Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (4th ed, 1770, vol IV).djvu/217

Ch. 15.

AVING in the preceding chapter conidered the principal crime, or public wrong, that can be committed againt a private ubject, namely, by detroying his life; I proceed now to enquire into uch other crimes and midemenors, as more peculiarly affect the ecurity of his peron, while living.

thee ome are felonious, and in their nature capital; others are imple midemenors, and punihable with a lighter animadverion. Of the felonies the firt is that of mayhem.

I. mahemium, was in part conidered in the preceding volume as a civil injury: but it is alo looked upon in a criminal light by the law; being an atrocious breach of the king's peace, and an offence tending to deprive him of the aid and aitance of his ubjects. For mayhem is properly defined to be, as we may remember, the violently depriving another of the ue of uch of his members, as may render him the les able in fighting, either to defend himelf, or to annoy his adverary. And therefore the cutting off, or diabling, or weakening a man's Rh