Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/9

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Preface.

The following ſheets contain the ſubſtance of a courſe of lectures on the laws of England, which were read by the author in the univerſity of Oxford. His original plan took it’s riſe in the year 1753: and, notwithſtanding the novelty of ſuch an attempt in this age and country, and the prejudices uſually conceived againſt any innovations in the eſtabliſhed mode of education, he had the ſatisfaction to find (and he acknowleges it with a mixture of pride and gratitude) that his endeavours were encouraged and patronized by thoſe, both in the univerſity and out of it, whoſe good opinion and eſteem he was principally deſirous to obtain.

The death of Mr Viner in 1756, and his ample benefaction to the univerſity for promoting the ſtudy of the law, produced about two years afterwards a regular and public eſtabliſhment of what the author had privately un-
a
dertaken.