WE are now, first, to consider _the rights of persons_; with the means of acquiring and losing them. NOW the rights of persons that are commanded to be observed by the municipal law are of two sorts; first, such as are due _from_ every citizen, which are usually called civil _duties_; and, secondly, such as belong _to_ him, which is the more popular acceptation of _rights_ or _jura_. Both may indeed be comprized in this latter division; for, as all social duties are of a relative nature, at the same time that they are due _from_ one man, or set of men, they must also be due _to_ another. But I apprehend it will be more clear and easy, to consider many of them as duties required from, rather than as rights belonging to, particular persons. Thus, for instance, allegiance is usually, and therefore most easily, considered as the duty of the people, and protection as the duty of the magistrate; and yet they are, reciprocally, the rights as well as duties of each other. Allegiance is the right of the magistrate, and protection the right of the people. PERSONS also are divided by the law into either natural persons, or artificial. Natural persons are such as the God of nature formed us: artificial are such as created and devised by human laws for the purposes of society and government; which are called corporations or bodies politic. THE rights of persons considered in their natural capacities are also of two sorts, absolute, and relative. Absolute, which are such as appertain and belong to particular men, merely as individuals or single persons: relative, which are incident to them as members of society, and standing in various relations to each other. The first, that is, absolute rights, will be the subject of the present chapter.