Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/384

 368 minitred for upwards of ix hundred years, contained a promie "to be true and faithful to the king and his heirs, and truth and faith to bear of life and limb and terrene honour, and not to know or hear of any ill or damage intended him, without defending him therefrom." Upon which ir Matthew Hale makes this remark; that it was hort and plain, not entangled with long or intricate claues or declarations, and yet is comprehenive of the whole duty from the ubject to his overeign. But, at the revolution, the terms of this oath being thought perhaps to favour too much the notion of non-reitance, the preent form was introduced by the convention parliament, which is more general and indeterminate than the former; the ubject only promiing "that he will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the king," without mentioning "his heirs," or pecifying in the leat wherein that allegiance conits. The oath of upremacy is principally calculated as a renuntiation of the pope's pretended authority: and the oath of abjuration, introduced in the reign of king William, very amply upplies the looe and general texture of the oath of allegiance; it recognizing the right of his majety, derived under the act of ettlement; engaging to upport him to the utmot of the juror's power; promiing to dicloe all traiterous conpiracies againt him; and exprely renouncing any claim of the decendants of the late pretender, in as clear and explicit terms as the Englih language can furnih. This oath mut be taken by all perons in any office, trut, or employment; and may be tendered by two jutices of the peace to any peron, whom they hall upect of diaffection. And the oath of allegiance may be tendered to all perons above the age of twelve years, whether natives, denizens, or aliens, either in the court-leet of the manor, or in the heriff's tourn, which is the court-leet of the county.

, beides thee expres engagements, the law alo holds that there is an implied, original, and virtual allegiance, owing Rh