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954 1. A w,
maod thc p"hlic \'cogc~o,c, paf, gCllmlly by the app,:I.
lalion of deha s, aod are puninlcd eilhcr by fioeor illlpri.
fooment.
2. 'fheerrcnce of acrimeil, thal there b'ean inleolion
in theaétor 10 commil il; for ao a{lioo io whieh Ihe will
of Ihe agent h.ISno pan, is nOIa propcr ohjeét cilher of
rewJrds or punintnlColS : Hcnce ariCes lhe rule, crim(n
dolocont,.hitllr. Simple negligence docs nOl IhereCore
COO!lttuIC a p\'opcr erime. Yel whcre it is eXlreOlely
8rofs, il may be puninlcd arbitrarily. Far lefs can IVe
1eckon in Ihe number of crimes, thofe commined by ao
ideol or furious perfon.: BUI lerrer degrees of falu ity,
which only darkeoreafan, IVill nOIafford a10lal defence,
though Ihey may fave from Ihe plZ"~ ordinaria. Aétion!
committed in drullkenncfs are not 10 be confidered as in·
volunlary, feeiog the drunkennefs itCelf, which was Ihe
6rll caufe of Ihe aaioo, is bOlh voluntary and criminal.
3. 00 the fame principie, fuch as are io a 11m of io·
faoey, or in the eoofines of it, are inc.pable of a criminal
aaion, dolenol beiog ineidenl tOlhal age ; bUI Ihe precife
age at whieh a perfon becomes capabl~ of dole, being
lixed neilber by nalure nor by ftalute, is by Our praétiee
to be galhered by Ihe judge, as hebell cao, from Iheuo·
derllaodiog andmaoners of Ihe perfoo accufed. Where
the guilt of a crime arifes chieAy from llalule, Ihe aétor,
if he is under puberty, can hardly be found guilty; but,
where oalure ilfelfpoiols OUI ils deformilY, hemay, ifhe
is proximul pubrrfofi, be more eafily preCumedcapable of
c:ommiuiogil ; Yet, even in·that cafe, he lVill oot bepu·
flifhed pllno ordinaria,
4. One may be guilly 01 a crime, not only by pero
petrating it himfelf;. but by being accelrory to a crime
c:ommimd by aoolheri which Jall is by civilians llyled
~pe ef conjilio, aod, io our law.phrafe, art and parto A
perfoo may be guilty, 3rt aod pan, eilher by giving ad·
vice or counfel 10 commit Ihe crime; or, 2. By giving
warrant or mandale 10 commit it ; or, 3. By aétually
affilling the criminal in the execulion. lt is generally a·
greed by doaors, that, in ¡he more mocious crime!, the
adviCer is equally punifhablewilh Ihe criminal; and thal,
in IheOighler, Il¡e circumOances arifing from the advifer's
le/fer age, thejoculu or cafeJef, mannerof giving advice,
6c. may be received as pleas for foftening the punifh·
ment.. One who gives mandate to commil a crime, as
he is ¡he firll fpring of aaion, feems more guilly Ihan
Ihe perfon employed as Ihe inllnlmenl in execuling it ;
yel Iheaaor eaonot excufe himfclf under Ihe prm nee of
ord~rs which he Ol1ghl not 10 have obeyed.
S. Alliflance m~y be given to the committer of a
crime, nOI only in Ihe aaual execu\ion, bUI previol1s 10
il, by furnifhing him, intentionally, wi¡h poifon, arms, or
the other means of perprtrating il. That fon of allill·
ance whichisnOIgiven lill afterIhe criminal aa; and which
is commonly called abetling, \hough il be of ilfelf crimi·
nal , does not infer an and pan of Ihe principal crime;
• ~s if one fhould Cavour Ihe efcape of a criminal koow·
ing hiOl tO be fuch. or conceal hiOl froOl juflice.
6. Thofe crimes \hal are, in \heir confeq"cnces, 0I011
hunful \0 focielY, are pl1ni!hed CdpitAlly ur by death ;
o\hers efeapc Wll h Q Ie!r"r pl1nifluncn\, f"me¡imes fi xed
by llalute, and foruelimcs arbi\rary, i. e. Ieft tO the dif·
crction oCIhe jn,lgr, who olay chereife hi; jl1ri[dielion,
ei\her by fioe, imprifonmcnt, or a corporal punifhmenl.
Whcre Ihe puninlOl~nl is left, by Iaw, to tl,e di[crelion
of Ihe jutlge, he can in 00 c~fe eXleod it to dealh.
The fingl c <[chm of ¡he criminal falls on conviaion,
in all capilal trials, Ihough the fenteoce nlould 001 ex.
prefs il.
7. Certain crimes are committed more immediately ¡ .
gainll Cod himfelf; others, again!1 the llate; and a
Ihird kind, ¡gainll panicular perfons. The ehief crime
in ¡he firll clafs, cogoifable by temporal coum, il Mal'
phelny, under whieh may be included athei[m. This
crime confins in the deoying or .ilifying the Deity, by
freech or writing. AII IVho curfe Cod or aoy of ¡he
perfons of Ihe blelred Trinity, are to fuffer death, eveo
for a fingle a{l; and thofe who deny him, if they pero
fifl in theirdenia!' The denial of aprovidence, or of the
au\horily of Ihe holy Scriplures, is punifhable capitalJy
for tbe Ihird offence.
S. No profecution cao now be carried on for witch.
crafl or cODjuratlon BUI .1I ..ho undenake, from their
O(ill io any occult fcience, to lell [orfunu, or
jI.len , are to fuffer imprifonmenl for ayear, flaod
in Ihe piJlory four times in thal year, and find furety for
thei r future good behaviour.
9. Sorne crimes againfl Ihe {late are le.elled direllly
againfl the [upreme power, and {lrike al Ihe conflilúlion
itfelf: others difcover fuch a contempt of lalV, as lends
10 baRle authority, or Oacken the reins of goveroment.
'{"afon, cri",en 11IajllafÍJ. is Ihat crime whieh is aimed
againfl the maje{ly of \he llate; and can be committed
ooly by thofe \Vho are fubieas of that llate either by
binh or refideoce. Soon after the union of Ihe two
kingdoOls in1707. Ihe laws of !reafon, then in force in
Eogland, were made ours by 7. An. C. 21. both with
regard 10 the faas confliluting Ihatcrime, lO Ihe forms oC
trial, the corruption of blood, and all ¡be penalties and
forfeitures confequent on it.
10. Jt is high treafon, by the law of England, to
imagine Ihe dealh of theKing, ~een· eonfon, or ofthe
hei r appmnt oflhe crolVO; tolevy waragain{l IheKing,
or adhere to his enemies; to coumerfeit Ihe King'scoin,
or his greal or pri.y feal; 10 kili Ihe chancellor, ma[u.
rer, or any of the twelve judges of'England, \Vhile Ihey
are doing their oflices; IVhich lall aniele is by Ihe fore·
named aet 7. An. applied to ScotJand, in ¡he cafe of
fi aying any judge of Ihe Sellion or of Jufliciary fittirtg
in judgment. Thofe IVho IVafh, elip, or lighlen the
proper money oflhe realm, who advifed ly aflirm by IIIri·
ting or prin¡iog, that \he Prelender has any right to Ihe
crOlVn, Ihat Ihe King and Parliament cannot limit Ihe
fuccellion lO il, or who holú corrcfpondence wi\h Ihe
Prelender or any perfon eOlployedby him, are .Ifoguilly
of treafon. .
11 . The forms of proceeding in the trial of Ireafon,
whelherag,infl Peers orCommoners, arefCIfurthin a(¡naJl
!realiCe, publin,ed hy order of Ihe houf<of Lords in 17°9,
fuhjoincd tOa colldlion of n. \llteS concerning !reaCun.
By the ~ollviélio¡ uJlonIhis trial. the whole cUate of Ihe
lIailOr forfei\s 10 Ihe crowll. !lis 1-looJ is alCu corrupl·
eJ, [o lhal, on the dealh of an ancdl"r, he e,\nnot in·
heril;