Division of our Author's Introduction

1. The subject of this examination, is a passage contained in that part of Sir W. Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, which the Author has styled the Introduction. This Introduction of his stands divided into four Sections. The first contains his discourse ‘On the Studyof the Law’. The second, entitled ‘Of the Nature of Lawsin general’, contains his speculations concerning the various objects, real or imaginary, that are in use to be mentioned under the common name of Law. The third, entitled ‘Of the Laws of England’, contains such general observations, relative to these last mentioned Laws, as seemed proper to be premised before he entered into the details of any parts of them in particular. In the fourth, entitled, ‘Of the Countriessubject to the Laws of England’, is given a statement of the different territorial extents of different branches of those Laws.

What part of it is here to be examined

2. 'Tis in the second of these sections, that we shall find the passage proposed for examination. It occupies in the edition I happen to have before me, which is the first (and all the editions, I believe, are paged alike) the space of seven pages; from the 47th, to the 53d, inclusive.