SIR W BLACKSTONE, KT One of the ustion of the Court of Common leas Gainoterough pinx! - C. Dhitipe sexy. ON The Laws of England: SIR WILLIAM BLACKSTONE, KNT. WITH THE LAST CORRECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR, AND COPIOUS BY J. E. HOVENDEN, ESQ. OF GRAY'S INN, BARRISTER AT LAW. LONDON: S. SWEET, 1, CHANCERY LANE; A. MAXWELL, 32, AND STEVENS & SONS, 39, BELL YARD, AND MILLIKEN & SON, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN. PREFACE. THE Gentleman who at the last publication of Blackstone's Commentaries edited the second volume, has been requested, upon the present occasion, to furnish notes to the first and third volumes also; with that request he has complied, and the result of his labours is now offered to the public. Setting aside faults in the execution, which he doubts not are many, it would be simple to hope that the plan upon which he has proceeded should not incur objections. The text is not only referred to by members of all the several branches of the legal profession,-some of them scientific lawyers, others familiar with the details of practice, and others again who are only commencing their studies, but is likewise perused by most persons who, though not professional, wish to acquire some knowledge of the laws and constitution under which they live. To the present general utility of such a work, which was first published more than seventy years ago, annotations are indispensable; and they must, necessarily, either contain much that to one class of readers will appear superfluous, or disappoint others by, what they will deem, meagreness of detail. In such a dilemma, an editor cannot escape the censures of both parties; and neither deprecations nor apologies would affect the judgment of a single reader; therefore, they will not be idly offered. The recent alterations in our social and political system have been far too important not to supply materials for numerous corrections of Blackstone's statements; a considerable part of his text, indeed, is become matter rather of antiquarian research, than of present practical application: it is hoped that the actual |