Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/23

§. 1. may uffice for perons of inferior condition, who have neither time nor capacity to enlarge their views beyond that contracted phere in which they are appointed to move. But thoe, on whom nature and fortune have betowed more abilities and greater leiure, cannot be o eaily excued. Thee advantages are given them, not for the benefit of themelves only, but alo of the public: and yet they cannot, in any cene of life, dicharge properly their duty either to the public or themelves, without ome degree of knowlege in the laws. To evince this the more clearly, it may not be amis to decend to a few particulars.

us therefore begin with our gentlemen of independent etates and fortune, the mot ueful as well as coniderable body of men in the nation; whom even to uppoe ignorant in this branch of learning is treated by Mr Locke as a trange aburdity. It is their landed property, with it’s long and voluminous train of decents and conveyances, ettlements, entails, and incumbrances, that forms the mot intricate and mot extenive object of legal knowlege. The thorough comprehenion of thee, in all their minute ditinctions, is perhaps too laborious a tak for any but a lawyer by profeion: yet till the undertanding of a few leading principles, relating to etates and conveyancing, may form ome check and guard upon a gentleman’s inferior agents, and preerve him at leat from very gros and notorious impoition.

the policy of all laws has made ome forms neceary in the wording of lat wills and tetaments, and more with regard to their attetation. An ignorance in thee mut always be of dangerous conequence, to uch as by choice or neceity compile their own tetaments without any technical aitance. Thoe who have attended the courts of jutice are the bet witnees of the confuion and ditrees that are hereby occaioned in families; and of the difficulties that arie in dicerning the true meaning of