▁carried ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁other ▁former ▁colon ies ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire . ▁First ▁form ulated ▁by ▁William ▁Sta un ford , ▁it ▁was ▁later ▁set ▁down ▁by ▁Edward ▁Co ke ▁in ▁his ▁Instit utes ▁of ▁the ▁La ws ▁of ▁England . ▁It ▁follows ▁the ▁language ▁used ▁for ▁cases ▁of ▁murder ▁in ▁English ▁law , ▁ident ifying ▁three ▁sal ient ▁characteristics . ▁▁ 1 . ▁a ▁reasonable ▁creature , ▁ 2 . ▁in ▁r er um ▁natur a ▁( in ▁natural ▁being ); ▁and ▁ 3 . ▁in ▁the ▁King ' s ▁peace . ▁ ▁Co ke ▁says : ▁ ▁" If ▁a ▁woman ▁be ▁quick ▁with ▁ch ilde , ▁and ▁by ▁a ▁pot ion ▁or ▁otherwise ▁k ille th ▁it ▁in ▁her ▁w om be , ▁or ▁if ▁a ▁man ▁beat ▁her , ▁where by ▁the ▁child ▁dy eth ▁in ▁her ▁body , ▁and ▁she ▁is ▁delivered ▁of ▁a ▁dead ▁ch ilde , ▁this ▁is ▁great ▁mis pr ision , ▁and ▁no ▁murder ; ▁but ▁if ▁he ▁ch ilde ▁be ▁born ▁alive ▁and ▁dy eth ▁of ▁the ▁pot ion , ▁battery , ▁or ▁other ▁cause , ▁this ▁is ▁murder ; ▁for ▁in ▁law ▁it ▁is ▁account ed ▁a ▁reasonable ▁creature , ▁in ▁r er um ▁natur a , ▁when ▁it ▁is ▁born ▁alive . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁" reason able ▁creature " ▁echo es ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁an ▁influ ential ▁str and ▁Catholic ▁doctrine ▁on ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁soul ▁and ▁the ▁Begin ning ▁of ▁human ▁person hood ▁which ▁generally