Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol II).djvu/400

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NDER the name of things peronal are included all orts of things moveable, which may attend a man's peron wherever he goes; and therefore, being only the objects of the law while they remain within the limits of it's juridiction, and being alo of a perihable quality, are not eteemed of o high a nature, nor paid o much regard to by the law, as things that are in their nature more permanent and immoveable, as lands, and houes, and the profits iuing thereout. Thee being contantly within the reach, and under the protection of the law, were the principal favourites of our firt legilators: who took all imaginable care in acertaining the rights, and directing the dipoition, of uch property as they imagined to be lating, and which would anwer to poterity the trouble and pains that their ancetors employed about them; but at the ame time entertained a very low and contemptuous opinion of all peronal etate, which they regarded only as a tranient commodity. The amount of it indeed was, comparatively, very trifling, during the carcity of money and the ignorance of luxurious refinements, which prevailed in the feodal ages. Hence it was, that a tax of the fifteenth, tenth, or ometimes a much larger proportion, of all the moveables of the ubject, was frequently laid without cruple, and is mentioned with much unconcern by our antient hitorians, though now it would jutly alarm our opulent merchants and tockholders. And hence likewie may be derived the frequent forfeitures inflicted by