Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/138

122, as municipal law is a rule of civil conduct, commanding what is right, and prohibiting what is wrong; or, as Cicero and after him our Bracton , have expreed it, ; it follows, that the primary and principal objects of the law are , and. In the proecution therefore of thee commentaries, I hall follow this very imple and obvious diviion; and hall in the firt place conider the rights that are commanded, and econdly the wrongs that are forbidden by the laws of England.

are however liable to another ubdiviion; being either, firt, thoe which concern and are annexed to the perons of men, and are then called ' or the rights of perons; or they are, econdly, uch as a man may acquire over external objects, or things unconnected with his peron, which are tiled ' or the rights of things. Wrongs alo are diviible into, firt, private wrongs, which, being an infringement merely of particular rights, concern individuals only, and are called civil injuries; and econdly, public wrongs, which, being a breach of general and public rights, affect the whole community, and are called crimes and midemenors.

objects of the laws of England falling into this fourfold diviion, the preent commentaries will therefore conit of the four following parts: 1.&ensp;The rights of perons; with the means whereby uch rights may be either acquired or lot. 2.&ensp;The rights of things; with the means alo of acquiring and loing them. 3.&ensp;Private wrongs, or civil injuries; with the means of redreing them by law. 4.&ensp;Public wrongs, or crimes and midemenors; with the means of prevention and punihment. are now, firt, to conider the rights of perons; with the means of acquiring and loing them.