is the field divided 
into four, six, or more parts, diagonally, and 
varying in metal and colour. 
The general custom of England is to 
make an even number, but in other coun- 
tries they regard it not, whether even or 
odd. 
BENEFICE is generally taken for all 
ecclesiastical livings, be they dignities or 
not : all church preferments are benefices ; 
but they must be given for life, and not for 
a term of years or at will. 
BENEFIT of clergy. By stat. 3, Ed. I. 
c. 3, it is enacted, that for the scarcity of 
clergy in the realm of England, to be dis- 
posed of in religious houses, or for priests, 
deacons, and clerks of parishes, there should 
be a prerogative allowed to the clergy, that 
if any man that could read as a clerk were 
to be condemned to death, the bishop of the 
diocese might, if he would, claim him as a 
clerk; and he was to see him tried in the 
face of the court if lie could read or not; if 
the prisoner could read, then he was to be 
delivered over to the bishop, who should 
dispose of him in some places of the clergy 
as he should think meet; but if either the 
bishop would not demaud him, or the pri- 
soner could not read, then he was to be put 
to death. 
By the common law a woman was not 
entitled to the benefit of clergy; but by 
3 W. c. 9, Si 6, a woman convicted, or out- 
lawed, for any felony for which a man 
might have his clergy, shall, upon her prayer 
to have the benefit of this statute, be sub- 
ject only to such punishment as a man would 
in a like case. 
But every person (not being within or- 
ders,) who has been once admitted to his 
clergy, shall not be admitted to it a second 
time, 4 Hen. VII. c. 13 ; and against the 
defendant’s plea of clergy the prosecutor 
may file a counter plea, alleging some fact, 
which in law deprives the defendant of the 
privilege he claims ; as, he was before con- 
victed of an offence, and therefore not en- 
titled to the benefit of the statute. 
BEN 
In case of high treason against the king, 
clergy was never allowable. 
When a person is admitted to his clergy 
he forfeits all the goods he possessed at the 
time of the conviction. 2 H. H. 388. But 
immediately on his burning in the hand, he 
ought to be restored to the possession of his 
lands, 2 H. H. 388. It also restores him to 
his credit, and consequently enables him to 
be a good witness. 
BENEVOLENCE is used in the statutes 
of this realm for a voluntary gratuity given 
by the subjects to the king. This, instead 
of a gift, is an extortion and imposition, that 
has been guarded against by the declara- 
tion of rights, 1 Wm. 2 st. where it is in- 
sisted, that levying money for or to the use 
of the crown, by pretence of prerogative, 
without grant of parliament is illegal. 
BENZOATS, salts formed of the benzoic 
acid and alkalies and most of the earths. 
They are all soluble, and from them the 
acid may be separated by means of the mu- 
riatic acid. Many of the metallic oxides 
are soluble in this acid, but not the metals 
themselves. The benzoat of lime has been 
found in the urine of horses and some other 
quadrupeds : and from this is ascribed the 
sub-aromatic smell sometimes perceived 
from the liquid when fresh. The benzoats in 
chemical affinity follow this order : 
Lime Soda 
Barytes Ammonia 
Magnesia Alumina 
Potash Metallic oxides 
BENZOIN, in chemistry, a gum called 
gum Benjamin; is brought from the East 
Indies in brittle masses of unequal degrees 
of purity, and varying in colour from yellow 
to white. It has but little taste ; but if pre- 
viously dissolved it is rather pungent and 
aromatic. Its smell is grateful when rub- 
bed or warmed, and when the heat is in- 
creased the resin melts, a white and most 
fragrant vapour rises, which is easily con- 
densed on the surrounding bodies into beau- 
tiful shining saline needles. These are what 
are denominated benzoic acid. Benzoin is 
very soluble in alcohol, but separates on the 
addition of water. It is one of the most im- 
portant balsams in modern chemistry, which 
are considered as resins naturally united 
with that volatile chrystalizable acid which 
has just been mentioned, and which is the 
same in all natural balsams. The benzoic 
acid may be prepared either by sublimation 
or by digestion : that obtained by sublima- 
tion is remarkably light, feathery, and elas- 
tic. When pure it is quite white ; for the 
