The Oxford Edition of Blackstone’s: Commentaries on the Laws of England: Book I: Of the Rights of Persons

Oxford's variorum edition of William Blackstone's seminal treatise on the common law of England and Wales offers the definitive account of the Commentaries' development in a modern format. For the first time it is possible to trace the evolution of English law and Blackstone's thought through the eight editions of Blackstone's lifetime, and the authorial corrections of the posthumous ninth edition. Introductions by the general editor and the volume editors set the Commentaries in their historical context, examining Blackstone's distinctive view of the common law, and editorial notes throughout the four volumes assist the modern reader in understanding this key text in the Anglo-American common law tradition. __Book I: Of the Rights of Persons__ covers the key topics of constitutional and public law. Blackstone's inaugural lecture 'On the Study of the Law' introduces a series of general essays on the nature of law, including a chapter on 'The Absolute Rights of Individuals' . This is followed by an extended account of England's political constitution. The various categories of people or subjects are then surveyed, with special attention to the rights and obligations of masters and servants, husbands and wives, parents and children, and lastly 'artificial persons', or corporations. In addition to David Lemmings' introduction to the volume, __Book I__ includes an introduction from the General Editor Wilfrid Prest. Cover 1 Commentaries on the Laws of England 4 Contents 6 General Editor's Introduction 8 Acknowledgements 17 Editor's Introduction to Book I 18 Aims and Claims, Organization and Achievement 18 Statement of claims 18 Organization and achievement 19 Subject Matter: Themes and Perspectives 25 Key themes 25 Positive morals and injunctions 28 Problems? 31 Varia: Authorial Changes between the Second and the Ninth Editions (1766–83) 35 Reception 37 Acknowledgements 42 Editorial Conventions and Practices 44 Abbreviations 48 General abbreviations 48 Bibliographical abbreviations 48 Dedication 57 Preface 58 Introduction 62 Section the first: On the study of the law 64 Section the second: Of the nature of lawsin general 88 Section the third: Of the laws of england 103 Section the fourth: Of the countries subject to the laws of england 123 Chapter the first: Of the absolute rights of individuals 138 Chapter the second: Of the parliament 153 Chapter the third: Of the king, and his title 179 Chapter the fourth: Of the king’s royal family 197 Chapter the fifth: Of the councils belonging to the king 202 Chapter the sixth: Of the king’s duties 206 Chapter the seventh: Of the king’s prerogative 209 Chapter the eighth: Of the king’s revenue 236 Chapter the ninth: Of subordinate magistrates 272 Chapter the tenth: Of the people, whether aliens, denizens, or natives 290 Chapter the eleventh: Of the clergy 297 Chapter the twelfth: Of the civil state 310 Chapter the thirteenth: Of the military and maritime states 317 Chapter the fourteenth: Of master and servant 327 Chapter the fifteenth: Of husband and wife 334 Chapter the sixteenth: Of parent and child 343 Chapter the seventeenth: Of guardian and ward 353 Chapter the eighteenth: Of corporations 358 Varia 372 Preface 372 Introduction Section 1 373 Introduction Section 2 373 Introduction Section 3 375 Introduction Section 4 377 Chapter 1 385 Chapter 2 388 Chapter 3 396 Chapter 4 398 Chapter 5 401 Chapter 6 402 Chapter 7 402 Chapter 8 407 Chapter 9 416 Chapter 10 421 Chapter 11 423 Chapter 12 425 Chapter 13 428 Chapter 14 430 Chapter 15 431 Chapter 16 432 Chapter 17 433 Chapter 18 433 Table of Cases 436 a. Yearbook Cases 436 b. Other Cases 436 Table of Statutes 442 Index of Persons and Places 456 The only variorum edition of Blackstone's seminal treatise on the common law, tracing the evolution of Blackstone's thought from the first to the ninth edition. The first volume addresses central topics of constitutional and public law, known as 'the rights of people'. The only variorum edition of Blackstone's seminal treatise on the common law, tracing the evolution of Blackstone's thought from the first to the ninth edition. The third volume focuses on civil remedies, and courts and procedure, including equity.