Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/150

134 trangers) and of every oppreion by colour of an illegal authority. And it is enacted by the tatute 5 Edw. III. c. 9. that no man hall be forejudged of life or limb, contrary to the great charter and the law of the land: and again, by tatute 28 Ed. III. c. 3. that no man hall be put to death, without being brought to anwer by due proces of law.

3.&ensp; thoe limbs and members that may be neceary to man, in order to defend himelf or annoy his enemy, the ret of his peron or body is alo entitled, by the ame natural right, to ecurity from the corporal inults of menaces, aaults, beating, and wounding; though uch inults amount not to detruction of life or member.

4.&ensp; preervation of a man’s health from uch practices as may prejudice or annoy it, and

5.&ensp; ecurity of his reputation or good name from the arts of detraction and lander, are rights to which every man is intitled, by reaon and natural jutice; ince without thee it is impoible to have the perfect enjoyment of any other advantage or right. But thee three lat articles (being of much les importance than thoe which have gone before, and thoe which are yet to come) it will uffice to have barely mentioned among the rights of perons; referring the more minute dicuion of their everal branches, to thoe parts of our commentaries which treat of the infringement of thee rights, under the head of peronal wrongs.

II.&ensp; to peronal ecurity, the law of England regards, aerts, and preerves the peronal liberty of individuals. This peronal liberty conits in the power of loco-motion, of changing ituation, or removing one’s peron to whatoever place one’s own inclination may direct; without imprionment or retraint, unles by due coure of law. Concerning which we may make the ame obervations as upon the preceding article; that it is a right trictly natural; that the laws of England have never abridged it without