the history of the common law of england-第9部分

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umerous：　In　　the　first　Coalition　of　a　People；　their　Prospect　is　not　great；　　they　provide　Laws　for　their　present　Exigence　and　Convenience：　But　　in　Process　of　Time；　possibly　their　first　Laws　are　changed；　　altered　or　antiquated；　as　some　of　the　Laws　of　the　Twelve　Tables　　among　the　Romans　were：　But　whatsoever　be　done　touching　their　Old　　Laws；　there　must　of　Necessity　be　a　Provision　of　New；　and　other　　Laws　successively　answering　to　the　Multitude　of　successive　　Exigencies　and　Emergencies；　that　in　a　long　Tract　of　Time　will　　offer　themselves；　so　that　if　a　Man　could　at　this　Day　have　the　　Prospects　of　all　the　Laws　of　the　Britains　before　any　Invasion　　upon　them；　it　would　yet　be　impossible　to　say；　which　of　them　were　　New；　and　which　were　Old；　and　the　several　Seasons　and　Periods　of　　Time　wherein　every　Law　took　its　Rise　and　Original；　especially　　since　it　appears；　that　in　those　elder　Times；　the　Britains　were　　not　reduced　to　that　civiliz'd　Estate；　as　to　keep　the　Annals　and　　Memorials　of　their　Laws　and　Government；　as　the　Romans　and　other　　civiliz'd　Parts　of　the　World　have　done。　　　　　　It　is　true；　when　the　Conquest　of　a　Country　appears；　we　can　　tell　when　the　Laws　of　conquering　People　came　to　be　given　to　the　　Conquered。　Thus　we　can　tell　that　in　the　Time　of　Hen。　2　when　the　　Conquest　of　Ireland　had　obtain'd　a　good　Progress；　and　in　the　Time　　of　K。　John；　when　it　was　compleated；　the　English　Laws　were　settled　　in　Ireland：　But　if　we　were　upon　this　Inquiry；　What　were　the　　Original　of　those　English　Laws　that　were　thus　settled　there；　we　　are　still　under　the　same　Quest　and　Difficulty　that　we　are　now；　　viz。　What　is　the　Original　of　the　English　Laws。　For　they　that　　begin　New　Colonies；　Plantations　and　Conquests；　if　they　settle　New　　Laws；　and　which　the　Places　had　not　before；　yet　for　the　most　Part　　（I　don't　say　altogether）　they　are　the　Old　Laws　which　obtain'd　in　　those　Countries　from　whence　the　Conquerors　or　Planters　came。　　　　　　Secondly；　the　2d　Difficulty　of　the　Discovery　of　the　Original　　of　the　English　Laws　is　this；　That　this　Kingdom　has　had　many　and　　great　Vicissitudes　of　People　that　inhabited　it；　and　that　in　their　　several　Times　prevail'd　and　obtain'd　a　great　Hand　in　the　　Government　of　this　Kingdom；　whereby　it　came　to　pass；　that　there　　arose　a　great　Mixture　and　Variety　of　Laws：　In　some　Places　the　　Laws　of　the　Saxons；　in　some　Places　the　Laws　of　the　Danes；　in　some　　Places　the　Laws　of　the　ancient　Britains；　in　some　Places；　the　Laws　　of　the　Mercians；　and　in　some　Places；　or　among　some　People　　（perhaps）　the　Laws　of　the　Normans：　For　altho'；　as　I　shall　shew　　hereafter；　the　Normans　never　obtain'd　this　Kingdom　by　such　a　　Right　of　Conquest；　as　did　or　might　alter　the　established　Laws　of　　the　Kingdom；　yet　considering　that　K。　Will。　I　brought　with　him　a　　great　Multitude　of　that　Nation；　and　many　Persons　of　great　Power　　and　Eminence；　which　were　planted　generally　over　this　Kingdom；　　especially　in　the　Possessions　of　such　as　had　oppos'd　his　coming　　in；　it　must　needs　be　suppos'd；　that　those　Occurrences　might　　easily　have　a　great　Influence　upon　the　Laws　of　this　Kingdom；　and　　secretly　and　insensibly　introduce　New　Laws；　Customs　and　Usages；　　so　that　altho'　the　Body　and　Gross　of　the　Law　might　continue　the　　same；　and　so　continue　the　ancient　Denomination　that　it　first　had；　　yet　it　must　needs　receive　diverse　Accessions　from　the　Laws　of　　those　People　that　were　thus　intermingled　with　the　ancient　　Britains　or　Saxons；　as　the　Rivers　of　Severn；　Thames；　Trent；　&c。　　tho'　they　continue　the　same　Denomination　which　their　first　Stream　　had；　yet　have　the　Accession　of　divers　other　Streams　added　to　them　　in　the　Tracts　of　their　Passage　which　enlarge　and　augment　them。　　And　hence　grew　those　several　Denominations　of　the　Saxon；　　Merician；　and　Danish　Laws；　out　of　which　（as　before　is　shewn）　the　　Confessor　extracted　his　Body　of　the　Common　Law；　and　therefore　　among　all　those　various　Ingredients　and　Mixtures　of　Laws；　it　is　　almost　an　impossible　Piece　of　Chymistry　to　reduce　every　Caput　　Legis　to　its　true　Original；　as　to　say；　This　is　a　Piece　of　the　　Danish；　this　of　the　Norman；　or　this　of　the　Saxon　or　British　Law：　　Neither　was　it；　or　indeed　is　it　much　material；　which　of　these　is　　their　Original；　for　'tis　very　plain；　the　Strength　and　Obligation；　　and　the　formal　Nature　of　a　Law；　is　not　upon　Account　that　the　　Danes；　or　the　Saxons；　or　the　Normans；　brought　it　in　with　them；　　but　they　became　Laws；　and　binding　in　this　Kingdom；　by　Virtue　only　　of　their　being　received　and　approved　here。　　　　　　Thirdly；　A　Third　Difficulty　arises　from　those　accidental　　Emergencies　that　happened；　either　in　the　Alteration　of　Laws；　or　　communicating　or　conveying　of　them　to　this　Kingdom：　For　first；　　the　Subdivision　of　the　Kingdom　into　small　Kingdoms　under　the　　Heptarchy；　did　most　necessarily　introduce　a　Variation　of　Laws；　　because　the　several　Parts　of　the　Kingdom；　were　not　under　one　　common　Standard；　and　so　it　will　soon　be　in　any　Kingdoms　that　are　　cantonized；　and　not　under　one　common　Method　of　Dispensation　of　　Laws；　tho'　under　one　and　the　same　King。　Again；　The　Intercourse　　and　Traffick　with　other　Nations；　as　it　grew　more　or　greater；　did　　gradually　make　a　Communication　and　Transmigration　of　Laws　from　us　　to　them；　and　from　them　to　us。　Again；　The　Growth　of　Christianity　　in　this　Kingdom；　and　the　Reception　of　Learned　Men　from　other　　Parts；　especially　from　Rome；　and　the　Credit　that　they　obtained　　here；　might　reasonably　introduce　some　New　Laws；　and　antiquate　or　　abrogate　some　Old　ones　that　seem'd　less　consistent　with　the　　Christian　Doctrines；　and　by　this　Means；　not　only　some　of　the　　Judicial　Laws　of　the　Jews；　but　also　some　Points　relating　to；　or　　bordering　upon；　or　derived　from　the　Canon　or　Civil　Laws；　as　may　　be　seen　in　those　Laws　of　the　ancient　Kings；　Ina；　Alphred；　　Canutus；　&c。　collected　by　Mr。　Lambard。　　　　　　Having　thus　far　premised；　it　seems；　upon　the　whole　Matter；　an　　endless　and　insuperable　Business　to　carry　up　the　English　Laws　to　　their　several　Springs　and　Heads；　and　to　find　out　their　first　　Original；　neither　would　it　be　of　any　Moment　or　Use　if　it　were　　done：　For　whenever　the　Laws　of　England；　or　the　several　Capita　　thereof　began；　or　from　whence　or　whomsoever　derived；　or　what　Laws　　of　other　Countries　contributed　to　the　Matter　of　our　Laws；　yet　　most　certainly　their　Obligation　arises　not　from　their　Matter；　but　　from　their　Admission　and　Reception；　and　Authorization　in　this　　Kingdom；　and　those　Laws；　if　convenient　and　useful　for　the　　Kingdom；　were　never　the　worse；　tho'　they　were　desumed　and　taken　　from　the　Laws　of　other　Countries；　so　as　they　had　their　Stamp　of　　Obligation　and　Authority　from　the　Reception　and　Approbation　of　　this　Kingdom　by　Virtue　of　the　Common　Law；　of　which　this　Kingdom　　has　been　always　jealous；　especially　in　relation　to　the　Canon；　　Civil；　and　Norman　Law；　for　the　Reasons　hereafter　shewn。　　　　　　Passing　therefore　from　this　unsearchable　Inquiry；　I　shall　　descend　to　that　which　gives　the　Authority；　viz。　The　formal　　Constituents；　as　I　may　call　them；　of　the　Common　Law；　and　they　　seem　to　be　principally；　if　not　only；　those　three；　viz。　1st。　The　　Common　Usage；　or　Custom；　and　Practice　of　this　Kingdom；　in　such　　Parts　thereof　as　lie　in　Usage　or　Custom。　2dly。　The　Authority　of　　Parliament；　introducing　such　Laws；　and；　3dly。　The　Judicial　　Decisions　of　Courts　of　Justice；　consonant　to　one　another　in　the　　Series　and　Successions　of　Time。　　　　　　1。　As　to　the　first　of　these；　Usage　and　Custom　generally　　receiv'd；　do　Obtinere　vim　Legis；　and　is　that　which　gives　Power　　sometimes　to　the　Canon　Law；　as　in　the　Ecclesiastical　Courts；　　sometimes　to　the　Civil　Law；　as　in　the　Admiralty　Courts；　and　　again；　controuls　both；　when　they　cross　other　Customs　that　are　　generally　receiv'd　in　the　Kingdom。　This　is　that　which　directs　　Discents；　has　settled　some　ancient　Ceremonies　and　Solemnities　in　　Conveyances；　Wills　and　Deeds；　and　in　many　more　Particulars。　And　　if　it　be　enquired；　What　is　the　Evidence　of　this　Custom；　or　　wherein　it　consists；　or　is　to　be　found？　I　answer；　It　is　not　　simply　an　unwritten　Custom；　not　barely　Orally　deriv'd　down　from　　one　Age　to　another；　but　it　is　a　Custom　that　is　derived　down　in　　Writing；　and　transmitted　from　Age　to　Age；　especially　since　the　　Beginning　of　Edw。　I　to　whose　Wisdom　the　Laws　of　England　owe　　almost　as　much　as　the　Laws　of　Rome　to　Justinian。　　　　　　2。　Acts　of　Parliament。　And　here　it　must　not　be　wonder'd　at；　　that　I　make　Acts　of　Parliament　one　of　the　Authoritative　　Constituents　of　the　Common　Law；　tho'　I　had　before　　contradistinguished　the　one　from　the　other；　for　we　are　to　know；　　that　although　the　Original　or　Authentick　Transcripts　of　Acts　of　　Parliament　are　not　before　the　Time　of　Hen。　3　and　many　that　were　　in　his　Time　are　perish'd　and　lost；　yet　certainly　such　there　were；　　and　many　of　those　Things　that　we　now　take　for　Common　Law；　were　　undoubtedly　Acts　of　Parliament；　tho'　now　not　to　be　found　of　　Record。　And　if　in　the　next　Age；　the　Statutes　made　in　the　Time　of　　Hen。　3　and　Edw。　I　were　lost；　yet　even　those　would　pass　for　Parts　　of　the　Common　Law；　and　indeed；　by　long　Usage　and　the　many　　Resolutions　grounded　upon　them；　and　by　their　great　Antiquity；　　they　seem　even　already　to　be　incorporated　with　the　very　Common　　Law；　and　that　this　is　so；　may　appear；　tho'　not　by　Records；　for　we　　have　none　so　ancient；　yet　by　an　authentical　and　unquestionable　　History；　wherein　a　Man　may；　without　Much　Difficulty；　find；　That　　many　of　those　Capitala　Legum　that　are　now　used　and　taken　for　　Common　Law；　were　things　enacted　in　Parliaments　or　Great　Councils　　under　William　I　and　his　Predecessors；　Kings　of　England；　as　may　be　　made　appear　hereafter。　But　yet；　those　Constitutions　and　Laws　　being　made　before　Time　of　Memory；　do　now　obtain；　and　are　taken　as　　Part　of　the　Common　Law　and　immemorial　Customs　of　the　Kingdom；　and　　so　they　ought　now　to　be　esteem'd　tho'　in　their　first　Original　　they　were　Acts　of　Parliament。　　　　　　3。　Judicial　Decisions。　It　is　true；　the　Decisions　of　Courts　of　　Justice；　tho'　by　Virtue　of　the　Laws　of　this　Realm　they　do　bind；　　as　a　Law　between　the　Parties　thereto；　as　to　the　particular　Case　　in　Question；　'till　revers'd　by　Error　or　Attaint；　yet　they　do　not　　make　a　Law　properly　so　called；　（for　that　only　the　King　and　　Parliament　can　do）；　yet　they　have　a　great　Weight　and　Authority　in　　Expounding；　Declaring；　and　Publishing　what　the　Law　of　this　　Kingdom　is；　especially　when　such　Decisions　hold　a　Consonancy　a