Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/29

§. 1. ficiency, that he left behind him about a hundred and fourcore volumes of his own compiling upon the ubject; and became, in the opinion of Cicero, a much more complete lawyer than even Mutius Scaevola himelf.

not be thought to recommend to our Englih nobility and gentry to become as great lawyers as Sulpicius; though he, together with this character, utained likewie that of an excellent orator, a firm patriot, and a wie indefatigable enator; but the inference which aries from the tory is this, that ignorance of the laws of the land hath ever been eteemed dihonourable, in thoe who are entruted by their country to maintain, to adminiter, and to amend them.

urely there is little occaion to enforce this argument any farther to perons of rank and ditinction, if we of this place may be allowed to form a general judgment from thoe who are under our inpection: happy, that while we lay down the rule, we can alo produce the example. You will therefore permit your profeor to indulge both a public and private atisfaction, by bearing this open tetimony; that in the infancy of thee tudies among us, they were favoured with the mot diligent attendance, and purued with the mot unwearied application, by thoe of the noblet birth and mot ample patrimony: ome of whom are till the ornaments of this eat of learning; and others at a greater ditance continue doing honour to it’s intitutions, by comparing our polity and laws with thoe of other kingdoms abroad, or exerting their enatorial abilities in the councils of the nation at home.

will ome degree of legal knowlege be found in the leat uperfluous to perons of inferior rank; epecially thoe of the learned profeions. The clergy in particular, beides the common obligations they are under in proportion to their rank and fortune, have alo abundant reaon, conidered merely as clergy- men,