Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol II).djvu/300

when lying interſperſed with the other. But if waſte be done only in one end of a wood (or perhaps in one room of a houſe) if that can be conveniently ſeparated from the reſt, that part only is the locus vaſtatus, or thing waſted, and that only ſhall be forfeited to the reverſioner^[1].

VII. A seventh ſpecies of forfeiture is that of copyhold eſtates, by breach of the cuſtoms of the manor. Copyhold eſtates are not only liable to the ſame forfeitures as thoſe which are held in ſocage, for treaſon, felony, alienation, and waſte; whereupon the lord may ſeiſe them without any preſentment by the homage^[2]; but alſo to peculiar forfeitures, annexed to this ſpecies of tenure, which are incurred by the breach of either the general cuſtoms of all copyholds, or the peculiar local cuſtoms of certain particular manors. And we may obſerve that, as theſe tenements were originally holden by the loweſt and moſt abject vaſals, the marks of feodal dominion continue much the ſtrongeſt upon this mode of property. Moſt of the offences, which occaſioned a reſumption of the fief by the feodal law, and were denominated feloniae, per quas vaſallus amitteret feudum^[3], ſtill continue to be cauſes of forfeiture in many of our modern copyholds. As, by ſubtraction of ſuit and ſervice^[4]; ſi dominum deſervire noluerit^[5]: by diſclaiming to hold of the lord, or ſwearing himſelf not his copyholder^[6]; ſi dominum ejuravit, i. e. negavit ſe a domino feudum habere^[7]: by neglect to be admitted tenant within a year and a day^[8]; ſi per annum et diem ceſſaverit in petenda inveſtitura^[9]: by contumacy in not appearing in court after three proclamations^[10]; ſi a domino ter citatus non comparuerit^[11]: or by refuſing, when ſworn of the homage, to preſent the truth according to his oath^[12]; ſi pares veritatem noverint, et dicant ſe neſcire, cum ſciant^[13]. In

1. 2 Inſt. 304.
2. 2 Ventr. 38. Cro. Eliz. 499.
3. Feud. l. 2. t. 26. in cale.
4. 3 Leon. 108. Dyer. 211.
5. Feud. l. 1. t. 21.
6. Co. Copyh. §. 57.
7. Feud. l. 2. t. 34. & t. 26. §. 3.
8. Plowd. 372.
9. Feud. l. 2. t. 24.
10. 8 Rep. 99. Co. Copyh. §. 57.
11. Feud. l. 2. t. 22.
12. Co. Copyh. §. 57.
13. Feud. l. 2. t. 58.