COVENANTEE. One in whose favor a covenant¹ is made.

COVENANTOR². One who becomes bound to perform a covenant.

2. To become a covenantor a person must be sui juris, and intend, at the time of becoming bound, to covenant to perform some act mentioned in the covenant. He can be discharged from his covenant by performance, or, by the act of the covenantee, as the non-performance of a condition precedent³, a release, or a rescission of the contract.

COVENANTS⁴ PERFORMED, pleading. In Pennsylvania, the defendant⁵ may plead covenants performed to an action of covenant, and upon this plea, upon informal notice to the plaintiff, he may give anything in evidence which he might have pleaded. 4 Dall. 439; 2 Yeates, 107; 15 S. & R. 105. And this evidence, it seems, may be given in the circuit court without notice unless called for. 2 Wash. C. C. R. 456.

COVENTRY ACT, criminal law. The common name for the statute⁶ 22 and 23 Car. II. c. 1; it having been enacted⁷ in consequence of an assault on Sir John Coventry in the street, and slitting⁹ his nose, in revenge, as was supposed, for some obnoxious¹⁰ words uttered by him in parliament.

2. By this statute it is enacted, that if any person shall, of malice¹¹ aforethought, and by laying in wait, unlawfully cut or disable the tongue, put out an eye, slit⁸ the nose, cut off the nose or lip, or cut off or disable any limb, or member of any other person, with intent to maim¹² or disfigure him, such person, his counsellors, aiders and abettors, shall be guilty of felony, without benefit of clergy¹³. 4 Bl. Com. 207. This statute is copied by the act of the legislature of Pennsylvania, of April 22, 1794, s. 6, 3 Smith's Laws of Pa. 188; and the offence is punished by fine and imprisonment¹⁴. For the act of Connecticut, see 2 Swift's Dig. 293.

COVERT¹⁵, BARON¹⁶. A wife; so called, from her being under the cover or protection of her hushand, baron or lord.

COVERTURE. The state or condition of a married woman.

2. During coverture, the being of the wife is civilly merged¹⁷, for many purposes, into that of her hushand; she can, therefore, in general, make no contracts without his consent, express or implied. Com. Dig. Baron and Feme, W; Pleader, 2 A 1; 1 Ch. Pl. 19, 45; Litt. s. 28; Chit. Contr. 39; 1 Bouv. Inst. n. 276.

3. To this rule there are some exceptions: she may contract, when it is for her benefit, as to save her from starvation. Chit. Contr. 40.

4. In some cases, when coercion¹⁸ has been used by the hushand to induce her to commit crime, she is exempted¹⁹ from punishment. 1 Ha1e, P. C. 516; 1 Russ. Cr. 16.

COVIN, fraud. A secret contrivance betwen two or more persons to defraud²⁰ and prejudice another of his rights. Co. Litt 357, b; Com. Dig. Covin, A; 1 Vin. Abr. 473. Vide Collusion; Fraud.