Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/478

 462 they eem to have forgotten, how much it is the guardian's interet to remove the incumbrance of his pupil's life from that etate, for which he is uppoed to have o great a regard. And this affords Fortecue, and ir Edward Coke , an ample opportunity for triumph; they affirming, that to commit the cutody of an infant to him that is next in ucceion, is "quai agnum committere lupo, ad devorandum ." Thee guardians in ocage, like thoe for nurture, continue only till the minor is fourteen years of age; for then, in both caes, he is preumed to have dicretion, o far as to chooe his own guardian. This he may do, unles one be appointed by the father, by virtue of the tatute 12 Car. II. c. 24. which, conidering the imbecillity of judgment in children of the age of fourteen, and the abolition of guardianhip in chivalry (which lated till the age of twenty one, and of which we hall peak hereafter) enacts, that any father, under age or of full age, may by deed or will dipoe of the cutody of his child, either born or unborn, to any peron, except a popih recuant, either in poeion or reverion, till uch child attains the age of one and twenty years. Thee are called guardians by tatute, or tetamentary guardians. There are alo pecial guardians by cutom of London, and other places ; but they are particular exceptions, and do not fall under the general law.

power and reciprocal duty of a guardian and ward are the ame, pro tempore, as that of a father and child; and therefore I hall not repeat them: but hall only add, that the guardian, when the ward comes of age, is bound to give him an account Rh