He may, indeed, annex such conditions to the land he enjoyed, as a
subject of any commonwealth, as may oblige his son to be of that
community, if he will enjoy those possessions which were his father's,
because that estate being his father's property, he may dispose or
settle it as he pleases.
117. And this has generally given the occasion to the mistake in
this matter; because commonwealths not permitting any part of their
dominions to be dismembered, nor to be enjoyed by any but those of
their community, the son cannot ordinarily enjoy the possessions of
his father but under the same terms his father did, by becoming a
member of the society, whereby he puts himself presently under the
government he finds there established, as much as any other subject of
that commonweal. And thus the consent of free men, born under
government, which only makes them members of it, being given
separately in their turns, as each comes to be of age, and not in a
multitude together, people take no notice of it, and thinking it not
done at all, or not necessary, conclude they are naturally subjects as
they are men.
118. But it is plain governments themselves understand it otherwise;
they claim no power over the son because of that they had over the
father; nor look on children as being their subjects, by their fathers
being so.
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