Chicago: Callaghan & Company, 1876. Reprint. Birmingham: Legal Classics Library, 1984. Four volumes bound as two. Frontispiece. Calf, gilt spine with raised bands, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, ribbon marker. Bindings slightly cocked, a few tiny scuffs to spines. Bookplate to front pastedown of Volume I-II, interiors otherwise fine.    $150.

* Reprint edition. Erskine was “probably the greatest advocate who ever practiced at the English bar,” who “at once made his way by his eloquence.”: Walker, 429.

Turin: Apud H.H. Io. Dominici Tarini, 1627. [viii], 352, [51] pp. Quarto (8" x 12"). Contemporary quarter vellum over paper boards, hand-lettered title to spine and bottom edge. Moderate soiling and rubbing with some wear to extremities. Title page printed in red and black, attractive woodcut printer device, head-pieces and decorated initials. Two early signatures to title page in fine hand, a few annotations and small markings to text. Light browning to a few leaves, occasional light foxing, text otherwise fresh. A nice copy of an uncommon title.    $450.

* Later edition. With subject and title indexes. An early work on legal aspects of administration and billing. Not in Goldsmiths, Kress or the BMC.

Rome: Nella Stamperia di Arcangelo Casaletti, 1775. [xii], xxix, [3], 340 pp. Quarto (7" x 9"). Contemporary vellum, lettering piece, speckled edges. Moderate soiling and a few small stains, some wear to corners and head of spine, boards slightly bowed. Partial split between front free endpaper and title page, minor worming to final four leaves and rear pastedown with no loss to text. Title page with attractive copperplate vignette printed in red and black. Equally attractive woodcut head-pieces, tail-pieces and decorated initials. Ex-institution library. Small inkstamp to rear pastedown, Embossed stamps to title page and a few leaves. Browning to endpapers, interior otherwise fresh. An appealing copy of a rare title.    $500.

* With index. This study of the rights and privileges enjoyed by parish priests includes a second part by Pope Pius VI on the relevant concepts in canon and civil law. No copies on OCLC. Not in The Canon Law Collection or the BMC.

Boston: Published by D. Mallory & Co., 1810. [ii], [ix]-xxxix, [41]-229, [1] pp. Octavo (5-1/4" x 8-1/4"). Contemporary sheep, lettering piece, blind fillets to boards and spine. Rubbed, front joint cracked but secure, front hinge partially cracked, front board still quite secure. Offsetting to margins of leaves at beginning and end of text block, light foxing and browning to a few leaves. Small early owner signature to head of title page, interior otherwise clean. An attractive, well-preserved copy of an important title scarce in the trade.    $1,000.

* First edition of the first American book on the subject. A true “Renaissance man,” Fessenden was a lawyer, poet, journalist, inventor and venture capitalist who promoted various inventions. He was the holder of two patents for heating devices. He promoted “scientific” techniques in The New England Farmer, a journal he founded. Also a prominent satirist, he wrote numerous pieces under the pseudonym Christopher Caustic for The Terrible Tractoration, one of his other journals. His treatise contains summaries of the relevant statutes, digests of leading cases (such as Whitney v. Carter over the invention of the cotton gin) and comparisons between the patent laws of the Unites States, Great Britain and France. The appendix contains the United States Patent Law of 1800, a bilingual collection of French laws and a set of French recommendations for improvements in the laws of the United States. OCLC locates 43 copies. Cohen 7129.

Bordeaux: Chez Jean Chappuis, 1777. [iv], 537, [11] pp. Quarto (7-1/4" x 9-1/2"). Contemporary tree calf, gilt frames to boards, raised bands, gilt ornaments and lettering piece to spine, marbled edges and endpapers. Moderate rubbing to extremities with wear to spine ends and corners, joints just starting. Several light scuffs and some worm holes to calf covering boards, occasional worming to margins with negligible loss to text, crack to text block between front free endpaper and following leaf. Attractive woodcut head-piece and tail-pieces. Occasional dampstaining to head and foot of text block, early annotations to front endleaves, interior otherwise clean. A solid copy of an uncommon title.    $1,000.

* Later edition. Published by order of the Commercial Court of Bordeaux, this book is a collection of laws relating to its jurisdiction compiled from the Coutume of Bordeaux (completed 1527), legislation of the local Parlement and royal edicts. Texts of related documents are included as well. Also a procedural guide, it is an invaluable guide to the regulation of trade in one of France’s most important commercial centers during the final decade of the Bourbon monarchy. This appears to be a reissue of a book published in 1710. No copies of this edition on OCLC or KVK. This edition not in Goldsmiths’ or the BMC.

Frederick-Town: Printed by Hughes & Levely, 1836. 86 pp. Octavo (6" x 10). Stab-stitched pamphlet, uncut edges, rear leaf (a blank), lacking. Browning and light soiling to outer leaves, toning, light foxing in a few places, occasional creases and minor tears. Early owner signature to head of front cover, interior otherwise clean.    $250.

* With index. Historically one of the most important towns in Maryland, “Frederick Town” was laid out in 1745 and became the county seat of Frederick County three years later. Arranged chronologically, this compilation is useful for its insights into the historical development of the town and daily life in the region from the mid-eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries. Ordinances deal with such topics as slaves, “shoeing horses in street,” disposal of dead livestock, tax collection and fire control. OCLC locates 1 copy (at the Newberry Library). Not in Sabin.

Cologne: Apud Ioannem Gymnicum, 1595. [cxxxvi], 632, 280, [8] pp. Quarto (7" x 8-1/2"). Contemporary calf, raised bands, gilt title and ornaments to spine. Moderate rubbing with wear to corners, a few scuffs to boards, hinges cracked but secure, front free endpaper lacking. Attractive woodcut printer device and decorated initials. Neat underlining to a few leaves, interior otherwise notably fresh.    $900.

* Later edition. With table and index. Gail[l] was a German judge and legal scholar. First published in 1578, this book deals with issues relating to exiles, mortgages and the attachment and garnishment of property as defined by the constitution of the Holy Roman Empire. This popular work was edited and annotated several times, and it influenced the development of the Dutch law of procedure. No copies on OCLC. Walker 510. This edition not in the BMC. Adams G27.

New York: Columbia University Press, 1964-1981. 5 volumes. Complete set. Original cloth, lightly rubbed and soiled, in worn dust jackets. From the library of Edward Dumbauld with his signature on the front pastedown. Some penciled marginal lines and underlines, but generally the text is unmarked.    $500.

* First edition. Edward Dumbauld (1905-1997), was a lawyer, government attorney, judge, legal historian and author. This work was a massive undertaking was done with a view of reconstructing Hamilton’s professional life. The intentions were twofold: to establish the quality of his professional capacities, and to chronicle his contributions to the growth of the law.

Geneva: Sumpt. Ioannis Antonij & Samuelis de Tournes, 1654. [xx]; [ii], 97, [7]; [viii], 78; [ii], [3]-31, [i]; [ii], [3]-28; [ii], [3]-26 pp. Each work preceded by divisional title page with woodcut device, entire work preceded by general title page with woodcut device printed in red and black. Copperplate portrait frontispiece misbound between table of contents and epistle.

Geneva: Sumptib. Ioannis Ant. & Samuelis de Tournes, 1654. [lxxxiv], 350, [2], 2 fold-out tables. Continuous pagination; each section preceded by divisional title page. General title page with woodcut device printed in red and black.

[Final two sections of Opuscula Varia]

[ii], 3-40; [ii], 38 pp. Following blank lacking. (Second work misbound between fifth and final two sections of second work.) Quarto (6" x 8-1/2"). Contemporary calf with cats-paw decoration, raised bands and gilt ornaments to spine, rouged edges. Light rubbing, scuff to rear board, faint dampstain to front, minor wear to corners and head of spine. Attractive woodcut head-pieces, tail-pieces and decorated initials. Front hinge cracked but secure, partial cracks at beginning and end of text block. Early annotations to front free endpaper, a few brief annotations and marks to text. Minor worming to head of preliminaries, interior otherwise fresh.    $1,500.

* With Indexes. A pair of studies on Roman law and history by the second son of Denis Godefroy [1549-1622], who was, like his father, a formidable humanist legal scholar. Quatuor Fontes Juris Civilis one of his most important works. It is a collection of ante-Justinian Roman law texts that includes the first reconstruction of the Twelve Tables. KVK locates 44 copies of Opuscula Varia, 25 of this edition, and 9 copies of Quatuor Fontes. BMC10:758.

Boston: Privately Printed, 1917. 143 pp. Original cloth, gilt titles to front board and spine. Portrait frontispiece with tissue overlay. Mild shelfwear, front hinge cracked but secure, internally clean. Leaf with browned top edge stating “With the Compliments of Mrs. John Chipman Gray and Mr. Roland Gray” laid in. A nice copy of an uncommon title.                         $50.

* Gray was an important legal scholar and professor at Harvard Law School. This book is a collection of tributes by his associates and students. This group includes Oliver Wendell Holmes, Charles Francis Adams, Moorfield Storey, Samuel Williston and Joseph Henry Beale.

Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1898 xxviii, 265 pp. Octavo (6" x 9"). Original cloth, blind frames to boards, gilt title to spine. Light shelfwear, owner signature of Arthur W. Machem, Jr. dated November 1899 to front free endpaper. Check marks and underlining in pencil in a few places, interior otherwise clean.    $400.

* Only edition. “This series of lectures is interesting, and the treatment of the subject scholarly. The history of the Fourteenth Amendment is told, and the scope and meaning of its terms are carefully discussed. Particularly satisfactory is the treatment of ‘due process of law.’”: J.G.P. Harvard Law Review 12 (1898-99) 439. Machem was a notable Baltimore attorney.

Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1898. Reprint. New York: Johnson Reprint Corporation, 1970. xxviii, 265 pp. Original cloth, light shelfwear, internally clean.    $95.

Mons: Henri Hoyois, 1776. [ii], 42 pp. (followed by 50 blank leaves). Octavo (5" x 7-1/2") Contemporary calf, gilt fillets to boards, gilt spine with raised bands, gilt title to front board, rouged edges, marbled endpapers. Light rubbing to extremities, corners bumped. Attractive woodcut title page device, woodcut title vignette and tail-pieces. Interior notably fresh. A very handsome copy of a rare title.    $1,500.

* Hainault is a province in southern Belgium that includes the cities of Chimay, Mons and Tournai. Its began its political life as a feudal entity created in 1071 on the order of Henry IV. It went on to become part of Bavaria and the Spanish Netherlands. A compilation of its customary laws and ordinances was compiled in 1410, and it remained in forces until 1611, when the reforming Archdukes Albert and Isabelle issued the Edict Perpetuum in 1611, which codified the local laws. Chartes is a carefully edited reissue of the 1410 compilation. Its format and style indicates that it was intended for scholars rather than jurists. No copies located on OCLC. KVK locates 1 copy (at the French Bibliotheque Nationale). Not in Gourin and Terrin or the BMC.

Mons: Chez N.J. Bocquet, Par Ordre Exclusif de Messeigneurs les Etats, 1790. 55 pp. Octavo (5" x 8"). Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into recent speckled boards with calf spine label. Woodcut arms of Hainault to title page, woodcut head and tail-pieces. Early annotations to verso of final leaf. Light toning, interior otherwise fresh. A handsome, well-preserved copy.    $750.

* Only edition. Hainault is a province in southern Belgium that includes the cities of Chimay, Mons and Tournai. It was part of the Spanish Netherlands during the reign of Archdukes Albert and Isabelle, which lasted from 1601 to 1633. (Isabella was the sole ruler after Albert’s death in 1621.) Hainault flourished during their reign. Important legal reformers, they issued the Edict Perpetuum in 1611, which codified the local laws. It became an influential code throughout the Low Countries. Manifeste was written at the time of the French Revolution, which had been exported to parts of Belgium. Although it was the sight of revolutionary activity, Hainault’s monarchical government remained stable. Demarbaix explains why. He believes that revolution was not necessary because Hainault had a long tradition of enlightened government under the rule of law. KVK locates 4 copies. 1 copy located in North America at Yale Law School. Not in the BMC or Camus.

Volume I. Cambridge: [The Year Book Committee of Phillips Brooks House Association of Harvard University], 1937. 396 pp. Original gilt-stamped crimson textured cloth, light shelfwear. Errata slip taped to front free endpaper. Faint dampstaining to fore-edge of text block, internally clean.    $150.

* The first yearbook of Harvard Law School, published for the class of 1937-1938. This volume, which includes several statistical tables outlining student representation by nation, state, region, hometown and undergraduate institution, offers a fascinating glimpse of the law school and its institutional character during the 1930s.

San Francisco: H.H. Bancroft & Company, 1866. Two volumes. Volume I includes two sixteen-page publisher catalogues, one of books, another of forms. Octavo (6" x 9"). Contemporary sheep, blind fillets to boards raised bands and red and black lettering pieces to spines. Rubbing with some wear to extremities, front hinge of Volume II starting, owner name in small hand to foot of each spine, hinges cracked. Early owner signatures (of J. Almy) to each pastedown, later owner signatures (of Robert A. Anthony) to each free endpaper. Tipped-in publisher advertisement for this book to front pastedown of Volume I. Offsetting to margins, first leaf of publisher catalogue partially detached. Light foxing to margins in a few places, interior otherwise clean. A solid copy of an uncommon title.    $950.

* First edition. Containing over thousand pages, this popular formbook went through three further editions in 1877, 1887 and 1905. “The object of this work is to...furnish a collection of reliable and useful Forms. By means of this book, it can readily be seen whether any particular blank is published by the publishers of this work, whether the blank will answer the case in hand, and how the author intended the blank spaces to be filled up.: Preface. One of the oldest publishers on the west coast, H.H. Bancroft and Co. began publication in 1856 and issued its first law books the following year. It merged with Sumner Whitney, another law publishing firm, in 1886 and the resulting company became Bancroft-Whitney. Severely damaged by the 1906 earthquake and fire, it was eventually acquired by the Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Co. of Rochester, NY. OCLC locates 6 copies of the first edition.

London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1896. 187 pp. Octavo (4-3/4" x 6-1/2"). Original cloth, gilt titles to front board and spine. Light shelfwear, spine faded. Early owner signature to head of title page, interior otherwise clean.    $75.