Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/143

Ch. 1. hort of perfection, and can only be lot or detroyed by the folly or demerits of it’s owner: the legilature, and of coure the laws of England, being peculiarly adapted to the preervation of this inetimable bleing even in the meanet ubject. Very different from the modern contitutions of other tates, on the continent of Europe, and from the genius of the imperial law; which in general are calculated to vet an arbitrary and depotic power of controlling the actions of the ubject in the prince, or in a few grandees. And this pirit of liberty is o deeply implanted in our contitution, and rooted even in our very oil, that a lave or a negro, the moment he lands in England, falls under the protection of the laws, and o far becomes a freeman ; though the mater’s right to his ervice may probably till continue.

abolute rights of every Englihman (which, taken in a political and extenive ene, are uually called their liberties) as they are founded on nature and reaon, o they are coeval with our form of government; though ubject at times to fluctuate and change: their etablihment (excellent as it is) being till human. At ome times we have een them depreed by overbearing and tyrannical princes; at others o luxuriant as even to tend to anarchy, a wore tate than tyranny itelf, as any government is better than none at all. But the vigour of our free contitution has always delivered the nation from thee embaraments, and, as oon as the convulions conequent on the truggle have been over, the ballance of our rights and liberties has ettled to it’s proper level; and their fundamental articles have been from time to time aerted in parliament, as often as they were thought to be in danger.

, by the great charter of liberties, which was obtained, word in hand, from king John; and afterwards, with ome alterations, confirmed in parliament by king Henry the third, his on. Which charter contained very few new grants; but, as ir Edward Coke oberves, was for the mot part declaratory of the principal