Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/464

 448 reaon for o doing; and there are fourteen uch reaons reckoned up, which may jutify uch diinherion. If the parent alleged no reaon, or a bad, or fale one, the child might et the will aide, tanquam tetamentum inofficioum, a tetament contrary to the natural duty of the parent. And it is remarkable under what colour the children were to move for relief in uch a cae: by uggeting that the parent had lot the ue of his reaon, when he made the inofficious tetament. And this, as Puffendorf oberves, was not to bring into dipute the tetator's power of diinheriting his own offspring; but to examine the motives upon which he did it: and, if they were found defective in reaon, then to et them aide. But perhaps this is going rather too far: every man has, or ought to have, by the laws of ociety, a power over his own property: and, as Grotius very well ditinguihes, natural right obliges to give a neceary maintenance to children; but what is more than that they have no other right to, than as it is given them by the favour of their parents, or the poitive contitutions of the municipal law.

us next ee what proviion our own laws have made for this natural duty. It is a principle of law, that there is an obligation on every man to provide for thoe decended from his loins: and the manner in which this obligation hall be performed, is thus pointed out. The father, and mother, grandfather, and grandmother of poor impotent perons hall maintain them at their own charges, if of ufficient ability, according as the quarter eions hall direct: and if a parent runs away, and leaves his children, the churchwardens and overeers of the parih hall eie his rents, goods, and chattels, and dipoe of them towards their relief. By the interpretations which the courts of law have made upon thee tatutes, if a mother or grandmother marries again, and was before uch econd marriage of ufficient ability to keep the child, the huband hall be charged to main- Rh