English
“Debalenaverosufficit,sirexhabeatcaput,etreginacaudam.”BRACTON,L.3,C.3.
LatinfromthebooksoftheLawsofEngland,whichtakenalongwiththecontext,means,thatofallwhalescapturedbyanybodyonthecoastofthatland,theKing,asHonoraryGrandHarpooneer,musthavethehead,andtheQueenberespectfullypresentedwiththetail.
Adivisionwhich,inthewhale,ismuchlikehalvinganapple;thereisnointermediateremainder.
Nowasthislaw,underamodifiedform,istothisdayinforceinEngland;andasitoffersinvariousrespectsastrangeanomalytouchingthegenerallawofFast-andLoose-Fish,itisheretreatedofinaseparatechapter,onthesamecourteousprinciplethatpromptstheEnglishrailwaystobeattheexpenseofaseparatecar,speciallyreservedfortheaccommodationofroyalty.
Inthefirstplace,incuriousproofofthefactthattheabove-mentionedlawisstillinforce,Iproceedtolaybeforeyouacircumstance-thathappenedwithinthelasttwoyears.
ItseemsthatsomehonestmarinersofDover,orSandwich,orsomeoneoftheCinquePorts,hadafterahardchasesucceededinkillingandbeachingafinewhalewhichtheyhadoriginallydescriedafarofffromtheshore.
NowtheCinquePortsarepartiallyorsomehowunderthejurisdictionofasortofpolicemanorbeadle,calledaLordWarden.
Holdingtheofficedirectlyfromthecrown,Ibelieve,alltheroyalemolumentsincidenttotheCinquePortterritoriesbecomebyassignmenthis.
Bysomewritersthisofficeiscalledasinecure.Butnotso.
BecausetheLordWardenisbusilyemployedattimesinfobbinghisperquisites;whicharehischieflybyvirtueofthatsamefobbingofthem.
Nowwhenthesepoorsun-burntmariners,bare-footed,andwiththeirtrowsersrolledhighupontheireelylegs,hadwearilyhauledtheirfatfishhighanddry,promisingthemselvesagoodL150fromthepreciousoilandbone;andinfantasysippingrareteawiththeirwives,andgoodalewiththeircronies,uponthestrengthoftheirrespectiveshares;upstepsaverylearnedandmostChristianandcharitablegentleman,withacopyofBlackstoneunderhisarm;andlayingituponthewhale’shead,hesays-“Handsoff!
thisfish,mymasters,isaFast-Fish.IseizeitastheLordWarden’s.”
Uponthisthepoormarinersintheirrespectfulconsternation-sotrulyEnglish-knowingnotwhattosay,falltovigorouslyscratchingtheirheadsallround;meanwhileruefullyglancingfromthewhaletothestranger.
Butthatdidinnowisemendthematter,oratallsoftenthehardheartofthelearnedgentlemanwiththecopyofBlackstone.
Atlengthoneofthem,afterlongscratchingaboutforhisideas,madeboldtospeak,
“Please,sir,whoistheLordWarden?”
“TheDuke.”
“Butthedukehadnothingtodowithtakingthisfish?”
“Itishis.”
“Wehavebeenatgreattrouble,andperil,andsomeexpense,andisallthattogototheDuke’sbenefit;wegettingnothingatallforourpainsbutourblisters?”
“Itishis.”
“IstheDukesoverypoorastobeforcedtothisdesperatemodeofgettingalivelihood?”
“Itishis.”
“Ithoughttorelievemyoldbed-riddenmotherbypartofmyshareofthiswhale.”
“Itishis.”
“Won’ttheDukebecontentwithaquarterorahalf?”
“Itishis.”
Inaword,thewhalewasseizedandsold,andhisGracetheDukeofWellingtonreceivedthemoney.
Thinkingthatviewedinsomeparticularlights,thecasemightbyabarepossibilityinsomesmalldegreebedeemed,underthecircumstances,aratherhardone,alihonestclergymanofthetownrespectfullyaddressedanotetohisGrace,begginghimtotakethecaseofthoseunfortunatemarinersintofullconsideration.
TowhichmyLordDukeinsubstancereplied(bothletterswerepublished)thathehadalreadydoneso,andreceivedthemoney,andwouldbeobligedtothereverendgentlemanifforthefuturehe(thereverendgentleman)woulddeclinemeddlingwithotherpeople’sbusiness.
Isthisthestillmilitantoldman,standingatthecornersofthethreekingdoms,onallhandscoercingalmsofbeggars?
ItwillreadilybeseenthatinthiscasetheallegedrightoftheDuketothewhalewasadelegatedonefromtheSovereign.
WemustneedsinquirethenonwhatprincipletheSovereignisoriginallyinvestedwiththatright.
Thelawitselfhasalreadybeensetforth.ButPlowdongivesusthereasonforit.
SaysPlowdon,thewhalesocaughtbelongstotheKingandQueen,“becauseofitssuperiorexcellence.”
Andbythesoundestcommentatorsthishaseverbeenheldacogentargumentinsuchmatters.
ButwhyshouldtheKinghavethehead,andtheQueenthetail?Areasonforthat,yelawyers!
Inhistreatiseon“Queen-Gold,”orQueen-pin-money,anoldKing’sBenchauthor,oneWilliamPrynne,thusdiscourseth:“YetailisyeQueen’s,thatyeQueen’swardrobemaybesuppliedwithyewhalebone.”
NowthiswaswrittenatatimewhentheblacklimberboneoftheGreenlandorRightwhalewaslargelyusedinladies’bodices.
Butthissameboneisnotinthetail;itisinthehead,whichisasadmistakeforasagaciouslawyerlikePrynne.
ButistheQueenamermaid,tobepresentedwithatail?Anallegoricalmeaningmaylurkhere.
TherearetworoyalfishsostyledbytheEnglishlawwriters-thewhaleandthesturgeon;bothroyalpropertyundercertainlimitations,andnominallysupplyingthetenthbranchofthecrown’sordinaryrevenue.
Iknownotthatanyotherauthorhashintedofthematter;butbyinferenceitseemstomethatthesturgeonmustbedividedinthesamewayasthewhale,theKingreceivingthehighlydenseandelasticheadpeculiartothatfish,which,symbolicallyregarded,maypossiblybehumorouslygroundeduponsomepresumedcongeniality.
Andthusthereseemsareasoninallthings,eveninlaw.
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