Book Description

Excerpt from The Heart of Blackstone: Or Principles of the Common Law The design and object of the laws is to ascertain what is just, honorable, and expedient; and when that is discovered, it is proclaimed as a general ordinance, equal and impartial to all. This is the origin of law, which, for various reasons, all are under an obligation to obey: but especially because all law is the invention and gift of Heaven, the sentiment of wise men, the correction of every offense, and the general compact of the state: to live in conformity with which is the duty of every individual in society. - Demosthenes. History informs us that the boys of ancient India were required to learn the civil and criminal laws of their country that they might be more able to understand and apply them when they became men. The laws of Athens were inscribed on wooden tablets set up in the public square, where all citizens could read them. The laws of ancient Rome were condensed into a simple form known as the Twelve Tables, which the small boys were obliged to commit to memory, that the significance of their principles might be indelibly impressed upon mind and heart. The "Great Law" enacted by the first General Assembly of Pennsylvania, in the year 1682, contained a provision requiring it to be taught in the schools of that province and its territories. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.