of ſeven centuries, without any order or method; and the multiplicity of acts of parliament which have amended, or ſometimes only altered, the common law; theſe caſes have made the ſtudy of this branch of our national juriſprudence a little perplexed and intricate. It hath been my endeavour principally to ſelect ſuch parts of it, as were of the moſt general uſe, where the principles were the moſt ſimple, the reaſons of them the moſt obvious, and the practice the leaſt embarraſſed. Yet I cannot preſume that I have always been thoroughly intelligible to ſuch of my readers, as were before ſtrangers even to the very terms of art, which I have been obliged to make uſe of: though, whenever thoſe have firſt occurred, I have generally attempted a ſhort explication of their meaning. Theſe are indeed the more numerous, on account of the different languages which our law has at different periods been taught to ſpeak; the difficulty ariſing from which will inſenſibly diminiſh by uſe and familiar acquaintance. And therefore I ſhall cloſe this branch of our enquiries with the words of ſir Edward Coke[1]: "albeit the ſtudent ſhall not at any one day, do what he can, reach to the full meaning of all that is here laid down, yet let him no way diſcourage himſelf, but proceed; for on ſome other day, in ſome other place," (or perhaps upon a ſecond peruſal of the ſame) "his doubts will be probably removed."
- ↑ Proeme to 1 Inſt.
