CO129-008 - Foreign Office - 1844 — Page 199

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

196

Allegiance may be tendered to all persons above the age of twelve years, whether natives, denizens, or aliens, either in the court-leet of the manor or in the Sheriff's tourn, which is the Court-leet of the county. But besides these express engagements, the law also holds that there is an implied, original, and virtual allegiance owing from every subject to his sovereign, antecedently to any express promise, although the subject never swore any faith or allegiance in form.

For as the king, by the very descent of the crown, is fully invested with all the rights and bound to all the duties of sovereignty, before his coronation; so the subject is bound to his prince by intrinsic allegiance, before the superinduction of those outward bonds of both homage and fealty, which were only instituted to remind the subject of this his previous duty, and for the better securing its performance.

The formal profession, therefore, or oath of subjection, is nothing more than a declaration in words of what was before implied in law, which occasions Sir Edward Coke very justly to observe that "all subjects are bounden to their allegiance equally as if they had taken the Oath; because it is written by the finger of the Law in their hearts, and the taking of the corporal oath is but an outward declaration of the same."

The sanction of an oath, it is true, in case of violation of duty, makes the guilt...

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196 Allegiance may be tendered to all persons above the age of twelve years, whether natives, denizens, or aliens, either in the court-leet of the manor or in the Sheriff's tourn, which is the Court-leet of the county. But besides these express engagements, the law also holds that there is an implied, original, and virtual allegiance owing from every subject to his sovereign, antecedently to any express promise, although the subject never swore any faith or allegiance in form. For as the king, by the very descent of the crown, is fully invested with all the rights and bound to all the duties of sovereignty, before his coronation; so the subject is bound to his prince by intrinsic allegiance, before the superinduction of those outward bonds of both homage and fealty, which were only instituted to remind the subject of this his previous duty, and for the better securing its performance. The formal profession, therefore, or oath of subjection, is nothing more than a declaration in words of what was before implied in law, which occasions Sir Edward Coke very justly to observe that "all subjects are bounden to their allegiance equally as if they had taken the Oath; because it is written by the finger of the Law in their hearts, and the taking of the corporal oath is but an outward declaration of the same." The sanction of an oath, it is true, in case of violation of duty, makes the guilt... DEX

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196 Allegiance may be tendered to all persons above the age of twelve of twelve years whether natives denizens or aliens either in the courtleet of the manor or and in the Sheriffs torwin which is the Court-lect of the county. But besides these express engagements the law also holds that there is an implied original and virtual allegiance owing from every subject to his sovereign antecedently to any express promise, although the subject never swore any faith or allegiance in form. For as the king by the very descent of the crown is fully invested with all the rights and bound to all the duties of sovereignty. before his coronation; so the subject is bound to his prince by intrinsie an allegiance allegiance before the superinduction of those outward bonds of bath homage and fealty which were only instituted to remind the subject of this his previous duty and for the better securing its performance. The formal profession therefore or oath of subjection is nothing more than a declaration in words of what was before implied in law, which occasions Sir Edward Coke very justly to obsewe that "all subjects are bounden to their allegiance equally as if they had taken the Oath; because it is written by the finger of the Law in their hearts and the taking of the corporal oath is but an an outroard declaration of the same. The sanction of an Gath it is true in case of violation of duty makes the guilt DEX

2026-05-16 19:57:24 · Baseline

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196

Allegiance may be tendered to all

persons above the age of twelve

of twelve years

whether natives denizens

or aliens

either in the courtleet of the manor

and

in the Sheriffs torwin which is the Court-lect of the county. But besides these express engagements the law

also holds that there is an implied

original and virtual allegiance owing

from every subject to his sovereign

antecedently to any express promise,

although the subject never swore any faith or allegiance in form. For as the king by the very descent of the crown is fully invested with all the rights and bound to all the duties of sovereignty. before his coronation; so the subject is

bound to his prince by intrinsie

allegiance

allegiance before the superinduction of

those outward bonds of bath homage and fealty which were only instituted to remind the subject of this his previous

duty and for the better securing its performance. The formal profession therefore or oath of subjection is nothing more than a declaration in words of what was before implied in law, which occasions Sir Edward Coke very justly

to obsewe that "all subjects are

bounden to their allegiance

equally

if they

had taken the Oath; because it is written by the finger of the Law in their hearts and the taking of the corporal oath is

but an

an outroard declaration of the same. The sanction of an Gath it is true in case of violation of duty makes the

CO129-008 - Foreign Office - 1844 — Page 199

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