Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/11

Rh THE labour indeed of thee reearches, and of a regular attention to his duty, for a eries of o many years, he hath found inconitent with his health, as well as his other avocations: and hath therefore deired the univerity’s permiion to retire from his office, after the concluion of the annual coure in which he is at preent engaged. But the hints, which he had collected for the ue of his pupils, having been thought by ome of his more experienced friends not wholly unworthy of the public eye, it is therefore with the les reluctance that he now commits them to the pres: though probably the little degree of reputation, which their author may have acquired by the candor of an audience (a tet widely different from that of a deliberate perual) would have been better conulted by a total uppreion of his lectures;—had that been a matter intirely within his power.

FOR the truth is, that the preent publication is as much the effect of neceity, as it is of choice. The notes which were taken by his hearers, have by ome of them (too partial in his favour) been thought worth reviing and trancribing; and thee trancripts have been frequently lent to others. Hence copies have been multiplied, in their nature imperfect, if not erroneous; ome of which have fallen into mercenary hands, and become the object Rh