Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/412

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HE lay part of his majety's ubjects, or uch of the people as are not comprehended under the denomination of clergy, may be divided into three ditinct tates, the civil, the military, and the maritime.

part of the nation which falls under our firt and mot comprehensive diviion, the civil tate, includes all orders of men from the highet nobleman to the meanet peaant, that are not included under either our former diviion, of clergy, or under one of the two latter, the military and maritime tates: and it may ometimes include individuals of the other three orders; ince a nobleman, a knight, a gentleman, or a peaant, may become either a divine, a oldier, or a eaman.

civil tate conits of the nobility and the commonalty. Of the nobility, the peerage of Great Britain, or lords temporal, as forming (together with the bihops) one of the upreme branches of the legilature, I have before ufficiently poken: we are here to conider them according to their everal degrees, or titles of honour. Rh