Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/423

 Ch. 13.

HE military tate includes the whole of the oldiery; or, uch perons as are peculiarly appointed among the ret of the people, for the afeguard and defence of the realm.

a land of liberty it is extremely dangerous to make a ditinct order of the profeion of arms. In abolute monarchies this is neceary for the afety of the prince, and aries from the main principle of their contitution, which is that of governing by fear: but in free tates the profeion of a oldier, taken ingly and merely as a profeion, is jutly an object of jealouy. In thee no man hould take up arms, but with a view to defend his country and it's laws: he puts not off the citizen when he enters the camp; but it is becaue he is a citizen, and would wih to continue o, that he makes himelf for a while a oldier. The laws therefore and contitution of thee kingdoms know no uch tate as that of a perpetual tanding oldier, bred up to no other profeion than that of war: and it was not till the reign of Henry VII, that the kings of England had o much as at guard about their perons. Rh