wise for his good teaching and instruction, whereby he may
profit himself afterwards[d]. And thus much, at present, for the
privileges and disabilities of infants.

[Footnote y: Stat. 7 Ann. c. 19.]

[Footnote z: Co. Litt. 172.]

[Footnote a: Co. Litt. 2.]

[Footnote b: Stat. 5 Eliz. c. 4.]

[Footnote c: Stat. 12 Car. II. c. 24.]

[Footnote d: Co. Litt. 172.]

CHAPTER THE EIGHTEENTH.

OF CORPORATIONS.

WE have hitherto considered persons in their natural capacities, and
have treated of their rights and duties. But, as all personal rights
die with the person; and, as the necessary forms of investing a series
of individuals, one after another, with the same identical rights,
would be very inconvenient, if not impracticable; it has been found
necessary, when it is for the advantage of the public to have any
particular rights kept on foot and continued, to constitute artificial
persons, who may maintain a perpetual succession, and enjoy a kind of
legal immortality.

THESE artificial persons are called bodies politic, bodies corporate,
(_corpora corporata_) or corporations: of which there is a great
variety subsisting, for the advancement of religion, of learning, and
of commerce; in order to preserve entire and for ever those rights and
immunities, which, if they were granted only to those individuals of
which the body corporate is composed, would upon their death be
utterly lost and extinct. To shew the advantages of these
incorporations, let us consider the case of a college in either of our
universities, founded _ad studendum et orandum_, for the encouragement
and support of religion and learning. If this was a mere voluntary
assembly, the individuals which compose it might indeed read, pray,
study, and perform scholastic exercises together, so long as they
could agree to do so: but they could neither frame, nor receive, any
laws or rules of their conduct; none at least, which would have any
binding force, for want of a coercive power to create a sufficient
obligation. Neither could they be capable of retaining any privileges
or immunities: for, if such privileges be attacked, which of all this
unconnected assembly has the right, or ability, to defend them? And,
when they are dispersed by death or otherwise, how shall they transfer
these advantages to another set of students, equally unconnected as
themselves? So also, with regard to holding estates or other property,
if land be granted for the purp