Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/108

92 moderate, and to explain them. What equity is, and how impoible in it’s very eence to be reduced to tated rules, hath been hewn in the preceding ection. I hall therefore only add, that there are courts of this kind etablihed for the benefit of the ubject, to correct and often the rigor of the law, when through it’s generality it bears too hard in particular caes; to detect and punih latent frauds, which the law is not minute enough to reach; to enforce the execution of uch matters of trut and confidence, as are binding in concience, though perhaps not trictly legal; to deliver from uch dangers as are owing to miortune or overight; and, in hort, to relieve in all uch caes as are, , objects of relief. This is the buines of our courts of equity, which however are only converant in matters of property. For the freedom of our contitution will not permit, that in criminal caes a power hould be lodged in any judge, to contrue the law otherwie than according to the letter. This caution, while it admirably protects the public liberty, can never bear hard upon individuals. A man cannot uffer more punihment than the law aigns, but he may uffer les. The laws cannot be trained by partiality to inflict a penalty beyond what the letter will warrant; but, in caes where the letter induces any apparent hardhip, the crown has the power to pardon.