Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/386

 370 hence as well as now. For it is a principle of univeral law, that the natural-born ubject of one prince cannot by any act of his own, no, not by wearing allegiance to another, put off or dicharge his natural allegiance to the former: for this natural allegiance was intrinic, and primitive, and antecedent to the other; and cannot be deveted without the concurrent act of that prince to whom it was firt due. Indeed the natural-born ubject of one prince, to whom he owes allegiance, may be entangled by ubjecting himelf abolutely to another; but it is his own act that brings him into thee traits and difficulties, of owing ervice to two maters; and it is unreaonable that, by uch voluntary act of his own, he hould be able at pleaure to unlooe thoe bands, by which he is connected to his natural prince.

allegiance is uch as is due from an alien, or tranger born, for o long time as he continues within the king's dominion and protection : and it ceaes, the intant uch tranger transfers himelf from this kingdom to another. Natural allegiance is therefore perpetual, and local temporary only: and that for this reaon, evidently founded upon the nature of government; that allegiance is a debt due from the ubject, upon an implied contract with the prince, that o long as the one affords protection, o long the other will demean himelf faithfully. As therefore the prince is always under a contant tie to protect his natural-born ubjects, at all times and in all countries, for this reaon their allegiance due to him is equally univeral and permanent. But, on the other hand, as the prince affords his protection to an alien, only during his reidence in this realm, the allegiance of an alien is confined (in point of time) to the duration of uch his reidence, and (in point of locality) to the dominions of the Britih empire. From which coniderations ir Matthew Hale deduces this conequence, that, though there be an uurper of the crown, yet it is treaon for any ubject, while the uurper is in full poeion of the overeignty, to practice any thing againt his crown and dig- Rh