Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/10

ii dertaken. The knowlege of our laws and contitution was adopted as a liberal cience by general academical authority; competent endowments were decreed for the upport of a lecturer, and the perpetual encouragement of tudents; and the compiler of the enuing commentaries had the honour to be elected the firt Vinerian profeor.

IN this ituation he was led, both by duty and inclination, to invetigate the elements of the law, and the grounds of our civil polity, with greater aiduity and attention than many have thought it neceary to do. And yet all, who of late years have attended the public adminitration of jutice, mut be enible that a materly acquaintance with the general pirit of laws and the principles of univeral juriprudence, combined with an accurate knowlege of our own municipal contitutions, their original, reaon, and hitory, hath given a beauty and energy to many modern judicial deciions, with which our ancetors were wholly unacquainted. If, in the puruit of thee inquiries, the author hath been able to rectify any errors which either himelf or others may have heretofore imbibed, his pains will be ufficiently anwered: and, if in ome points he is till mitaken, the candid and judicious reader will make due allowances for the difficulties of a earch o new, o extenive, and o laborious. THE