Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/458

 442 the rank and quality of the parties. But in cae of elopement, and living with an adulterer, the law allows her no alimony.

III. thus hewn how marriages may be made, or diolved, I come now, latly, to peak of the legal conequences of uch making, or diolution.

marriage, the huband and wife are one peron in law : that is, the very being or legal exitence of the woman is upended during the marriage, or at leat is incorporated and conolidated into that of the huband: under whoe wing, protection, and cover, he performs every thing; and is therefore called in our law-french a feme-covert, foemina viro co-operta; is aid to be covert-baron, or under the protection and influence of her huband, her baron, or lord; and her condition during her marriage is called her coverture. Upon this principle, of an union of peron in huband and wife, depend almot all the legal rights, duties, and diabilities, that either of them acquire by the marriage. I peak not at preent of the rights of property, but of uch as are merely peronal. For this reaon, a man cannot grant any thing to his wife, or enter into covenant with her : for the grant would be to uppoe her eparate exitence; and to covenant with her, would be only to covenant with himelf: and therefore it is alo generally true, that all compacts made between huband and wife, when ingle, are voided by the intermarriage. A woman indeed may be attorney for her huband ; for that implies no eparation from, but is rather a repreentation of, her lord. And a huband may alo bequeath any thing to his wife by will; for that cannot take effect till the coverture is determined by his death. The huband is bound to provide his wife with necearies by law, as much as himelf; and if he contracts debts for them, he is obliged to pay them ; but, for any thing beides necearies, he is not chargeable. Alo if a wife elopes, and lives with another man, the Rh