Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/382

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AVING, in the eight preceding chapters, treated of perons as they tand in the public relations of magitrates, I now proceed to conider uch perons as fall under the denomination of the people. And herein all the inferior and ubordinate magitrates, treated of in the lat chapter, are included.

firt and mot obvious diviion of the people is into aliens and natural-born ubjects. Natural-born ubjects are uch as are born within the dominions of the crown of England, that is, within the ligeance, or, as it is generally called, the allegiance of the king; and aliens, uch as are born out of it. Allegiance is the tie, or ligamen, which binds the ubject to the king, in return for that protection which the king affords the ubject. The thing itelf, or ubtantial part of it, is founded in reaon and the nature of government; the name and the form are derived to us from our Gothic ancetors. Under the feudal ytem, every owner of lands held them in ubjection to ome uperior or lord, from whom or whoe ancetors the tenant or vaal had received them: and there was a mutual trut or confidence ubiting between the lord and vaal, that the lord should protect the vaal in the enjoyment of the territory he had granted him, and, on the Rh