Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (4th ed, 1770, vol IV).djvu/13



E are now arrived at the fourth and lat branch of thee commentaries ; which treats of public wrongs, or crimes and midemenors. For we may remember that, in the beginning of the preceding volume, wrongs were divided into two orts or pecies ; the one private, and the other public. Private wrongs, which are frequently termed civil injuries, were the ubject of that entire book : we are now therefore, latly, to proceed to the conideration of public wrongs, or crimes and midemenors ; with the means of their prevention and punihment. In the puruit of which ubject I hall conider, in the firt place, the general nature of crimes and punihments ; econdly, the perons capable of committing crimes ; thirdly, their everal degrees of guilt, VOL. IV.