Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (4th ed, 1770, vol IV).djvu/231

Ch. 15. IX. other remaining offence, that of kidnapping, being the forcible abduction or tealing away of man, woman, or child from their own country, and elling them into another, was capital by the Jewih law. “He that tealeth a man, and elleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he hall urely be put to death .” So likewie in the civil law, the offence of piriting away and tealing men and children, which was called plagium, and the offenders plagiarii, was punihed with death. This is unquetionably a very heinous crime, as it robs the king of his ubjects, banihes a man from his country, and may in it's conequences be productive of the mot cruel and diagreeable hardhips; and therefore the common law of England has punihed it with fine, imprionment, and pillory. And alo the tatute 11 & 12 W. III. c. 7. though principally intended againt pirates, has a claue that extends to prevent the leaving of uch perons abroad, as are thus kidnapped or pirited away; by enacting, that if any captain of a merchant veel hall (during his being abroad) force any peron on hore, or wilfully leave him behind, or refue to bring home all uch men as he carried out, if able and deirous to return, he hall uffer three months imprionment. And thus much for offences that more immediately affect the perons of individuals. Rh