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ON THE

Laws of England.

IN FOUR BOOKS.

BY

Sir WILLIAM BLACKSTONE, Knt.

ONE OF THE JUSTICES OF HIS MAJESTY'S

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.

THE FIFTEENTH EDITION,

WITH THE LAST CORRECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR;
AND WITH NOTES AND ADDITIONS

By EDWARD CHRISTIAN, Efq.

BARRISTER AT LAW,

THE DOWNING PROFESSOR OF THE LAWS OF ENGLAND,
AND CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE ISLE OF ELY.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY A. STRAHAN,

LAW-PRINTER TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY,
FOR T.CADELL AND W. DAVIES, IN THE STRand.

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ΤΟ

The Queen's Moft Excellent Majefty,

THE FOLLOWING VIEW

OF THE LAWS AND CONSTITUTION

OF ENGLAND,

THE IMPROVEMENT AND PROTECTION OF WHICH

HAVE DISTINGUISHED THE REIGN

OF HER MAJESTY'S ROYAL CONSORT,

IS,

WITH ALL GRATITUDE AND HUMILITY,

MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED

BY HER DUTIFUL

AND MOST OBEDIENT

SERVANT,

WILLIAM BLACKSTONE.

PREFACE.

THE following sheets contain the substance of a course of lectures on the laws of England, which were read by the author in the university of OXFORD. His original plan took its rise in the year 1753 and notwithstanding the novelty of such an attempt in this age and country, and the prejudices usually conceived against any innovations in the established mode of education, he had the satisfaction to find (and he acknowledges it with a mixture of pride and gratitude) that his endeavours were encouraged and patronized by those, both in the university and out of it, whose good opinion and esteem he was principally desirous to obtain.

The death of Mr. VINER in in 1756, and his ample benefaction to the university for promoting the study of the law, produced about two years afterwards a regular and public establishment of what the author had privately undertaken. The knowledge of our laws and constitution, was adopted as a liberal science by general academical authority; competent endowments were decreed

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