Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/281

 Ch. 7. ued in order to alarm the country, in cae of the approach of an enemy; and all of them are ignally ueful in guiding and preerving veels at ea by night as well as by day. For this purpoe the king hath the excluive power, by commiion under his great eal, to caue them to be erected in fit and convenient places , as well upon the lands of the ubject as upon the demenes of the crown: which power is uually veted by letters patent in the office of lord high admiral. And by tatute 8 Eliz. c. 13. the corporation of the trinity-houe are impowered to et up any beacons or ea-marks wherever they hall think them neceary; and if the owner of the land or any other peron hall detroy them, or hall take down any teeple, tree, or other known ea-mark, he hall forfeit 100𝑙. or, in cae of inability to pay it, hall be ipo facto outlawed.

this branch of the prerogative may alo be referred the power veted in his majety, by tatutes 12 Car. II. c. 4. and 29 Geo. II. c. 16. of prohibiting the exportation of arms or ammunition out of this kingdom, under evere penalties: and likewie the right which the king has, whenever he ees proper, of confining his ubjects to tay within the realm, or of recalling them when beyond the eas. By the common law, every man may go out of the realm for whatever caue he pleaeth, without obtaining the king's leave; provided he is under no injunction of taying at home: (which liberty was exprely declared in king John's great charter, though left out in that of Henry III) but, becaue that every man ought of right to defend the king and his realm, therefore the king at his pleaure may command him by his writ that he go not beyond the eas, or out of the realm, without licence; and if he do the contrary, he hall be punihed for diobeying the king's command. Some perons there antiently were, that, by reaon of their tations, were under a perpetual prohibition of going abroad without licence obtained; among which were Rh