Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/422

 406 created by the king's letters patent, or other invetiture; and their eldet ons. 4. Equires by virtue of their offices; as jutices of the peace, and others who bear any office of trut under the crown. To thee may be added the equires of knights of the bath, each of whom contitutes three at his intallation: and all foreign, nay, Irih peers; for not only thee, but the eldet ons of peers of Great Britain, though frequently titular lords, are only equires in the law, and mut o be named in all legal proceedings. As for gentlemen, ays ir Thomas Smith, they be made good cheap in this kingdom: for whooever tudieth the laws of the realm, who tudieth in the univerities, who profeeth liberal ciences, and (to be hort) who can live idly, and without manual labour, and will bear the port, charge, and countenance of a gentleman, he hall be called mater, and hall be taken for a gentleman. A yeoman is he that hath free land of forty hillings by the year; who is thereby qualified to erve on juries, vote for knights of the hire, and do any other act, where the law requires one that is probus et legalis homo.

ret of the commonalty are trademen, artificers, and labourers; who (as well as all others) mut in puruance of the tatute 1 Hen. V. c. 5. be tiled by the name and addition of their etate, degree, or mytery, in all actions and other legal proceedings.