Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol II).djvu/265

 Ch. 15. batards cannot be heirs themelves, o neither can they have any heirs but thoe of their own bodies. For, as all collateral kindred conits in being derived from the ame common ancetor, and as a batard has no legal ancetors, he can have no collateral kindred; and, conequently, can have no legal heirs, but uch as claim by a lineal decent from himelf. And therefore if a batard purchaes land, and dies eied thereof without iue, and intetate, the land hall echeat to the lord of the fee.

6. alo are incapable of taking by decent, or inheriting : for they are not allowed to have any inheritable blood in them; rather indeed upon a principle of national or civil policy, than upon reaons trictly feodal. Though, if lands had been uffered to fall into their hands who owe no allegiance to the crown of England, the deign of introducing our feuds, the defence of the kingdom, would have been defeated. Wherefore if a man leaves no other relations but aliens, his land hall echeat to the lord.

aliens cannot inherit, o far they are on a level with batards; but, as they are alo diabled to hold by purchae, they are under till greater diabilities. And, as they can neither hold by purchae, nor by inheritance, it is almot uperfluous to ay that they can have no heirs, ince they can have nothing for an heir to inherit: but o it is exprely holden, becaue they have not in them any inheritable blood.

farther, if an alien be made a denizen by the king's letters patent, and then purchaes lands, (which the law allows uch a one to do) his on, born before his denization, hall not (by the common law) inherit thoe lands; but a on born afterwards may, even though his elder brother be living; for the father, before denization, had no inheritable blood to communicate Rh