Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (1st ed, 1768, vol III).djvu/42

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E are next to confider the everal pecies and ditinctions of courts of jutice, which are acknowleged and ued in this kingdom. And thee are either uch as are of public and general juridiction throughout the whole realm; or uch as are only of a private and pecial juridiction in ome particular parts of it. Of the former there are four orts; the univerally etablihed courts of common law and equity; the eccleiatical courts; the courts military; and courts maritime. And firt of uch public courts as are courts of common law or equity.

policy of our antient contitution, as regulated and etablifhed by the great Alfred, was to bring jutice home to every man's door, by contituting as many courts of judicature as there are manors and townhips in the kingdom; wherein injuries were redreed in an eay and expeditious manner, by the uffrage of neighbours and friends. Thee little courts however communicated with others of a larger juridiction, and thoe with others of a till greater power; acending gradually from the lowet to the upreme courts, which were repectively contituted to correct the errors of the inferior ones, and to determine uch caues as by reaon of their weight and difficulty demanded a more olemn dicuion. The coure of jutice flowing in large treams Rh