IV PREFACE. mutual ; it is incumbent on the subject, desirous of knowing his own duties and rights, to ascertain the exact extent and limits of the duties and prerogatives of his Sovereign. Indeed so intimately, yet beautifully, are they interwoven, that in discussing the latter, the former must necessarily be considered. That a treatise on this subject is important, both to the public and the profession, needs no comment. That system of jurisprudence on which the prerogative is founded, will be duly appreciated and valued by every one aware of its wisdom and merits ; which will become more apparent, the more they are can- vassed and investigated. The Author of the following pages has attempted to present a comprehensive and connected, yet com- pressed and logical, view of every prerogative and corresponding right of the subject ; but is con- scious of the imperfect manner in which the at- tempt has been executed. If, however, imperfec- tions admit of excuses, the kind, the candid, and the considerate, will find many for the first work on so difficult, so extensive, and so noble a subject. The materials were indiscriminately scattered, or superfici- ally noticed in the law-books, from whence alone the author was able to obtain information. It was frequently necessary to resort to the most antient text-writers, and judicial determinations, and in using such, the idea of overlooking more recent, and, perhaps, dissimilar autho- rities, could not but add the anxiety of being incor- rect, to the labor of discovering and selecting the 7
