 |
Keble’s Statutes at Large, 1215-1675.
116. Keble, Joseph [1632-1710], Compiler.
The Statutes at Large in Paragraphs, From Magna Charta Until This
Time, Carefully Examined by the Rolls of Parliament; With the Titles
of Such Statutes as Are Expired, Repealed, Altered, or Out of Use.
Together With the Heads of Pulton’s or Rastel’s Abridgments in the
Margin, and the Addition of Above Five Hundred New References from
Other Books of the Law: And a New Table. London: Printed by the
Assigns of John Bill and Christopher Barker, 1676. [iv], 1472, [167]
pp. Folio (9-1/2" x 15"). Contemporary calf, rebacked in period
style with raised bands, and blind ornaments. Some rubbing, a few
chips to boards, wear to corners, hinges cracked but secure. Woodcut
Royal arms to title page, attractive woodcut head-pieces,
tail-pieces and decorated initials. Chips and other wear to
fore-edges of a few leaves, chip to fore-edge of another leaf with
minor loss to text. Minor worming to final quarter of index with
negligible loss. A few small ink smudges and light foxing to a few
leaves, interior otherwise fresh. $1,500.
* First edition. With a thorough topical index of all statutes from
Magna Charta to 1675 (27 Car. 2.). The statutes in this volume
include marginal references to reports and other legal works.
Expired, repealed, altered and obsolete statutes are also included.
Keble’s Statutes at Large was more accurate than the earlier
compilations of Rastell, Barker and Pulton, which he aimed to render
obsolete. Later updated editions were published in 1681, 1684, 1695
and 1706. Holdsworth, A History of English Law VI:312-313.
Wing K117. See illustration below. 

Edition of Kent’s Commentaries With Holmes’ Notes
117. Kent, James [1763-1847]. Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr.
[1841-1935], Editor. Gould, John M. [1848-1909], Editor.
Commentaries on American Law. Boston: Little, Brown, and
Company, 1896. Four volumes. Octavo (6" x 9"). Contemporary buckram,
moderate shelfwear and soiling, most hinges cracked, front free
endpaper detached from Volume I, internally clean. Ex-library.
Location labels to spines, stamps to edges and preliminaries, card
pockets to each rear pastedown. A reading copy. $350.
* Fourteenth edition. Probably the single most important
interpretation of American law. Marvin ranks it above Blackstone’s
Commentaries, writing that “England has only furnished one
Blackstone, and the American rival equals him in classic purity and
elegance of style, and surpasses him in extent and copiousness of
learning.” This edition, by Gould, is an updated version of the
venerable O.W. Holmes edition that retains all of the justice’s
notes. Marvin 438. HLC I:1088. 

Early Alabama Legal Imprint
118. Keyes, Wade [1821-1879].
An Essay on the Learning of Future Interests in Real Property.
Montgomery, Alab: J.H. & T.F. Martin, 1853. 160 pp. Octavo (5-1/2" x
8-1/2"). Later buckram, black-stamped title to spine, some shelfwear
and soiling, endpapers renewed, internally fresh. Ex-library.
Location label to front board, stamps to preliminaries and rear
endleaves, card pocket to rear pastedown. $250.
* Only edition. “The object of this Essay is to present an
elementary view of the doctrines of the Common Law in regard to
Future interests in Real Property. (...) It is a learning that is
eminently useful. It is useful in being practical. It is useful in
exercising the mind of the student—in calling into action his
subtlest powers—useful in developing that patient and assiduous
attention, and in awakening that feeling bordering on enthusiasm,
without which great excellence is utterly unobtainable.”: Preface
[v]. OCLC locates 44 copies. Cohen 9480. 

119. Kisch, Guido.
Jewry-Law in Medieval
Germany: Laws and Court Decisions Concerning Jews.
New York: American Academy for Jewish Research, 1949. xiv, 274 pp.
Original cloth, light shelfwear, internally clean. $85.
* A valuable compilation drawn from the Muehlhaeuser
Reichsrechtsbuch, the Sachsenspiegel, the Dresden
Collection of Jury-Court Decisions, the Remissorium Regulae
Juris “Ad Decis” and other source records, all in their original
languages. With an extensive introductory essay, a bibliography of
manuscript and later editions, an index of subjects, an index of
Jewish names and an index of places. Originally published as Volume
III in the American Academy for Jewish Research series, Text and
Studies. 
Preferred Edition of Lambard[e]’s Archeion
120. Lambard[e], William [1536-1601].
Archeion, or, A Discourse Upon the High Courts of Iustice in
England.
Newly Corrected, and Enlarged According to the Authors Copie.
London: Printed by E.P. for Henry Seile, 1635. [xiv], 276 pp. Octavo
(4" x 6"). Contemporary calf, blind-stamped frames to boards,
lettering piece to spine, front joint and hinge expertly mended.
Some rubbing, wear to rear joint and spine, boards slightly bowed,
part of rear endleaf lacking, rear hinge cracked but secure. Early
armorial bookplate to front pastedown. Attractive woodcut
head-pieces and decorated initials. Light soiling to title page,
browning to edges of a few leaves, interior otherwise fresh.
$1,000.
* Second (and preferred) edition. Lambard[e], a barrister, justice
of the peace and legal historian, was also the keeper of records at
the Rolls Chapel and the Tower of London. He is best known for his
Eirenarcha, or the Office of the Justices of Peace (1581).
Archeion is a historical commentary on the central courts of
justice in England that was published posthumously by his grandson,
Thomas Lambard, in 1635. The first printing, which was produced
without his authorization, led him to issue the “newly corrected”
and “enlarged” edition, which appeared later that year. (In his
vitriolic “Note to the Reader” Lambard complains about the “crying
errors” of the earlier printing.) Pollard & Redgrave 15144. Sweet &
Maxwell 260 (18). 

One of the Most Important Works on
International Law
121. Lampredi, Giovanni Maria [1732-1793].
Del Commercio Dei Popoli Neutrali in Tempo di Guerra.
Florence: [s.n.], 1788. Two volumes. Octavo (4-3/4" x 7"). Original
limp paper
boards with printed spine labels, untrimmed edges. Light wear to
extremities, light soiling and a few tiny stains. Interior notable
fresh. A remarkably well-preserved copy. $2,000.
* First edition. Text in Italian, French and Latin. This important
treatise on the rights of neutral merchant vessels went through
several editions in Italy, France and Germany. Lampredi is
distinguished for its clarity and humane tone, this is one the most
important treatises on international law. It argues that except in
cases involving legitimate defense on the part of the belligerents,
neutrals should be allowed to trade freely with belligerents on the
sole condition of impartiality, as they would in times of peace.
“Lampredi has treated this subject in a wise and impartial manner,
and though strongly in favor of the freedom of neutrals, he has laid
down no doctrine in contravention of the legitimate interest of
belligerent powers.”: Preface to first French edition (1802) cited
in Marvin, Legal Bibliography (1847) 445. KVK locates 19
copies of this edition, 35 of all editions. Lampredi was a professor
of canon and public law at the University of Pisa. A renowned
scholar in his day and ours, his works are second only to those of
Grotius, Pufendorf, Burlamaqui and Mably. Kress Library of
Business and Economics S.5182. See illustration below. 

The End of Feudal Tenure in New York
122. [Land Tenure]. New York State Court of Appeals.
Review of the Decision of the Court of Appeals Upon the Manor
Question. Albany, NY: Munsell & Rowland, 1859. [ii], 87 pp.
Octavo (5-1/2" x 9"). Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers.
Light soiling, some chipping to top and bottom edges of wrappers,
internally clean. A nice copy of a scarce title. $100.
* The Van Rensselaer family owned vast tracts of land in New York
state, much of it acquired by royal concession before the American
Revolution. About 3,000 families resided on this land. A group of
tenants challenged Stephen Van Renselaer’s title to this land in
1792. As a result he became lax about collecting rents. After his
death in 1839 his sons attempted to collect these back rents,
claiming they were owed under the law of feudal leases. The
resulting public outrage and legislative review led to the
elimination of feudal tenure in New York. Cohen 11797. 

123. Lewis, Fay, Editor and Compiler.
The City Jail: A Symposium. Rockford, IL: Calvert-Wilson
Company Press, 1903. 95 pp. Plates. Original cloth, white-stamped
title and depiction of a prison door to front board, depiction of
hinges to spine and rear board. Some shelfwear, hinges just
starting, internally clean. $95.
* This is a collection of writings advocating penal reform. It
includes excerpts from Clarence Darrow’s essay Resist Not Evil.

Attractive 1679 Editio of the Liber Assisarum
124. [Liber Assisarum]. Rastell, John [d.1536]. Brooke, Sir Robert
[d.1558], Editor.
Le Livre des Assises et Pleas Del’Corone: Moves & Dependants
Devant les Justices Sibien en Lour Circuits Come Aylours, en Temps
du Roy Edward le Tiers: Avec une Table des Principal’s Matter’s des
Pleas del’ Corone: Or Nouvel’ment Imprime, & Corrige, Avec une
Nouvelle Table des Touts les Principals Cases Contenus in Cest
Livre, & les Titles sous Queux Sir Robert Brook les Pleas de Ceo ad
Abbrege Colges, & Proprement Escrits en le Margin de Chacun Plea.
London: Printed by George Sawbridge, William Rawlins, and Samuel
Roycroft, Assigns of Richard and Edward Atkins, 1679. [iv], 326,
[38] pp. Folio (9-1/2" x 14"). Recent quarter calf over cloth
boards, gilt-edged raised bands and lettering piece to spine
lettering piece, endpapers renewed. Dampstaining and wear to lower
corners of first quarter of text block, interior otherwise fresh.
Ex-library. Small inkstamps to title page and final leaf. An
attractive copy. $1,750.
* Later issue of the edition first published by the Society of
Stationers in 1606. “The Books of Assises, first published by John
Rastell in 1516, are reports in a style very different from that of
the other Year Books of Edward III’s reign. They are more concise
than the Year Books usually are, giving rather the gist of the
argument and the decision than a report of the actual proceedings.
They consist chiefly of reports of assizes of novel disseisin and
mort d’ancestor and various pleas of the crown heard before justices
of assize in the county. They also contain a considerable number of
cases in trespass and error heard in the King’s Bench, and a few
cases in Chancery originated by bill. Thus they were supplementary
to the ordinary series of Year Books, which chiefly contained cases
heard in the common bench.”: Holdsworth, A History of English Law
II:536-537. OCLC locates 16 copies. Wing, Short-Title Catalogue
of Books Printed in
England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and British America
L2616. See illustration below. 

Interesting 1846 Little, Brown Law Book Catalogue
125. Little, Charles, and James Brown.
Catalogue of Law Books Published and For
Sale By Charles Little and by Charles C. Little and James Brown.
Boston: Printed by Freeman and Bolles, 1846. Title page vignette of
John Marshall in silhouette. 160 pp. Octavo (4-1/2" x 6-3/4").
Original quarter cloth over stiff printed wrappers, advertisement
for Harvard Law School to rear. Some shelfwear and soiling with
fraying to spine ends, tiny inkstain to front wrapper. A few early
annotations in pencil, interior otherwise fresh. A nice copy of an
interesting and uncommon item. $650.
* This fascinating catalogue lists every title published or
distributed by Little, Brown. Several entries have endorsements and
annotations. (Some of these, by Joseph Story and other distinguished
jurists, are unique to this catalogue.) Another interesting feature
is a section by Joseph Greenleaf entitled “Catalogue of a Select Law
Library” that lists “the Books which are useful to every American
Lawyer, in whatever State he may reside” (xxx-xl). Based on the
Harvard Law School reading list, the titles are arranged by subject
in parallel columns. Essential titles are in listed in one column,
useful, but supplemental, titles in the other. The Harvard Law
School advertisement describes its philosophy, curriculum and fees.
OCLC locates 2 copies, one at the Library of Congress and one at the
New-York Historical Society. 

First Collected Edition of Locke’s Work
126. Locke, John [1632-1704].
The Works of John Locke Esq; In Three Books. London: Printed
for John Churchill, 1714. Three volumes. Engraved portrait
frontispiece in Volume I. Folio (7-3/4" x 12-1/4"). Contemporary
paneled speckled calf, raised bands, gilt spines with raised bands
and lettering pieces, top edges rouged. Moderate rubbing with wear
to extremities, corners bumped, joints and hinges cracked but
secure. Later owner signatures to front pastedown of Volume I, clean
tears to margins of two leaves, interiors notably fresh otherwise.
An impressive set. $4,500.
* First collected edition of Locke’s work. Contents include An
Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Some Considerations of
the Consequences of the Lowering of Interest, and Raising the Value
of Money, Two Treatises on Government, the Letters
Concerning Toleration, Some Thoughts Concerning Education
and a selection of Locke’s correspondence. “Much of Locke’s work is
characterized by opposition to authoritarianism. This opposition is
both on the level of the individual person and on the level of
institutions such as government and church. For the individual,
Locke wants each of us to use reason to search after truth rather
than simply accept the opinion of authorities or be subject to
superstition. He wants us to proportion assent to propositions to
the evidence for them. On the level of institutions it becomes
important to distinguish the legitimate from the illegitimate
functions of institutions and to make the corresponding distinction
for the uses of force by these institutions. The positive side of
Locke’s anti-authoritarianism is that he believes that using reason
to try to grasp the truth, and determining the legitimate functions
of institutions will optimize human flourishing for the individual
and society both in respect to its material and spiritual welfare.
This in turn, amounts to following natural law and the fulfillment
of the divine purpose for humanity.”: Uzgalis, William, “John
Locke,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Online
Edition). BMC 15:713. See illustration below. 

127. Loeb, Isidor.
The Legal Property Relations of Married Parties: A Study in
Comparative Legislation. New York: Columbia University Press,
1900. 197 pp. Reprinted 2004 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. Cloth.
New. $80. 

Notable German Treatises on Civil, Criminal and Bankruptcy Law
128. Ludovici, Jacob Friederich [1671-1723]. Schlitte [1683-1748],
Johann Gerhard, Editor.
Einleitung zum Civil-Process...Nebst Einem Anhange/ Von der Art
die Acten und Registraturen zu Verfertigen, auch die Acta zu
Excerpiren und zu Referiren, Wie Auch einer Instruction fur einem
Gerichtshalter auf dem Lande. Voritze mit Vielen Anmerkungen,
Darinnen Dendes der in der Marck Brandenburg, als auch in
Chur-Sachsen, nach Anleitung der Erlauterten und Verbesserten
Process-Ordnung Ubliche Modus Procedendi vor Augen Geleget Wird,
Vermehret, Auch Andern Nutzlichen Observationibus. Halle: In
Verlegung des Weysenhauses, 1732. [xlii], 525, [50] pp. Copperplate
portrait frontispiece.
[Bound with]
Einleitung zum Peinlichen Process...Nebst Einem Anhang von der Art,
die Acten und Registraturen in Peinlichen Scahen zu Verfertigen,
auch die Acten zu Excerpiren, und in Gerichten zu Referiren.
Vorietzo mit Unterschiedenen Zusatzen aus der Kon. Preuss.
Criminal-Ordnung und Chur-Sachsichen Rechten Vermehret, auch Andern
Nutzlichen Unmerckungen Erlautert.
Halle: In Verlegung des Weysen-Hauses, 1732. [xvi], 195, [25] pp.
[Bound with]
Einleitung zum Concurs-Prozess, Darinnen, wie sich die Glaubiger bey
der Liquidation und Bescheinigung Ihrere Forderungen der Schuldner,
oder Curator Bonorum...Und dabey der Sachsische u. Gemeine, wie Auch
der in Vielen Provintzen Vorkommende Sonderliche Modus Procedendi in
Iedem Capitel Gegen Einander Gehalten Wird, Voritzu mit Vielen
Zusatzen aus der Konigl. Preuss. Hypothequen und Concurs Ordnung,
Wie Auch der Chur-Sachs. Verbess. Process-Ordnung Vermehret, und
Andern Nutzlichen Anmerckungen Erlautert.
Halle: In Verlegung des Weysen-Hauses, 1733. [xvi], 146, [18] pp.
Quarto (6-1/2" x
8"). Contemporary three-quarter calf over speckled boards, raised
bands and lettering piece to spine, speckled edges. Some rubbing to
boards and spine, minor wear to corners, joints and front hinge
cracked but secure. Title page of first work printed in red and
black, attractive woodcut head-pieces, tail-pieces and decorated
initials. Occasional foxing to a few leaves, interior otherwise
fresh. An attractive volume with three uncommon titles. $1,500. *
First two titles, tenth edition; third title, eighth edition. With
indexes. Professor of Law at the University of Halle and an
authority on civil law, Ludovici was the first jurist to write a
legal treatise in German. A prolific author, he published works on a
wide variety of legal topics. His work is notable for its clarity,
well-crafted syntheses and elegant prose style. This volume contains
his treatises on civil procedure, criminal procedure and bankruptcy
law. All have notes by Schlitte, a Privy Counselor to the Emperor of
Prussia. Stintzing/Landesberg III/1:136 and Notes 80-81. See
illustration below. 

A Key Work for English Canon Law
129. Lyndwood[e], William [1375?-1446].
Provinciale, (Seu Constitutiones Angliae,) Continens Constitutiones
Provinciales Quatuordecim Archiepiscoporum Cantuariensium, Aiz. a
Stephano Langtono ad Henricum Chichleium; cum Summariis Atque
Eruditis Annotationibus, Summa Accuratione Denuo Revisum Atque
Impressum. Cui Adjiciuntur Constitutiones Legatinae D. Othonois, et
D. Othoboni, Cardinalium, & Sedis Apostolicae in Anglia Legatorum,
Cum Profundissimis Annotationibus Johannis de Athona, Canonici
Lincolniensis.
Oxford: H[enry] Hall, Impensis Ric[hard] Davis, 1679. Three parts in
one volume, parts one and two with separate title pages. [lxiv],
356, 155, [20], 77, [2] pp. Folio (9" x 13-1/2"). Full calf,
rebacked retaining original boards, gilt-edged raised bands,
lettering piece. Clean tear to front free endpaper at fore-edge,
later owner bookplate to pastedown, early owner signature in fine
hand to title page, front endleaves and title page partially
detached. Occasional light foxing, light browning to a leaf, text
otherwise fresh. A pleasing copy. $1,000.
* Revised reissue of the 1664 edition with different title page, a
second part comprising the constitutions of Otho and Othobon and the
commentaries of John Acton. Includes table, side-notes and index. A
key work for English canon law, the Provinciale is a digest
of the synodal constitutions of the province of Canterbury. Regarded
by some authorities as law of the Church of England, it covers the
period from Archbishop Stephen Langton [c.1155-1228] to Archbishop
Henry Chichele [1414-1443]. Cardinals Otho and Othobon were papal
legates to England and canons of the plenary councils of the British
Isles held in 1237 and 1268. According to Lowndes, this is the “best
edition.”: Bibliographer’s Manual of English Literature 1363.
Sweet & Maxwell 1:181(41). 

Complete Set of MacDonnell’s
“Excellently Edited” Reports
130. Macdonell, Sir John, and John E.P. Wallis, Editors.
Reports of State Trials: New Series, 1820-[1858]. Published Under
the Direction of The State Trials Committee. London: Printed for
H.M.S.O., by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Printers to the Queen,
1888-1898. Eight volumes. Complete set. Portrait frontispieces.
Maps. Fold-out plans, facsimiles. Octavo (6" x 9"). Contemporary
quarter cloth over paper boards, some shelfwear with some bumps and
scuffs, stain to spine of one volume, front hinge of Volume 1
cracked but secure, a few other hinges weak or starting. A very good
copy of an uncommon set. $1,200.
* First edition. Contents: Vol. 1. 1820 to 1823; Vol. 2. 1823 to
1831; Vol. 3. 1831 to 1840; Vol. 4. 1839 to 1843; Vol. 5. 1843 to
1844; Vol. 6. 1842 to 1848; Vol. 7. 1848 to 1850; Vol. 8. 1850 to
1858. The first collection of English state trials was published in
1719. It formed the nucleus of later collections produced in the
next hundred years under the direction of later editors, most
notably Francis Hargrave and William Cobbett. The final volume,
containing reports of cases from 1820, appeared in 1826. In 1885
Parliament decided to produce an edition of later reports, so they
commissioned a “new series” covering the years from 1820 to 1858
under Macdonell’s direction. Holdsworth says it is an “excellently
edited” work in the History of English Law, an opinion shared
by most critics (XII:128). Cited frequently, it remains a standard
work. 

131. MacDonnell, D.E., Compiler.
A Dictionary of Select and Popular Quotations, Which Are in Daily
Use: Taken From the Latin, Greek, Spanish, and Italian Languages;
Translated into English, With Illustrations Historical and
Idiomatic. Corrected, With Numerous Additions. Philadelphia:
Published by A. Finley, 1817. 312 pp. 12mo. (4-1/4" x 6-3/4").
Contemporary sheep, boards treated to look like tree calf, rebacked
with blind fillets and lettering piece, hinges reinforced with cloth
tape. Some rubbing with moderate wear to corners and spine ends,
chip to lettering piece, a few minor stains to boards, hinges just
starting. Early bookseller ticket to front pastedown, early
signature to front free endpaper and foot of title page, light
foxing throughout. $75.
* Second
American edition. This dictionary, which includes numerous legal
entries, has English translations arranged alphabetically according
to the opening words of the quotes in their original languages. The
source of each is given. McDonnell was a barrister and member of the
Middle Temple. OCLC locates 14 copies of this edition; the only
legal institution with a copy is Yale Law School. Shaw and
Shoemaker, American Bibliography 41314. 
Collected Works of Sir George Mackenzie
132. Mackenzie,
Sir George [1636?-1691]. The Works of that Eminent and
Learned Lawyer, Sir George Mackenzie of Rosenhaugh, Advocate to King
Charles II. and King James VII. With Many Learned Treatises of His,
Never Before Printed. Edinburgh: Printed and Published by James
Watson, 1716, 1722. Two volumes. Copperplate portrait frontispiece,
divisional title page and 30 plates. Folio (9-1/2" x 15").
Contemporary calf, blind rules to boards, recently rebacked in
period style with raised bands, gilt ornaments and lettering pieces,
marbled endpapers, hinges mended. Moderate rubbing and edgewear to
boards, bookplate of Robert Maxton Graham to front pastedown of
Volume I, later bookseller ticket to verso of front endleaf, early
bookplate of the Court of Arches to verso of title page. Attractive
woodcut head-pieces, tail-pieces and decorated initials. Occasional
light foxing and browning. Contemporary and later signatures and
annotations to preliminaries and some text leaves, including the
signature and notes of Thomas Mackay Cooper. An impressive handsome
set. $2,200.
* Only edition. Mackenzie was Lord Advocate during the reigns of
Charles II and James II. He is best known for his leading role in
the persecution of Scottish Presbyterians, which earned him the
nickname “Bloody MacKenzie.” (In many cases, he bent the law to
secure a conviction.) He was in important jurist, scholar and
author, and the founder of the Advocates Library, which is now part
of the National Library of Scotland. This set collects all of his
legal, historical and literary works except Aretina and
The
Discovery of the
Fanatical Plot.
The Science of Heraldry is preceded by a copperplate
pictorial title page and is embellished with 30 copperplates
illustrating heraldic devices. The Court of Arches was an
ecclesiastical court in London under the jurisdiction of the
Archbishop of Canterbury. Cooper [1892-1955] was Lord President of
Scotland. The outstanding Scottish judge of his day and a keen
student of history, he was the chairman of the Stair Society and
Scottish Historical Society. Also a scholar, he wrote The
Scottish Legal Tradition and edited Stair’s Regiam Majestatem
for the Stair Society. Robert Maxtone Graham was a notable Scottish
Book Collector. Sweet & Maxwell 5:74. See illustration below. 

133. [Madison, James]. [Jefferson, Thomas].
The Virginia Report of 1799-1800, Touching the Alien and Sedition
Laws; Together with the Virginia Resolutions of December 21, 1798,
the Debate and Proceedings Thereon in the House of Delegates of
Virginia, and Several Other Documents Illustrative of the Report and
Resolutions. Richmond: J.W. Randolph, 1850. [vii]-xvi, [17]-264
pp. 1824. xix, 627 pp. Reprinted 2003 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.
Cloth. New. $85.
* The Virginia Resolutions were written by James Madison
[1751-1836] and were adopted by the Virginia legislature in 1798.
The Kentucky Resolutions were written by Thomas Jefferson
[1743-1826] and Adopted by the Kentucky legislature in 1798. Both
opposed the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, and initiated a
debate about the respective powers of the federal government and
states. Their doctrines had a profound effect on the debates that
led to the Civil War. Madison’s Virginia Report was a resolution
supporting freedom of the press. This edition collects these three
works, and adds the texts of the Alien and Sedition acts, comments
from other states and relevant extracts from Madison’s letters.


“Heretics, Pirates and Other Bandits”
134. [Manuscript].
[Drafts of Two Papal Letters and a Deposition Relating to a
Spanish Case Involving Heretics, Pirates and Other Bandits.”
Catalonia (Calunya), Spain, 1647].
121 fols., 1 blank leaf. (Second half written in a different hand
and has separate pagination along the gutter.) Folio (8-1/2" x 11).
Contemporary limp vellum (from parchment notarial document dated
1647.), contemporary hand-lettered title to front cover, “1647” in
later pencil, faint signatures to rear, untrimmed edges. Negligible
wear and a few minor smudges. Content written in small neat hand to
recto and verso of all but the final two leaves. Second half of
manuscript is in a different hand and has separate pagination along
the gutter. Upper corner lacking from leaf with negligible loss to
text, browning to two leaves, other leaves notably fresh. A
well-preserved unique item with fascinating content. $1,500.
* These documents address a case revolving around complaints
concerning incursions into the bishopric of Elne, then part of the
Principality of Catalonia, by “heretics, pirates, and other bandits”
who have threatened the prelates and canons of the diocese. (Elne is
near the seacoast.) The manuscript begins with the opening sentence
of a papal letter, or more likely a draft for a papal letter,
addressed to the archbishop of Tarragona and the bishops of
Barcelona and Gerona (now called Girona in Catalan). This is
followed by a description of the alleged events that are the subject
of the depositions that follow in part two, which is written on
different paper and in different hands on folios separately numbered
from 1r to 211r (211v is blank). Neither papal letter contains a
conclusion (or eschatol) or dating clause, which suggests that it is
a draft. This assertion is further supported by the hand in which
the letters were written; neither are in a formal papal chancery
hand. The second papal letter refers to intervention by “our dearest
son in Christ, Philip, the Catholic king of the Spains,” who must be
Philip IV [1621-1665]. More puzzling is the identity of Pope
Clement, the nominal author of the two letters in part one. He
cannot be Pope Clement VIII, since he died in 1605 and all the
depositions and other documents in part two are dated in the summer
and fall of 1647. It is
most likely that the pope is Clement IX, who assumed office in 1667.
It seems, then, that there must have been a twenty-year hiatus
between the time of the depositions and the time when the matter was
finally decided at the papal curia. [Our thanks to Professor James
Brundage, University of Kansas, for his assistance with this
manuscript.] See illustration below. 

A Prominent 18th-Century New York City Lawyer
135. [Manuscript]. Remsen, John H.
Cash Book. New York:
1793-1798.
246 pp. Octavo (6-3/4" x 7-1/2"). Disbound. Housed in handsome
period-style quarter-calf over cloth clamshell box. Browning and
dampstaining to gutters, reaching text but not affecting legibility.
Truly unique. $2,000.
* An important daily record detailing the cash receipts of the New
York City attorney, John H. Remsen, who was a solicitor in the Court
of Chancery. Remsen was associated with numerous prominent figures
of the day in New York’s political and financial worlds. His
dealings included making loans to Aaron Burr, John Jay, and Col.
Duer, paying rent for Col. Rutger’s house, and conducting
transactions for Joshua Isaacs, James Roosevelt, and many of the
established Dutch families. Other entries concern the drawing of
leases, letters, and wills, as well as the settling of the estate of
his father, Henry Remsen. Recorded, too, are such things as the
purchase of canal and New York state road lottery tickets, the
distribution of money to the proprietors of Tontine Coffee House,
and a French Consul certificate. This book is very definitely a
unique historical document giving a fascinating picture of New York
in the 1790s. 

Manuscript of Cases Heard Before
JPs in Yonkers, 1834-1840
136. [Manuscript].
[Reports of Cases Heard Before
Yonkers, N.Y. Justice’s Court, 1834-1840].
73 ruled leaves. Quarto (6-1/2" x 7-3/4"). Contemporary quarter
sheep over marbled boards. ‘2’ blind-stamped to foot of spine.
Moderate rubbing with wear to board edges and spine ends, front
board detached. Content in fine hand to both sides of 71 leaves, one
leaf with content on one side, additional leaf with content on one
side tipped-in. Internally clean. Unique. $1,000.
* This manuscript contains detailed reports of cases heard “In
Justice’s Court,” Yonkers, New York between 1834 and 1840, along
with court fees. (It is probably one of a series of volumes compiled
by the court.) Many deal with labor issues and the supervision of
the poor. Others deal with debt, drunkenness and property (including
livestock). Taken together, these reports offer a fascinating view
of the everyday administration of justice in lower Westchester
County in the early nineteenth century. 

137. [Massachusetts].
Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Begun and Held in Boston, on the
Fourth Day of May, 1853.
Printed by Order of the Convention. Boston: White & Potter, 1853.
[ii], 560, [1] pp. Octavo (6" x 9"). Contemporary sheep, raised
bands and lettering piece to spine. Rubbed and scuffed, boards
partially detached, early owner signature to front free endpaper,
internally clean. $50.
* Drafted primarily by John Adams and enacted in 1780, the
Massachusetts Constitution is the oldest written constitution that
is still in use. The convention held in 1820-21 resulted in
amendments that dramatically expanded white male suffrage. The
convention held in 1853 proposed a series of changes that
substantially altered the constitution. All were rejected. Babbitt,
Hand-List of Legislative Sessions and Session Laws
244. 
Ex-Cathedra
138. Matthaeum, Petrum (Matthieu, Pierre) [1563-1621], Editor.
Summa Constitutionum Summorum Pontificum, et Rerum in Ecclesia
Romana Gestarum a Gergorio IX Usque ad Sixtum V. Nunc Primum Longo
Studie Conquisita & Concinnata Annotationibus Summariis
Chronographicis Exercitatissimis Variarum Controuersiarum
Resolutionnibus ac Commentariis Elucubrata & Illustrata. Recensentur
Ini io Summi Pontifices, Ecclesiae Persequutiones, Concilia &
Caesares a Christo Passo Usque in Hodiernum Diem, pro Apostolicae
Successionis Praeconio Aduersus Salsissimas Haereticorum
Chronologias. Cum Peritissimis Singularum Constitutionum, Locorum
Communium & Rerum Memorabilium Indicibus. Leiden: Sumptibus
Petri Landry, 1588. [civ], 910, [38] pp. Quarto (6-1/2" x 9-1/4").
Contemporary vellum, raised bands, hand-lettered title to spine.
Moderate rubbing, chipping to spine ends, joints and corners. Title
page printed in red and black, early owner bookplate to verso.
Attractive woodcut printer device, head-pieces, tail-pieces and
decorated initials. Faint dampstaining, inkstain to foot of first
quarter of text block. Occasional foxing and browning, text
otherwise fresh. $1,000.
* Second edition, revised. With table and index. A collection of
papal Bulls and other documents produced between 1145 and 1590 with
annotations by Matthieu. Topics include the Crusades, heretics,
church finances and administrative reforms. Adams M904. 

139. Meyer, Hermann H.B., Compiler.
List of References on Federal Control of Commerce and
Corporations. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1913. iii,
164 pp. Pamphlet, some shelfwear, cover detached, internally clean.
$35.
* Third edition with additions. 
Montefiore’s Fascinating Commercial Dictionary
140. Montefiore, Joshua [1762-1843].
A Commercial Dictionary: Containing the
Present State of the Mercantile Law, Practice and Custom. With Very
Considerable Additions Relative to the Laws, Usages, and Practice of
the United States.
Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by James Humphreys, 1804. Three
volumes. Octavo (5-1/4" x 8-1/2"). Contemporary tree calf, gilt
spines with lettering pieces, gauffered board edges, marbled
endpapers. Negligible rubbing to boards, some wear and chipping to
spines, light rubbing to joints, board edges and corners. Residue
from bookplate to each front pastedown. Clean tear to a leaf with no
loss to text, occasional light foxing, interiors otherwise fresh. A
handsome copy of a very scarce title. $3,000.
* First American edition, based on the 1803 London edition with much
new American material added. With a subscriber list that includes
Horace Binney, Alexander James Dallas, Peter S. Duponceau and
William Rawle. Intended for merchants, this dictionary is a very
important economic and legal source that offers a wealth of
information about contemporary commercial and maritime law,
international business practices and fascinating descriptions of
commercial ports and their primary imports and exports. Montefiore
also discusses the present state of banks and insurance companies in
the United States, the laws of copyright and letters patent, the
regulation of coastal trade, the funding system and state of the
U.S. national debt and a very interesting section on the production
and qualities of Madeira wine. A Jewish solicitor from London who
moved to the United States after the War of 1812, Montefiore
published several works on commercial law. Cohen, Bibliography of
Early American Law 2433. Sabin, A Dictionary of Books
Relating to
America
50100. Kress Library of Business and Economics Catalogue
4827. See illustration below. 

Fine-Press Edition of
Rare English Treatise on Sedition
141. [Morison, Richard, Sir. (d. 1556)]. Cox, E.M., Foreword.
A Remedy for Sedition. Which Rare and Witty Book is Now Reprinted
for the First Time. London: Golden Hours Press, 1933. 60 pp.
Quarter vellum over paper boards, top edges gilt, deckle fore and
bottom edges, text printed on bright laid rag paper. Light shelfwear
and soiling, some dampspotting, corners bumped and lightly worn,
internally clean. $200.
* From an edition limited to 100 copies, this number 57. With a
facsimile of the original title page. Morison was an English
ambassador from the court of Henry VIII who traveled widely in Italy
and Germany. “His style is lucid and idiomatic and some of his
comments and criticisms are bold to the point of temerity, although
throughout there is a plea for respect for constituted authority and
for devotion to the King and his interests.”: Foreword. This copy is
from the library of Max Lowenthal [1888-1971]. An important advisor
to several senators and President Truman, he played a key role in
Truman’s decision to recognize Israel. 

142. Nasmith, David.
Outline of Roman History from
Romulus to Justinian, (Including Translations of the Twelve Tables,
the Institutes of Gaius, and the Institutes of Justinian), With
Special Reference to the Growth, Development and Decay of Roman
Jurisprudence.
London: Butterworth, 1890. xix, full-color map, 618 pp. Reprinted
2006 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. Cloth. New. $125. 

143. [The National Commission on Reform of Federal Criminal Laws].
Study Draft of a New Federal Criminal Code (Title 18,
United States Code) The National Commission on Reform of Federal
Criminal Laws.
Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1970.
lxiv, 344 pp. Original cloth, light shelfwear, internally clean.
Ex-library. Stamps to endleaves, card pocket to rear pastedown.
$30. 
Tottel, 1584
144. [Natura Brevium].
La Vieux Natura Brevium, Dernierment Corrigee et Amend’, &c.
Nouelment Imprimee. London: In Aedibus Richardi Tottelli, 1584.
180, [4] leaves. 12mo. (4" x 5-3/4"). Contemporary calf with
blind-stamped insignia and monogram “WC,” and later blind stamp “SC”
to upper corner, raised bands, worn, front hinge starting. Edges
chipped with small tear to rear lower cover and edge. Occasional
light dampstaining. Despite these minor impediments, a
well-preserved, highly desirable copy in its original state.
$2,500.
* Natura brevia are books containing writs with descriptive
commentary. This edition stands apart from the numerous editions
produced during the sixteenth century because it was printed by
Richard Totell [fl. 1553-1594]. Totell was an important London
printer who owned the patent for many common law books. Beale, A
Bibliography of Early English Law Books T97. See illustration below. 

145. [New Hampshire].
The Constitution of New Hampshire as Amended by the
Constitutional Convention Held at Concord on the first Wednesday of
December, A.D. 1876: with the Several Questions involving the
Amendments Proposed as Submitted by the Convention to the Vote of
the People. Published By Order of the Convention. Concord:
Edward A. Jenks, State Printer, 1877. 31 pp. Octavo (5” x 8”).
Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers, light shelfwear,
dampstaining to front cover, annotations in pencil to some leaves.
$20. 
146. [New Jersey].
Journal and Votes of the House of Representatives of The
Province of Nova Cesarea, or New Jersey, In their First Sessions of
Assembly, Began at Perth Amboy, The 10th Day of November 1703.
Jersey City, NJ: Printed by John H. Lyon, 1872. 270 pp. Original
cloth, moderate shelfwear, dampstain to front board, internally
clean. $40. 
Handsome Italian Edition of Important
Commercial Law Treatise
147. Pardessus, Jean-Marie [1772-1853]. Callegari, Annibale, Editor
and Translator.
Corso di Diritto Mercantile. Preceduto da un’ Introduzione
e Della Giurisprudenza Mercantile, e Susseguito da un Indice
Analitico delle Materie. Versione Italiana. Venice: Andrea
Santini e Figlio, 1838-1841. Three volumes. Octavo (5-1/2" x
8-1/2"). Contemporary quarter morocco over marbled boards, gilt
ornaments and titles to spines. Some rubbing with light wear to
extremities, a few minor scuffs, corners bumped and somewhat worn.
Small chip to half-title of Volume II with no loss to text.
Occasional light foxing, interiors otherwise fresh. A handsome set. $1,000.
* Only Italian edition of this important comprehensive study of the
theory and practice of commercial law, which was originally
published in Paris in 1813-17. Marvin says it is “a finished and
comprehensive treatise, not unknown or undervalued by American
jurists [such as James Kent, who held it in high regard].” A special
strength is the attention it pays to customary law. This edition
contains notes and other additions relating to Italian states. KVK
locates 2 copies of this edition. Marvin 554 (citing French
editions). This edition not in the BMC or Goldsmiths.’ 

148. Parker, Joel [1795-1875].
Daniel Webster as a Jurist. An Address to the Students in the
Law School of the University at Cambridge.
Cambridge: John Bartlett, 1853. 71 pp. Octavo (5” x 8”).
Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers, worn, front cover
detached, internally clean. $35.
* Second edition. 
Early Assessments of Reconstruction at
Harvard Law School
149. Parker, Joel.
Revolution and Reconstruction: Two Lectures Delivered in the Law
School of Harvard College, In January, 1865, and January, 1866.
New York: Hurd and Houghton, 1866. 89 pp. Octavo (6" x 9").
Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers, light soiling, some wear
to spine ends and corner, internally clean. $125.
* Only edition. This pamphlet reprints two fascinating lectures on
the reconstruction of the Confederate states presented to the
constitutional law courses at Harvard Law School, where Parker was
Royall Professor. The first lecture was written four months before
Lee’s surrender, the second in the last year before radical
reconstruction. Robert Todd Lincoln and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
were two of the students who may have heard the 1866 lecture. Not in
the HLC. OCLC locates 36 copies. 

150. Parry, Edward Abbott [1863-1943].
The Seven Lamps of Advocacy. London: T. Fisher Unwin, Ltd.,
[1923]. 110 pp. Quarter cloth over paper boards. Some shelfwear and
soiling, internally clean. $85.
* First
edition. This is a treatise on advocacy and legal ethics in the
manner of John Ruskin’s Seven Lamps of Architecture.
Contents: “The Lamp of Honesty,” “The Lamp of Courage,” “The Lamp of
Industry,” “The Lamp of Wit,” “The Lamp of Eloquence,” “The Lamp of
Judgment” and “The Lamp of Fellowship.” 
Parsons on Mercantile Law
151. Parsons, Theophilus [1797-1882].
The Elements of Mercantile Law. Boston: Little, Brown and
Company, 1856. lxxxiii, 617 pp. (6" x 9"). Recent period-style
quarter calf over cloth, raised bands and lettering piece to spine,
endpapers renewed. Light spotting to some leaves, interior otherwise
fresh. An attractive copy. $500.
* Only edition. Like his father (and namesake), Theophilus Parsons,
Jr. was an expert on commercial and maritime law. Pound considered
him to be one of the great jurists of the “formative era” of
American law. This textbook was inspired by the courses on
commercial law he taught at Harvard Law School, where he was Dane
Professor. It defines the subject broadly and includes sections on
shipping law and the law of marine, fire and life insurance. Parts
of this treatise were incorporated into his Laws of Business for
Business Men (1857). Pound, The Formative Era in American Law
142.Cohen 2439. 
Fear of a Standing Army
152. Philipps, Fabian [1601-1690].
Tenenda non Tollenda, or the Necessity of Preserving Tenures in
Capite and by Knight-Service, Which According to Their First
Institution Were, and are Yet, a Great Part of the Salus Populi, and
the Safety and Defense of the King, as Well as of His People.
Together with a Prospect of the Very Many Mischiefs and
Inconveniences, Which by the Taking Away or Altering of Those
Tenures, Will Inevitably Happen to the King and His Kingdomes.
London: Printed by Thomas Leach, 1660. [xiv], 176 pp. Quarto (5-1/4"
x 7-1/4"). Later period-style calf, lettering piece and gilt fillets
to spine, dentelles to board edges, endpapers renewed. A few minor
stains to boards. Charming woodcut head-pieces. Dampspotting to a
few leaves, interior otherwise notably fresh. $1,000.
* An
important book according to Holdsworth, Tenenda non Tollenda
was written to protest the recent abolition of military tenures, a
system through which the crown granted lands in exchange for
military services, either personal or through the provision of
troops. He feared this would eventually lead to the creation of a
standing army, a potential tool of royal oppression. On a broader
level the abolition of military tenure eliminated a legal bond that
balanced the interests of the monarchy and large landholders. A
thoroughly argued thesis, it is supported by 72 points. OCLC locates
12 copies. Holdsworth VI:610. Wing P2019. 

153. Piel, William, Jr., and Martha Moore, Compilers.
Lamplighters: The Sullivan & Cromwell Lawyers
April 2, 1879 to April 2, 1979.
[New York: Sullivan & Cromwell, 1981]. 566 pp. Original cloth, light
shelfwear, internally clean. $35. 
154. Pollock, Frederick, and Frederic William Maitland.
The History of English Law before the Time of Edward I.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1898. Two volumes. xxxviii,
688; xiv, 691 pp. Reprinted 1996 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.
Cloth. New. $250.
* Second and best edition. A landmark work on English legal history.


Perceptive Satirical Commentary on the
Popish Plot of 1678
155. [Popish Plot]. [Smith, Francis (fl. 1657-1689)].
Some Observations Upon the Late Tryals of Sir George Wakeman,
Corker and
Marshall, &c.
By Tom Tickle-Foot the Taborer, Late Clerk to Justice Clodpate.
London: Printed for A. Brewster, 1679. 9 [i.e. 11] pp. Folio (7-3/4"
x 11-3/4"). Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into recent period-style
quarter calf over marbled boards, raised bands and lettering piece
to spine. Large woodcut head-piece. Negligible minor spotting to
text, interior otherwise fresh. A handsome copy of a scarce title.
$450.
* Only edition. Supposedly written by a clerk to “Justice
Clodpate,” this satirical and sensational account of the Popish Plot
of 1678 is also a remarkably perceptive and interesting contemporary
analysis. One of the cruelest hoaxes in British history, one that
led to a wave of anti-Catholic violence, the Popish Plot was the
invention of Titus Oates, an Anglican clergyman, and his friend, Dr
Israel Tonge, a cleric and passionate anti-Catholic. They pretended
to have discovered a Jesuit plot to assassinate the King, massacre
Protestants, and set James, Duke of York, the King’s Catholic
brother, on the throne. After the hoax was discovered in 1685 Oates
was convicted of perjury, severely flogged and imprisoned. Under
William III he was released and pensioned. OCLC locates 21 copies.
Wing S4540. 

Extensively Annotated Edition of
the Institutes, Books I-III
156. Porcio (Porcius or Portius), Cristoforo [d. 1442]. Maino,
Giasone [1435-1519], and Bellone, Niccolo [d. 1552], Additional
Material.
In Tres Priores Institutionum Libros Doctissimi Commentarii; Cum
Summariis Elegantissimis, Et Indice Caeteris Ampliore ab Erroribus
Repurgati. Additiones DD. Iasonis Mayni, Nicolai Belloni,
Nonnullorumque in Finem Cuiusque Paragraphi Adiectae. Venice:
Apud Cominum de Tridino Montisferrati, 1565. 157, [9] fols. Text
printed in double columns. Folio (8-1/2" x 12"). Contemporary vellum
raised bands and early hand-lettered title to spine. Some soiling
and staining, rubbing with some wear to extremities, corners
somewhat worn, chipping to spine exposing cords, portion of vellum
lacking near head, joints just starting, boards slightly bowed,
front hinge cracked but secure, minor worming to pastedowns.
Attractive woodcut printer device to title page, woodcut decorated
initials. Occasional faint dampstaining, light browning to some
leaves, balance of interior clean and bright. $1,250.
* Later
edition of a work first published in 1483. With index. Also known as
the Lectura Super Primo, Secundo et Tertio Libro Institutionum,
this book is an edition of the first three books of the
Institutes of Justinian with extensive commentary. It is based
on a series of university lectures. Commissioned by the Emperor
Justinian in 530 CE, the body of writings known collectively as the
Corpus Juris Civilis preserved and restated all existing
Roman law. It has four books: the Code, Novels,
Institutes and Digest. Intended for students, the
Institutes is a synopsis of the reformed legal system. A
standard textbook in universities since the late medieval era, its
subsequent influence on European jurisprudence is difficult to
underestimate. Porcio was a lawyer and professor at the University
of Padua. Maino, a former student, and Belloni were notable humanist
scholars. KVK locates 3 copies of this edition, which is not in
Adams or the BMC. See
illustration below. 

First American Printing of the Evans’ Edition of
Pothier on Obligations
157. Pothier, Robert Joseph [1699-1722]. [Evans, William David
(1767-1821), Translator and Editor].
A Treatise on the Law of Obligations, or Contracts. Translated
from the French, with an Introduction, Appendix, and Notes,
Illustrative of the English Law on the Subject. Philadelphia:
Published by Robert H. Small, 1826. Two volumes. Octavo (5-1/4" x
8-1/4").
Recent period-style quarter calf over cloth, raised bands and
lettering piece to spines, endpapers renewed. Light toning
throughout, occasional light foxing, faint dampstaining to fore-edge
of Volume I. Later owner stamps to preliminaries and edges, early
signatures to edges of text blocks and title pages, interiors
otherwise clean. Quite uncommon. $1,500.
*
Second American edition of the work (the first being published in
Newburn, N.C. in 1802 with the translation by F.X. Martin), but this
the first American edition of the Evans edition, which first
appeared in London in 1806. According to Marvin, “[Evans’] notes are
comprehensive and learned, and deserve a careful perusal in
connexion with the text, and he is entitled to considerable praise
for having furnished Pothier on Obligations to the profession
in so good and accurate an English garb.” Holdsworth, who agrees
with Marvin, adds that this edition introduced Pothier to English
lawyers, which “did considerable service to the development of the
English law of contract.” This edition was “soon recognized as a
major contribution to legal science...and frequently cited in
British Courts.”: Walker 973. Holdsworth XIII:467. Marvin, Legal
Bibliography (1847) 578. Cohen 3657. See illustration below. 

158. Pound, Roscoe [1870-1964].
Readings on the History and System of the Common Law.
Boston: The Boston Book Company, 1913. xix, 625 pp. Original cloth,
moderate shelfwear, upper portion of front free endpaper lacking.
Underlining and notes to a few leaves, interior otherwise clean.
$85.
* Second edition. 
Second English Edition of Pufendorf
with Notes by Barbeyrac
159. Pufendorf, Samuel von [1632-1694]. Barbeyrac, Jean [1674-1744],
Annotator.[Kennet(t), Basil (1674-1715) and William Percivale,
Translators].
Of the Law of Nature and Nations. Eight Books. Written in Latin
by the Baron Pufendorf. Translated Into English. Carefully
Corrected, and Compared with Mr. Barbeyrac’s French Translation;
With the Addition of His Notes, and Two Tables; The One of the Names
of the Authors, the Other of the Most Material Things, That are
Contained Either in the Book or Notes. Oxford: Printed by L.
Litchfield, 1710. [xxiv], 724, [21] pp. Folio (8" x 13").
Contemporary paneled calf, rebacked, endpapers renewed, hinges
reinforced with cloth tape. Moderate rubbing with wear to board
edges, corners, joints and spine ends, hinges starting. Later owner
inscription to front pastedown. Light toning to text, spark burns,
foxing and faint dampstaining to a few leaves. A nice copy. $1,250.
* Second English edition. In 1662 Samuel Pufendorf was appointed to
the first modern professorship in natural law (at the University of
Heidelberg). In 1670 he became professor of natural law at the
University of Lund in Sweden. De Jure Naturae et Gentium is
his principal work and a landmark in the history of natural and
international law. First published in 1672, it proposed a thorough
system of private, public, and international law based on natural
law. Beginning with a consideration of fundamental legal ideas and
their various divisions, Pufendorf proceeds to a discussion of the
validity of customs, the doctrines of necessity and innate human
reason. It is significant in part because it develops principles
introduced by Grotius and Hobbes. Unlike Hobbes, Pufendorf argued
that peace, not war, was the state of nature, and he proposed that
international law was not restricted to Christendom. Sweet & Maxwell
1:597 (72). 

Third English Edition of Pufendorf
160. Pufendorf, Samuel von. [Kennet(t), Basil, Translator and
Editor]. [Barbeyrac, Jean].
Of the Law of Nature and Nations. Eight Books. Written in Latin
by the Baron Puffendorf. Done Into English by Basil Kennet.
Carefully Corrected, with Two Tables. To Which Are Now Added All the
Large Notes of Mr. Barbeyrac, Translated From His Last Edition;
Printed at
Amsterdam, in 1712.
London: Printed for R. Sare, R. Bonwicke [et. al.], 1717. [xxiv],
212, 577, 128, 529-531, [21] pp. Folio (9" x 14"). Contemporary
paneled calf, raised bands. Scuffed, lettering piece lacking, wear
to corners, front board partially detached but secure, rear joint
and hinge starting, chipping to spine ends. Early armorial bookplate
to front pastedown, front free endpaper partially detached. Light
foxing to title page and following few leaves, interior otherwise
fresh. $1,350.
* Third English edition. Sweet & Maxwell 1:597(72). See illustration below. 

Fourth English Edition with Notes by Barbeyrac
161. Pufendorf, Samuel von [1632-1694]. [Kennet(t), Basil
(1674-1715), Translator and Editor]. [Barbeyrac, Jean (1674-1744)].
Of the Law of Nature and Nations. Eight Books. Written in Latin
by the Baron Puffendorf. Done Into English by Basil Kennet.
Carefully Corrected, with Two Tables. To Which Are Added All the
Large Notes of Mr. Barbeyrac, Translated From the Best Edition;
Together with Large Tables to the Whole. The Fourth Edition,
Carefully Corrected. To Which is Now Prefixed Mr. Barbeyrac’s
Prefatory Discourse, Containing an Historical and Critical Account
of the Science of Morality, and the Progress It has Made in the
World, From the Earliest Times Down to the Publication of This Work.
Done Into English by Mr. Carew. London: Printed for J. Walthoe,
R. Wilkin, [et. al.], 1729. [xxviii], 88, 878, [22] pp. Folio (9" x
14"). Contemporary paneled calf, raised bands, lettering piece. A
few scuffs to boards, part of lettering piece lacking, wear to
corners, chipping to spine ends, boards partially detached but
holding. Early armorial bookplate to front pastedown, attractive
woodcut head and tail-pieces. Clean tears to fore edges of three
leaves, rodent damage to upper corner of text block. Light foxing to
title page and following few leaves, interior otherwise fresh.
$1,200.
* Fourth English edition. Sweet & Maxwell 1:597 (72). 

162. Randolph, A.M.F.
The Trial of Sir John Falstaff Wherein the Fat Knight is
Permitted to Answer for Himself Concerning the Charges Laid Against
Him; And to Attorney His Own Case. New York: G.P.
Putnam’s Sons, 1893. xvi, 295 pp. Original cloth, gilt titles to
front board and spine. Light wear to extremities, front hinge
partially cracked. Owner stamp to front free endpaper, interior
otherwise clean. $65.
* First edition. A humorous trial of Sir John using dialogue from
the four plays in which he appeared (Henry IV, Parts I and
II, Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor). 
163. Reed, John C.
Conduct of Lawsuits Out of and In Court: Practically Teaching,
and Copiously Illustrating, The Preparation and Forensic Management
of Litigated Cases of All Kinds. Being a New Edition of “Practical
Suggestions.” Second Edition: Little, Brown, and Company, 1912.
xv, 434 pp. Contemporary calf, gilt spine, some shelfwear,
internally clean. $50. 
Reeve on Domestic Relations
164. Reeve, Tapping [1744-1823]. Chittenden, Lucius E., Editor.
The Law of Baron and Femme, of Parent and Child, Guardian and Ward,
Master and Servant, and of the Powers of Courts of Chancery; With an
Essay on the Terms Heir, Heirs, and Heirs of the Body. With Notes
and References to English and American Cases by Lucius E.
Chittenden.
Burlington, VT: Chauncey Goodrich, 1846. [iv], [1], 493 [i.e. 466],
[6] pp. Octavo (5-1/2" x 9-1/4"). Contemporary sheep, worn, crudely
rebacked in buckram, boards, partially detached, front free endpaper
detached. Later owner stamp to foot of text block and verso of title
page, early annotations to endleaves, interior otherwise clean. Text
notably fresh. $150.
* Second edition. In 1782 Reeve founded the first American Law
school in Litchfield, Connecticut. He also published the first
American work devoted to domestic law. First published in 1816,
The Law of Baron and Femme delineates the marital, parental,
guardian, master and chancery authority and rights of property,
debts, wills, contracts and settlements. This copy includes the
appendix from the following enlarged issue of this edition (1857),
which is also billed as the second. It is starred to the 1846
edition. “American text writing as a significant force in our legal
development begins...with Reeve’s Baron and Femme.”: Pound
140. Cohen 4746. 

165. Reuben, William A.
Footnote on an Historic Case: In Re Alger Hiss, No. 78 Civ. 3433.
[New York]: The Nation Institute, 1983. 65 pp. Softbound pamphlet,
slightly worn, internally clean. $35.
*Statement of Alger Hiss Press Conference - Oct 20, 1983 tipped in. 
166. Richardson, H.G., and G.O. Sayles, Editors.
Fleta. Volume III, Book III and Book IV. London: The Selden
Society, 1972. ix, 123 pp. Cloth, some shelfwear, internally clean.
$25.
* Selden Society Volume 89. 
An Impressive Study by a Leading Virginia Lawyer
167. Robinson, Conway [1805-1874].
The Practice in Courts of Justice in England and the United
States. Volumes I-IV: Richmond: A. Morris, 1854-1860; Volumes
V-VII: Richmond: Woodhouse & Parham, 1868-1874. (Title of Volumes
VI-VII: Principles and Practice of Courts of Justice in England
and the United States). Complete set. Octavo (5-1/2" x 9").
Contemporary sheep, red and black lettering pieces, early law-office
labels to head of spine. Rubbing with some wear to spine ends, board
edges, joints and corners, boards of Volume VII partially detached
but secure, most hinges cracked or starting. Embossed bookseller
stamp to front free endpaper of Volume I. Offsetting to margins of
endleaves, occasional light foxing, interiors otherwise clean. A
solid set. Complete sets are very uncommon. $2,500.
* Only
edition. Robinson was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1827 and the
Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1839. One of the leading Virginia
lawyers of his day, he was equally active as a legal scholar and
historian of Virginia. As indicated by the publication dates of
The Practice in Courts of Justice, his career continued after
the Civil War. This remarkably comprehensive study compares actions
and defenses, civil procedure, criminal procedure and equity
pleading and procedure in the United States and Great Britain. OCLC
locates 58 copies. Not in Cohen. HLC I:481. 

Authoritative Treatise on Forestry Law
168. Ruginelli Giulio Cesare [d.1628].
De Arboribus Controversis Resolutionum Liber Singularis. Ex
Quibus Omnes Sere de Hac re Disceptationes Facile Dirimi Possunt.
Cum Additione Indice, Summariis, Aliisq Opportnis Auctus. Milan:
Sumptibus Ioseph de Ressetis, 1688. [viii], 230, [1] pp. Quarto
(5-1/2" x 7-1/2"). Contemporary vellum, blind frames to boards,
raised bands and early hand-lettered title to spine, endleaves cut
from earlier paper and vellum manuscripts. Minor worming along
joints, spine ends bumped, boards slightly bowed, front hinge
cracked but secure, a few partial cracks to text block. Attractive
woodcut title page device, head-pieces and decorated initials.
Negligible tear to title page, light dampstaining to most of text,
annotations to preliminaries in early hand, interior otherwise
clean. An appealing copy of an uncommon title. $1,500.
* Later edition, enlarged. With index. This is a treatise on
forestry law and legislation in Roman law that discusses trees,
roots, branches, flowers and fruit. An authoritative work, it went
through several editions, the final appearing in 1824. KVK locates 3
copies of this edition, 12 of all editions. This edition not in the
BMC. See illustration below. 

169. Rutherfurd, Livingston.
John Peter Zenger: His Press, His Trial and A Bibliography of
Zenger Imprints. Also a Reprint of the First Edition of the Trial.
New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1904. xiii, [1], 275 pp.
Frontispiece. Illustrations. Reprinted 2006 by The Lawbook Exchange,
Ltd. Cloth. New. $95.
* Reprint of the 1904 edition, which was limited to three hundred
twenty five copies. The standard older account of the trial, it
remains a valuable part of the Zenger bibliography. For many
scholars the most valuable parts of this study are the “Literal
Reprint of the First Edition of the Trial” and the descriptive
bibliography of titles issued by the Zenger Press, the list of
issues of the New York Weekly Journal and the bibliography of
the trial. Taken together, these chapters provide an overview of
Zenger’s career, the works he printed and the historical reception
of his trial to about 1900. 

170. [Salmon, Thomas].
A Critical Essay Concerning Marriage. Shewing, I. The Preference
of Marriage to a Single Life. II. The Arguments For and Against a
Plurality of Wives and Concubines. III. The Authority of Parents and
Governors, in Regulating or Restraining Marriages. IV. The Power of
Husbands, and the Privileges of Wives. V. The Nature of Divorce, and
in What Cases it is Allowable. VI. The Reasons of Prohibiting
Marriage Within Certain Degrees. VII The Manner of Contracting
Espousals, and What Engagements and Promises of Marriage are
Binding. VIII. The Penalties Incurred by Forcible and Clandestine
Marriages, and the consequences Attending Marriages Solemnized by
Dissenters. To Which is Added, an Historical Account of the Marriage
Rites and Ceremonies of the Greeks and Romans, and Our Saxon
Ancestors, and of Most Nations of the World at this Day. London:
Printed for Charles Rivington, 1724. [xx], 310, 5 pp. Reprinted 2005
by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. Cloth. New. $95.
* Reprint
of the first edition. Salmon [1679-1767] was a prolific writer on
legal, historical and geographical subjects. He claimed that he went
to sea and explored the world for many years. These travels may have
furnished the information used in the book’s section on marriage
rites, which discusses the practices of Denmark, Livonia, Lapland,
Germany, Greece, Armenia, Turkey, Persia, India, Ceylon, Siam,
China, Japan, Morocco, Guinea, Ethiopia, Chili, Peru, Brazil,
Paraguay, America, Mexico, Canada, Russia and Sweden. Whether he
actually visited these places or not, Salmon’s book remains a
fascinating document of English social values, anthropological views
and legal philosophy in the immediate decades after the Civil War
and Restoration. This book was published anonymously in 1724. The
second edition, which states the author’s name, was published later
that year. 

Three Volumes Concerning Moral and Ethical Issues
171. Sanderson, Robert [1587-1663].
Nine Cases of Conscience: Occasionally Determined by the Late
Reverend Father in God, Robert Sanderson Lord Bishop of Lincoln.
London: H. Borme, J. Wright, and C. Wilkinson, 1678. [v], 192 pp.
Copperplate portrait frontispiece.
[Bound with]
De Obligatione Conscientiae Praelectiones Decem: Oxonii in Scholâ
Theologicâ Habitae. Anno Dom. MDCXLVII.
London: Typis J.M. Impensis, 1676. [xix], fold-out table, 282 pp.
[Bound with]
De Juramenti Promissorii Obligatione Praelectiones Septem.
London: Typis J.M. Impensis, 1676. [xxiii], 155 pp.
Octavo (4" x 6-1/2"). Contemporary calf, skillfully rebacked in
period style with raised bands and lettering piece. Blind-stamped
double rules to front and rear boards, traces of gilt stamping to
edges. Minor chipping to front and rear boards. All edges rouged.
Together three titles in an attractive binding. $650.
* Bishop of Lincoln, Chaplain to Charles I, Regius Professor of
Divinity at Oxford University and subject of a biography by Izaak
Walton, Sanderson was one of the most eminent Englishmen of the
seventeenth century. His opinions are also discussed in Walton’s
The Compleat Angler. These three works concern moral and ethical
issues. The nine cases addressed in the first volume are: 1. Of
marrying with a recusant; 2. Of unlawful love; 3. Of a military
life; 4. Of scandal; 5. Of a bond taken in the king’s name; 6. Of
the engagement; 7. Of a rash vow; 8. Of the Sabbath; and 9. Of the
liturgy. The Latin volumes consist of lectures delivered at Oxford
in 1646 and 1647. OCLC locates 9 copies of Nine Cases..., 3
copies of
De Obligatione..., and 4 of De Juramenti... See
Dictionary of National Biography VIII: 754-755. Wing
S618, referring to Nine Cases. See illustration below. 

172. Sayes, G.O., Editor.
Select Cases in the Court of King’s Bench Under Richard II, Henry
IV and Henry IV and Henry V. Volume VII. London: Bernard
Quaritch, 1971. lxx, 287 pp. Cloth, some shelfwear, owner bookplate
to front pastedown, internally clean. $25.
* Selden Society Volume 88. 
Schouler on Wills: A Work of “Undoubted Merits”
173. Schouler, James [1839-1920].
A Treatise on the Law of Wills. Boston: The Boston Book
Company. 1892. lxii, 731 pp. Octavo (6” x 9”). Contemporary calf,
red and black lettering pieces to spine. Some rubbing to
extremities, a few tiny inkstains to boards, tear to bottom of front
hinge. Owner inkstamp to front pastedown, interior otherwise clean.
$200.
* Second edition. Schouler was a leading authority on family and
estate law. His treatise on wills was conceived as a companion
volume to his Treatise on Executors and Administrators
(1883). Long a standard text, it went through four editions, the
final appearing in 1900. In a review of a later edition W.R. Vance
attributed the “favorable reception” and “undoubted merits” of the
first edition to its scholarly depth, accuracy and clarity. In 1915
Schouler merged both treatises into a two-volume work entitled
The Law of Wills, Executors and Administrators. W.R. Vance,
Yale Law Journal 33 (1923) 453. 

174. Schwartz, Ulysses S.
Workman in the Law: The Opinions of Judge Ulysses S. Schwartz.
[n.c.]: [n.p.], [n.d.]. xxv, 222 pp. Original cloth, moderate
shelfwear, internally clean. Ex-library. Location label to spine,
stamps to endleaves, bookplate to front pastedown, card pocket to
rear. $40. 
175. Scott, Colonel H[enry] L[ee]
Military Dictionary: Comprising Technical Definitions:
Information On Raising and Keeping Troops; Actual Service, Including
Makeshifts and Improved Materiel; and Law, Government, Regulation,
and Administration Relating to Land Forces. New York: D. Van
Nostrand, 1863. 674 pp. Illustrations. Reprinted 2006 by The Lawbook
Exchange Ltd. Cloth. New. $125.
* This dictionary contains a large number of definitions relating to
civil and military law and government based on the works of Bouvier,
De Hart, Dunlop, Guillot, Pendergast, Vattel, Wheaton and others.


Selden’s Mare Clausum Bound With
Treatises on History and Usury
176. [Selden, John (1584-1654)]. Censorinus [Fl. Early 3rd Century
CE].
De Die Natali. Henric. Lindenbrogius Recensuit; Et Notis,
Iteratahac Editione Passim Adauctis, Illustravit. Leiden: Ex
Officina Ioannis Maire, 1642. [xvi], 250, [38] pp. Fold-out woodcut
map of the solar system. With indexes.
[Bound with]
[Selden, John]; [Boxhorn, Marc (1602-1653)].
Mare Clausum Seu de Dominio Maris Libri Duo. I. Mare, Ex Iure
Naturae Seu Gentium, Omnium Hominum non Esse Commune...II.
Serenissimum Magnae Britanniae Regem Maris Circumflui... Accedunt
Marci Zverii Boxhornii [:] Apologia Pro Navigationibus
Hollandorum Adversus Pontum Hevtervm et Tractatus Mvtvi Comercii &
Navigationis Inter Henricum VII. Regem Angliae & Philippuvm
Archiducem Austriae. London [i.e. Amsterdam?]: Iuxta Exaemplar
Will. Stanesbeii pro Richardo Meighen, 1636. [xxiv], 61, [1], 504
pp. Two copperplate maps, woodcuts of coins, medals and allegorical
figures, side-notes. Three works in one. The first has a general
title page, the second and third have individual title pages.
Signatures a-d (pp. 1-61 containing Boxhorn’s Apologia and
the Tractatus Mutui Comercii) misbound between preliminary
signature
* and A, final blank leaf lacking. Chiefly in Latin, with passages
in English, French, Greek, Hebrew and Arabic.
[Bound with]
Boxhornii, Marci Zverii [Boxhorn, Marcus Zuerius (1612-1663)].
De Trapezitis, Qui In Foederato Belgio Mensas Foenebres Exercent,
Dissertatio. Leiden: Ex Officina Isaaci Commelini, 1640. 160,
[2] pp. Octavo (4" x 6"). Well-preserved contemporary vellum,
attractive hand-lettered titles to spine. Title pages of first and
final works have handsome printer devices; general title page of
second work printed in red and black. A few early annotations in
fine hand to front pastedown, general title page of second work and
endleaves of final work. Ex-private library. Early paper location
label to foot of spine, small stamps to title pages and a few
leaves. An appealing volume with an interesting collection of
works. $1,600.
* Second Lindenbrog edition, enlarged (Censorinus); second edition,
enlarged (Selden); first edition (Boxhorn). Censorinus was a Roman
grammarian and philosopher. De Die Natali, his most important
work, discusses the natural origins of humanity, time and its
divisions, astronomy and the chronology and customs of the Romans
and other peoples. Selden was one of the most brilliant English
jurists and legal scholars of the seventeenth century. Mare
Clausum (1st. ed. 1635) is the most famous British reply to
Grotius’ Mare Liberum (1609), which denied the validity of
England’s claim to the high seas south and east of England. Selden
argues that England’s jurisdiction extends, in fact, to all
waters surrounding the isles. His use of common-law principles to
rebut Grotius’ philosophical argument is quite impressive.
Holdsworth notes that his case was enriched by “a vast historical
knowledge,” replete with references to the customs of peoples from
the times of the Greeks to his time. (This may be the reason why an
early owner bound the work with De Die Natali.)
Boxhorn was a Dutch historian, classical scholar and political
writer. His Apologia is a pro-Dutch dissertation supporting
the argument of Mare Liberum. (A treaty between Henry VII and
Philip, Archduke of Austria is appended.) De Trapezitis is an
essay on usury and usury laws in the Netherlands. Censorinus:
Graesse Vol. 1-2: 101 M. Cary, et. al., The Oxford Classical
Dictionary 179; Selden: Sweet & Maxwell 1:514 (91). Pollard and
Redgrave, S22176. Pollard and Redgrave note two Dutch 1636 reprints
of the
first London edition published by A. Elzevir (S22175.3) and J. Maire
(S22175.7). They also suggest that the enlarged second edition
(S22176) may have been produced in Amsterdam with a counterfeit
imprint; Boxhorn: Goldsmiths’ 704. See illustration below. 

Sheppard’s Plan to Reform Conveyances
177. Sheppard, William [fl. 1660]. [Browne, William, Editor].
The President of Presidents. Or, One General President for All
Common Assurances by Deeds: Being a Perfect Abstract of the General
Learning and Forms of Presidents, Touching or Any Ways Relating to
All Conveyances Now in Use. Illustrated with Many Excellent Cases in
the Law, And Several Necessary Instructions How to Discover the
Defect of Any Conveyance, In Order to Give a True and Perfect
Judgment What Right or Title Hath Any Man to His Lands or Goods. Of
Singular Use and Profit to All Men. Corrected and Amended, With Many
Additions. London: Printed by the Assigns of Richard and Edward
Atkins, 1704. [x], 400, [8] pp. Octavo (4-1/2" x 7-1/2").
Contemporary calf, blind rules and fillets to boards, raised bands
and later lettering piece to spine, rebacked retaining original
backstrip, endpapers renewed. Rubbing to extremities with some wear,
light rubbing and a few tiny stains to boards. Early owner
signatures to half-title and title page. Negligible light foxing to
margins in some places, interior otherwise fresh. A handsome copy of
a scarce title. $750.
* Third edition. Active in the Protectorate, where he was Cromwell’s
legal advisor, Sheppard aimed to reform English common law. Ahead of
his time in many ways, many of his proposals anticipate changes that
were adopted in the nineteenth century, especially in the
Juridicature acts of 1875-78. First published in 1655, the
Presidents of Presidents is a novel guide that offers a system
of conveyances based on a uniform model. Sheppard promotes this
standardized plan as a way to better secure property rights by
eliminating the ambiguity introduced by local practices. According
to his biographer, Nancy Matthews, this work remains “an important
contribution to English legal literature.” OCLC locates 7 copies of
this edition, 23 of all editions. Matthews, William Sheppard,
Cromwell’s Law Reformer 118. Sweet & Maxwell 1:487 (70). 
Smith on Landlord and Tenant
178. Smith, John William.
The Law of Landlord and Tenant; Being a Course of Lectures
Delivered at The Law Institution. With Notes and Additions by
Frederic Philip Maude. With Notes and References to the American
Cases by Phineas Pemberton Morris. Philadelphia: T. & J. W. Johnson
& Co., 1856. xxxii, [33]-436, [3]-12 pp. Octavo (5-1/2" x 9"). Later
buckram, some shelfwear and soiling, internally clean. Ex-library.
Location label to spine, stamps to preliminaries and endleaves, card
pocket to rear pastedown. $150.
* First American edition, star-paged to the first London edition,
1855. OCLC locates 49 copies of this edition. Cohen 9558. 

It Found a Ready Audience in
Pre-Revolutionary America
179. Somers, [John] [1651-1716].
The Judgment of Whole Kingdoms and Nations, Concerning the
Rights, Power, and Prerogative of Kings, and the Privileges, &
Properties of the People: Shewing the Nature of Government in
General, Both from God and Man. An Account of the British
Government; and the Rights and Privileges of the People in the Time
of the Saxons, and Since the Conquest. The Government Which God
Ordained Over the Children of Israel; and That All Magistrates and
Governors Proceed From the People, by Many Examples in Scripture and
History; and the Duty of Magistrates From Scripture and Reason. An
Account of Eleven Emperors, and Above Fifty Kings, Depriv’d for
Their Evil Government. The Right of the People and Parliament of
Britain, to Resist and Deprive Their Kings for Evil Government, by
King Henry’s Charter; and Likewise in Scotland, by Many Examples....
Newport, Rhode Island: Reprinted and Sold by Solomon Southwick,
1774. viii, 9-156 pp. Octavo (4-1/2" x 7"). Side-stitched pamphlet
bound into recent quarter calf over cloth, gilt fillets, raised
bands and lettering piece to spine, endpapers renewed. Occasional
light foxing, browning and faint dampstaining. A handsome copy.
$1,000.
* Twelfth
edition, corrected. This highly popular tract was first published in
1709 with the title Vox Dei, Being True Maxims of Government.
Somers, a barrister of the Middle Temple, was Lord Chancellor of
England and the author of The Security of Englishmen’s Lives
(1681), a tract on juries and one’s right to a jury trial. The
present work outlines the development of English freedoms, and calls
for religious freedom, resistance to tyranny and a limited monarchy.
It found a ready audience in the colonies on the eve of the American
Revolution. This work is attributed sometimes to John Dunton or
Daniel Defoe. Evans 13631. Cohen 6373. See illustration below. 

180. Somkin, Fred.
How Vanzetti Said Goodbye. Ithaca, NY: [Published by the
author], 1982. 30 pp. Softbound pamphlet, light shelfwear,
internally clean. $45.
* This is
a revised and expended version of an essay that appeared originally
in the Journal of American History 68/2 (September 1981).

Fine-Press Facsimile of 1781 Spanish Code of
Game and Pasture Laws With
Colored Map and Frontispiece
181. [Spain].
Ordenanzas de las Reales Alcaldias del Real Sitio del Pardo, Ano
1781: Por las que S.M. Don Corlos III (Q.D.G.) Manda Observar las
que Promulgo en 14 de Septiembre de 1752 la Catholica Magestad de
Don Fernando VI de Gloriosa Memoria. [Madrid: Graficas L.G.,
1989]. 12 fascicles (no pagings) housed in solander case with ties.
Color portrait frontispiece of King Juan Carlos III, Color map of
Madrid and its environs. Folio (9" x 13"). Light shelfwear,
internally fine. $500.
* From an edition limited to 765 copies, this number 612. The first
part contains an introduction and transcription of the Ordonanzes,
the second part is a facsimile of the original code, which is a
manuscript with a portrait frontispiece and a map. Promulgated in
1781, the Ordenanzes of King Juan Carlos III [1716-1788] was
a code that liberalized game laws and rights of pasture. It was part
of the King’s efforts to modernize Spain’s economy and align it with
Enlightenment principles. KVK locates copies in the National Library
of Spain and Polish national Library. OCLC locates copies at Johns
Hopkins University and Harvard Law School. 

A Notable Libertarian and Anarchist
182. Spooner, Lysander [1808-1887].
A Letter to Thomas F. Bayard: Challenging His Right and That of
All the Other So-called Senators and Representatives in Congress to
Exercise Any Legislative Power Whatever Over the People of the
United States. Boston: Published by the Author, 1882. 11 pp.
Octavo (5-1/2" x 8"). Sewn pamphlet, light shelfwear, internally
clean. A well-preserved copy. $250.
* First edition. This pamphlet was published near the end of
Spooner’s life. It is one of the purest expressions of his
libertarian beliefs. One of the most colorful American reformers of
the nineteenth century, Spooner is remembered today for his
abolitionist activities, challenge to the U.S. Post Office with his
American Letter Mail Company and his contributions to libertarian
and anarchist thought. Thomas F. Bayard [1828-1898] was a U.S.
Senator from Delaware. OCLC locates 8 copies. 
A Significant Challenge to the U.S. Postal Service
183. Spooner, Lysander.
The Unconstitutionality of the Laws of Congress Prohibiting
Private Mails. New York: Tribune Printing Establishment, 1844.
24 pp. Octavo (5-1/2" x 8-1/2"). Stab-stitched pamphlet, light
shelfwear and soiling. Light foxing, internally clean. $650.
* First edition. Adams describes Spooner, in his Radical
Literature as “an American anarchist who had a genius for
opposing government. He considered the postal rate of 25 cents from
Boston to Washington exorbitant & the result of government monopoly.
He founded his own American Letter Mail Company. The government
overwhelmed him with injunctions to which he replied in the present
pamphlet. He abandoned his scheme, but his efforts resulted in an
act of Congress reducing rates.”: Radical Literature 48. OCLC
locates 23 copies. 
184. Stansbury, Charles Frederick, Compiler.
The Barrister: Being Anecdotes of the Late Tom Nolan of the New
York Bar. New York: Mab Press, [1902]. viii, 264 pp.
Frontispiece. Original cloth, gilt titles to front board and spine,
some shelfwear, internally clean. $50.
*First
edition. Contents include “Chastising the Flesh,” “The Power of
Eloquence” and “The Broth of a Boy, Or the Articled Clerk.” 
First Printed Work Devoted Solely to Criminal Law
185. Staunford, Sir William [1509-1558].
Les Plees del Coron. [London]: Richard Totell, 1567.
[xxviii], 198 leaves. Quarto (5-1/2" x 7-1/2"). Later (nineteenth
century?) three quarter calf over marbled boards. Moderate rubbing
with some wear to backstrip, joints and corners. Occasional light
dampstaining to margins, interior otherwise fresh. $2,500.
* Third edition. First published posthumously in 1557, this work is
considered a “principal book” by Pollock and Maitland, one that
enables us “to trace our modern laws of crimes, from the later
middle ages onwards.” Based on Bracton and the Year Books,
Staunford’s treatise is divided into three parts. The first treats
offences, the second treats jurisdiction, appeals, indictments, and
defenses. The third
addresses trials
and convictions. Plees was written after Staunford was
appointed judge of the common pleas in 1554. Pollock and Maitland,
The History of English Law II:448. Beale T448. See illustration below. 

First American Edition of Stephens’s
New Commentaries
186. Stephen, Henry John [1787-1864].
New Commentaries on the Laws of England (Partly Founded on
Blackstone). New-York: Halsted & Voorhies, 1841-1846. [Imprint
varies: Volumes II-IV state New-York: John S, Voorhies.] Four
volumes. Folding tables of descents and consanguinity. Octavo (6" x
8-1/2"). Contemporary law calf, blind rules to boards, red and black
lettering pieces to spine. Moderate rubbing with some wear to
extremities, some chipping to lettering pieces, some stains and
scuffs to boards, hinges cracked or starting. Offsetting to margins
of endleaves, occasional light foxing, faint dampstaining to second
half of Volume IV. Early owner stamps to each front pastedown,
interior otherwise clean. A solid copy of an uncommon set. $1,500.
* First American edition, a reprint of the first London edition,
1841-1845, with some minor typographical changes and the omission of
the Table of Consanguinity from Volume II. New Commentaries
is an exposition of English law that preserves Blackstone’s topical
arrangement and the sections from his text that were still relevant
in Stephen’s day. (These are set off with square brackets.) A
successful work, it went through twenty editions by 1938. In the
Dictionary of National Biography Dicey observed that “in reality
it was an original production, differing essentially in character
and merit from his predecessor. (...) Stephen showed the qualities
in which Blackstone was comparatively deficient—consummate logical
power and singular precision and accuracy of style. Had the work
been published as an original treatise, it would have stood upon a
level with Blackstone’s work” (XVIII:1047). OCLC locates 38 copies
of this edition. Eller 204. 

First Edition of the Most Important Study
of the U.S. Constitution
187. Story, Joseph [1779-1845].
Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States; with a
Preliminary Review of the Constitutional History of the Colonies and
States, Before the Adoption of the Constitution. Boston:
Hilliard, Gray and Company, 1833. Octavo (5-1/2" x 8-1/2"). Three
volumes. Signature 31 (pp.241-248) of Volume II is a bound-in
facsimile on carefully matched paper. Recent period-style quarter
calf over cloth, raised bands and lettering pieces to spines,
endpapers renewed. Marks and brief annotations in pencil to a few
leaves. (Very) light foxing and dampstaining in a few places,
interiors otherwise fresh. A handsome copy of a title rarely seen in
the trade. $7,500.
* First edition. The single most important work written on the
American Constitution. Overshadowed by Marshall on the U.S. Supreme
Court, Story had no peer as a teacher or writer on the Constitution.
Written while Story was Dane Professor of Law at Harvard and an
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, it presented a strongly
Federalist interpretation. It is divided into three books. Book I
contains a history of the colonies and discussion of their charters.
Book II discusses the Continental Congress and analyzes the flaws
that crippled the Articles of Confederation. Book III begins with a
history of the Constitution and its ratification. This is followed
by a brilliant line-by-line exposition of each of its articles and
amendments. Comparing it to The Federalist, James Kent said
that Story’s work was “written in the same free and liberal spirit,
with equal exactness and soundness of doctrine, and with great
beauty and eloquence of composition.... Whoever seeks...a complete
history and exposition of this branch of our jurisprudence, will
have recourse to [this] work, which is written with great candor,
and
characterized by extended research, and a careful examination of the
vital principles upon which our government reposes.”: cited in
Marvin 669-670. Cohen 2914. See illustration below. 
Last Edition of Story’s Commentaries
Published Before the Civil War
188. Story, Joseph. [Bennett, Edmund Hatch, Editor].
Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States.
Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1858. Two volumes. Volume I
includes 8-page publisher catalogue. Octavo (6" x 9-1/4").
Contemporary law calf, blind frames to boards, raised bands and
lettering pieces to spines. Some rubbing to extremities and spines,
minor scuffing, large dampstain and some warping to front board of
Volume I, small crack along one of its spine bands. Light browning
and offsetting to endleaves, occasional foxing to text, faint
dampstaining to margins of Volume I. A solid set. $1,500.
* Third edition. Cohen 2917. 

Story on Equity Jurisprudence
189. Story, Joseph.
Commentaries on Equity Jurisprudence, As Administered in England
and America. Revised, Corrected and Enlarged. Boston: Charles C.
Little and James Brown, 1839. Two volumes. Octavo (5-1/2" x 8-1/2").
Contemporary sheep, blind fillets to boards, lettering pieces and
blind fillets to spine. Moderate rubbing to extremities with some
wear and chipping, Volume I boards partially separated from spine,
front free endpaper detached. Early owner stamps to front boards,
early owner signatures to title pages. Occasional light foxing,
interior otherwise fresh. Uncommon in the trade. $750.
* Second edition. “Probably the decisive factor in our reception of
English equity was Story’s Equity Jurisprudence. With much
art (...) he made it seem that the precepts established by the
decisions of the English Courts of Chancery coincided in substance
with those of the Roman law as expounded by the civilians and hence
were but statements of universal principles of natural law
universally accepted in civilized states. If equity had been
expounded to American judges and lawyers and students in the dry and
technical fashion of the contemporary English treatises, we might
have been sorely hampered in the development of American Law by a
crippled equity. Story’s sympathetic exposition of English equity
(...) was the one thing needed to commend equity to our American
courts and to counteract the forces that were working against it.”:
Pound, Formative Era 156-157. Cohen 5012. 

190. Story, Joseph.
Commentaries on the Law of Agency as a Branch of Commercial and
Maritime Jurisprudence, With Occasional Illustrations from the Civil
and Foreign Law. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown,
1839. xxiii, 544 pp. Reprinted 2004 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.
Cloth. New. $130.
* Reprint of the first edition. This treatise was written during the
period in which Story [1779-1845] was an Associate Justice of the
United States Supreme Court and Professor of Law at Harvard Law
School. In his Legal Bibliography (1847), Marvin praised the
thoroughness of this treatise, noting that “[Story] has everywhere
illustrated the doctrines of common law, by copious extracts from
distinguished writers on Roman and Continental law” (672). And in
The Formative Era in American Law, Pound includes this title in
a list of the most influential and authoritative American treatises
written during the nineteenth century (140-141). 

One of the Standard American Texts of
the Nineteenth Century
191. Story, Joseph.
Commentaries on the Law of Bills of Exchange, Foreign and Inland,
as Administered in England and America; with Occasional
Illustrations from the Commercial Law of the Nations of Continental
Europe. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1843. xxiv,
608 pp. Octavo (6" x 9"). Recent period-style quarter calf over
cloth, raised bands and lettering piece to spine, endpapers renewed.
Light foxing to title page, offsetting to margins of title page and
final two index leaves, interior otherwise fresh. $850.
* First edition. In The Formative Era of American Law, Pound
refers to the Commentaries on the Laws of Bills of Exchange
as one of the standard texts of the nineteenth century. As Marvin
pointed out in 1847, it was certainly the most complete and wide
ranging text of its day. In addition to American and English sources
Story draws on the work of Heineccius and other civil-law jurists.
Marvin, Legal Bibliography (1847) 673. Cohen 2555. 
The First Legal Work Bearing Story’s Name
192. Story, Joseph [1779-1845].
A Selection of Pleadings in Civil Actions Subsequent to the
Declaration. With Occasional Annotations on the Law of Pleading.
Salem: Published by Barnard B. Macanulty, 1805. viii, 697, [6] pp.
Octavo (5-3/4" x 9"). Includes six-page printer catalogue. Recent
period-style quarter calf over cloth, raised bands and lettering
piece to spine, endpapers renewed. Minor wear to corners of
preliminaries and final few leaves. Browning and faint dampspotting
to most of text, internally clean. A handsomely bound copy. $750.
* First edition. This is both the first legal work bearing Story’s
name and the first American book of entries of precedents. According
to Marvin, the work’s “notes and references show that the author had
made no ordinary attainments in the science of special pleading.”
Marvin 668. Cohen 9274. 
193. Story, William W[etmore].
A Treatise on the Law of Contracts. Revised and Greatly Enlarged.
Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1856. Two volumes. Reprinted 2006
by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. Cloth. New. $250.
* Reprint of the fourth edition, the final edition edited by the
author. 

Addresses Malicious Desertion, Annulments
and Patronage
194. Stryk, Samuel [1640-1710].
Tractatus de Dissensu Sponsalitio: Cum Materiis Quibusdam
Affinibus De Nullitate Matrimonii et Desertione Malitiosa Variis
Praejudicis ac Collegiorum Responsis Confirmatus: Accessit Index
Rerum Locupletissimus. Wittenberg: Johann Wilhelm Meyer &
Gottfried Zimmermann, 1699. [xii], 353, [21] pp. Title page printed
in red and black.
[Bound with]
Stephanus, Matthias [1576-1646].
Tractatus de Jure Patronatus, in Duas Partes Tributus, Quarum I.
est de Jure Patronatus Ecclesiarum, et Beneficiorum
Ecclesiasticorum, &c. II. De Jure Patronatus Academiarum, et
Scholarum Inferiorum: Quibus Universa Juris Patronatus Materia, Hinc
Indispersa, Methodice per Varias Utillissimas Quaestiones &
Decisiones Plene Explicatur. Frankfurt: Joh. Herebord. Klosius,
1701. [xviii], 204 [i.e. 240], [4] pp. Copperplate portrait
frontispiece.
Quarto (6-1/2" x 7-3/4"). Contemporary vellum, early hand-lettered
title to spine., small later owner name gilt-stamped to front board,
speckled edges. Light soiling and a few minor stains, boards
slightly bowed, vellum beginning to break through front pastedown.
Attractive woodcut head and tail pieces. Small early owner signature
to title page of first work, foxing to a few leaves, light toning
throughout. A handsome copy. $1,250.
* First edition, Stryk; third edition, Stephanus. This treatise on
annulment of engagements, nullity of marriage, and malicious
desertion, bound with the Stephanus’ work addresses the law of
patronage. Stryk was a distinguished German jurist who helped to
develop German law from native sources rather than
from received
Roman law. Stephani was a professor of law at the University of
Greifswald. KVK locates 13 copies of Stryk and 3 copies of
Stephanus. BMC 24:499 (Stryk), Stephanus not listed.
See illustration below. 

195. Sutherland, Donald W., Editor.
The Eyre of Northamptonshire, 3-4 Edward III, A.D. 1329-1330.
Volume I. London: Selden Society, 1983. Original cloth, some
shelfwear, internally clean. $25.
* Selden Society Volume 97. 
The First American Legal Text
196. Swift, Zephaniah [1759-1823].
A System of the Laws of the State of Connecticut. In Six Books.
Windham: Printed by John Byrne for the Author, 1795-1796. Two
volumes. Folding copperplate table of descents. Octavo (5" x
8-3/4"). Recent period-style quarter-calf over cloth. Foxed, a few
annotations in fine hand. Ex-library. Institution stamps to title
pages. A nice set in an attractive binding. $1,000.
* First edition, with subscriber list that includes George Washington, John Adams, Aaron Burr, James Kent and other notables.
“The first essay of its kind in America” (Sabin). Swift’s System
displays “a thoughtful philosophy of government as well as a
thorough presentation of the constitutional and working government
of the state” (Dictionary of American Biography). “More than
a hundred years later it was still cited by Connecticut courts.”:
Woxland and Ogden, Landmarks in American Legal Publishing 22.
Cohen 5628. See illustration below. 

Interesting Treatise on Maritime Law
197. Targa, Carlo.
Ponderazioni Sopra le Contrattazioni Marittime, Colla Giunta
Delle Leggi Navali, e Del Gius Navali de’ Rodii Gre. Lat. Degli
Statuti Degli Ufiziali di Sicurta Della Citta di Firenze. Nuova
Edizione Ricorretta, e Illustrata. Livorno: Nella Stamperia di Gio.
Paolo Fantechi e Compagni, 1755. [vi], vi-xii, 368, [2], iii-vi, 38,
[2], 39-59 pp. Three works with one, each with title page. Quarto
(6-1/2" x 8-3/4"). Contemporary vellum, raided bands “Targa Pond.
Mar.” in early hand to head of spine, speckled edges. Boards
slightly bowed, a few small stains to binding, some wear to corners
and spine ends, carefully mended chip and residue from small shelf
label to foot of backstrip. Light soiling to title page, interior
otherwise fresh. A nice copy of an uncommon title. $1,650.
* An enlarged later edition of an interesting treatise on maritime
law, contracts and insurance. The main text is followed by a
critical edition of the Rhodian Sea Law (in Greek with a
parallel Latin text), which was compiled between 600-800 CE, and the
complete text of the Florentine insurance statutes, which were
enacted in 1529. Joseph Story held this work in high regard: “We had
almost forgotten to speak of an author who was a countryman and
contemporary of Casaregis, and is often cited by him with great
respect and approbation. We allude to Targa, who, in his Reflections
on Maritime Contracts.has drawn from the civil and canon law, the
Consolato del Mare, the usages of maritime nations, and preceding
writers, the most useful learning on all the subjects of maritime la
except insurance; and has adapted his work to practice by collecting
the forms of the various contracts, with hints for their proper
application. He is generally esteemed as an industrious and correct
author; but his fame seems lost in the superior blaze of his
illustrious countryman.”: “Literature of the Maritime Law” (1818)
reprinted in The Miscellaneous Writings of Joseph Story, ed.
William W. Story 111-112. Story owned a copy of this edition. See
Hoeflich and Beck, Catalogues of Early American Law Libraries:
The 1846 Auction Catalogue of Joseph Story’s Library 51. OCLC
locates 8 copies, with 6 in the United States. Not in Kress,
Goldsmiths’ or Einaudi. This edition not in the BMC.
See illustration below. 

198. Thomas, Benjamin F. [1813-1878].
The Town Officer: A Digest of the Laws of Massachusetts in
Relation to the Powers, Duties and Liabilities of Towns, and of Town
Officers; With the Necessary Forms. New Edition, Revised and
Corrected. Worcester: Published by Warren Lazell, 1849. xii, 390 pp.
Octavo (4-1/2" x 7-1/4"). Contemporary sheep, blind fillets to
boards, lettering piece and blind fillets to spine. Light rubbing
and a few minor scuffs, interior notably fresh. A well-preserved
copy. $50.
* Third edition. Cohen 8292. 
Executors and Administrators
199. Toller, Sir Samuel.
The Law of Executors and Administrators.
Philadelphia: Published by Thomas Desilver, 1824. xxxvii, 584 pp.
Octavo (5" x 8"). Contemporary calf, red and black lettering pieces.
Moderate wear to boards and edges, chipping to head of spine, hinges
starting, joints cracked but secure. Early owner signatures to front
pastedown and title page, interior
otherwise clean.
$150.
* Second
American from the Fifth London Edition. Sir Samuel Toller’s work on
the law of executors and administrators was originally published in
1800. Its final (seventh) edition was published in 1838. A popular
treatise, it was esteemed for its brevity, clarity and clear
organization. It remained the standard text until the publication of
Williams’s treatise on executors in 1832. Cohen 4662. 
Four Pamphlets Concerning
the Trial of Queen Caroline
200. [Trial]. Caroline, Queen [1768-1821], Consort of George IV,
King of Great Britain, Defendant.
The Legislatorial Trial of Her Majesty Caroline Amelia Elizabeth
Queen of England, Consort of George the Fourth, for the alleged
Crime of Adultery with Bartolomeo Bergami. London: H. Rowe,
1820. viii, 763 pp. Portrait frontispiece. Plates, one fold-out,
which is partially lacking.
[Bound with]
Authentic Particulars of the Death of the Princess Charlotte and Her
Infant.
London: William Hone, 1817. 16 pp.
[Bound with]
Fairburn’s Genuine Edition of the Death=Bed Confessions of the Late
Countess of Guernsey to Lady Anne *******; Developing a Series of Mysterious Transactions connected
with the Most Illustrious Personages in the Kingdom; to Which are
added The Q____’s Last Letter to the K____, Written a Few Days
Before Her M____’s Death, and Other Authentic Documents, Never
Before Published. London: John Fairburn, [n.d.]. iv, 50 pp.
[Bound with]
Barron, Edward.
The Wrongs of Royalty; Being A Continuation of the Royal
Wanderer, or Memoirs of Her Present Majesty Queen Caroline.
London: H. Rowe, 1820. iv, 288 pp. Octavo (5" x 8"). Frontispiece
(which is misbound after p. 46). Items bound in contemporary
three-quarter calf over marbled boards. A few scuffs to boards,
moderate rubbing with some wear to extremities, front hinge cracked
but secure, rear board partially detached at ends but secure. Toning
to text and occasional light foxing and dampstaining. Scribble in
pencil to verso of front endleaf, interior otherwise clean. Unique.
$500.
* The repudiation of Queen Caroline by King George IV was one of the
most sensational trials in English history. Estranged soon after
their marriage, Caroline was eventually banished to a private
residence after the birth of her daughter, Princess Charlotte
Augusta. In 1814 Caroline moved to Europe. In 1820 he husband’s
accession to the throne brought her back to Britain. The King asked
his ministers to get rid of her. After she refused a monetary offer,
the Earl of Liverpool introduced The Pains and Penalties Bill in
Parliament in order to strip Caroline of the title of Queen Consort
and dissolve her marriage. (The bill alleged that Caroline had an
affair with a commoner, Bartolomeo Bergami, during a sojourn in
Italy.) The bill was approved by the House of Lords, but it was not
submitted to the House of Commons, where it would have been
defeated. Despite the King’s best attempts, Caroline was always a
popular favorite and wielded considerable power in spite of his
disliking her. Indeed, her popularity increased during the trial.
Although she prevailed, she fell ill and died shortly after the
coronation of George IV. She was certain that she was poisoned by
one of the King’s agents. 

Treason Trial Inspired by
Fear of the French Revolution
201. [Trial]. Hardy, Thomas [1752-1832], Defendant. Sibly, Manoah,
Reporter.
The Genuine Trial of Thomas Hardy for High Treason, At the
Sessions House in the Old Bailey, From October 28 to November 5,
1794. London: Printed for J.S. Jordan, 1795. Two volumes. Octavo
(5" x 8-1/2"). Later cloth, gilt titles to spine. Moderate rubbing
to extremities with some wear, a few stains to boards, corners
bumped. Light soiling to leaves at ends of text blocks, faint
dampstaining to sections of Volume II, interior otherwise clean.
$350.
* Second edition. A shoemaker by trade, Hardy was the founder and
First Secretary of the London Corresponding Society. This was a
popular association of workingmen committing to the cause of
universal male suffrage. Unnerved by the excesses of the French
Revolution, and eager to set an example, Hardy was indicted for high
treason. The public favored Hardy’s cause and he was seen as an
unjustly persecuted apostle of English liberty. As the trial proved,
the Crown’s case, prosecuted by Lord Eldon, had little merit and
Hardy was acquitted to great acclaim. This account contains a
complete transcript of the trial, along with a narrative account and
the texts of letters and documents introduced as evidence. OCLC
locates 22 copies, all of this edition. HLC II:1093. 

An Important Insanity Trial
202. [Trial]. Windham, William Frederick [b.1840], Defendant.
An Inquiry Into the State of Mind of W.F. Windham, Esq. of
Fellbrigg Hall, Norfold, Before Samuel Warren, Esq., Q.C., and a
Special Jury, Upon the Petition of General Windham, C.B., Etc., the
Uncle of the Alleged Lunatic, and Other Members of the Family, At
Her Majesty’s Court of Exchequer, Westminster, Commencing December
16, 1861. Illustrated & Unabridged Edition. London: W. Oliver,
[1862]. 202 pp. Woodcut plates. Octavo (5-1/2" x 8-1/2").
Stab-stitched pamphlet in pictorial wrappers. Moderate wear to
extremities, covers with light soiling just starting to detach at
ends. Minor dampstaining to margins of front cover and following few
leaves, some toning, internally clean. A solid copy of a scarce
title. $250
* The title at the head of the pamphlet reads: Commission de
Lunatico Inquirendo. This was one of the most famous insanity trials
of the nineteenth century and an early example of the use of
forensic psychiatry. W.F. Windham’s uncle, General Charles Ash
Windham, a distinguished soldier and M.P., alleged that his nephew
was mentally unfit to take possession of the family estate,
Fellbrigg Hall. After weeks of testimony William Frederick was found
to be sane. OCLC locates 24 copies. HLC II:1228. 

Celebrated Trials
203. [Trials].
[Borrow, George H.]. Celebrated Trials and Remarkable
Cases of Criminal Jurisprudence from the Earliest Records to the
Years 1825. London: Printed for Knight & Lacey, 1825. Six
volumes. 35 engraved plates, some fold-out. Octavo (4-1/2" x
7-1/2"). Later three-quarter pebbled morocco over cloth, gilt panels
and titles within raised bands to spines, top edges gilt, marbled
endpapers. Light rubbing with some wear to extremities, small
dampstain of Volume I. Light foxing and faint dampstaining in some
places, interiors otherwise fresh. A nice set in an attractive
binding. $1,200.
* First edition. The first collection devoted exclusively to
important state and criminal trials, this set contains over four
hundred cases from the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries. Regarding
other collections, Borrow criticized the Newgate Calendars,
for being too sympathetic to its subjects; he found the State
Trials to be intolerably dull. Borrow also includes famous
trials from France, Sweden, Denmark and the United States. For
France, he adapted trials from Causes Celebres and to the
tastes of “English reading” by stripping them “of all their
verbosity.” In addition to its more animated language, Celebrated
Trials is enlivened by its numerous engravings depicting
courtroom scenes and executions (by various means). Sweet & Maxwell
2:36. 

Murder by Poisoning
204. [Trials]. Browne, G. Lathom, and C.G. Stewart.
Reports of Trials for Murder by Poisoning; by Prussic Acid,
Strychnia, Antimony, Arsenic, and Aconitia. Including the Trials of
Tawell, W. Palmer, Dove, Madeline Smith, Dr. Pritchard, Smethurst,
and Dr. Lamson, With Chemical Introduction and Notes on the Poisons
Used. London: Steven and Sons, 1883. xvi, 604 pp. Octavo (6" x
8-1/2"). Original cloth, rubbing to extremities with some fraying to
spine ends, recased, hinges repaired. Front free endpaper lacking,
internally clean. An appealing copy of a scarce title uncommon in
the trade. $250.
* First edition. Browne was a barrister, Stewart a chemist. This
book contains accounts of the most famous cases of poisoning in
nineteenth century Great Britain. Hoping this book will “prove
useful to the medical, as well as the legal profession,” the authors
describe the nature, operations and methods of detecting the poisons
used in great detail and provide extensive background information on
forensic medicine. Not in Sweet & Maxwell. 

Execution Broadside Depicting Two Yung Men
and a Woman
205. [Trials - Murder. Broadside].
The Trials of Charles Shaw, Aged 16, for Murdering John Oldcroft,
Aged 9, Richard Tomlinson for Murdering Mary Evans, His Sweetheart,
Mary Smith, for Drowning Her Infant Daughter. Who All Three Received
Sentence of Death, At the Late Staffordshire Spring Assizes, And
were Ordered for Execution Last Wednesday, March 19, 1834.
[England]: G.Smeeton, Printer, [1834]. 9-3/4" x 14-3/4" broadside
with ruled margins, text in three columns, large woodcut of the
three condemned hanging from the gallows. Lightly toned, minor wear
to edges. A well-preserved copy of a rare and curious item. $500.
* The description of each trial is followed by a didactic account in
verse and passages from Genesis IX, 6 and Matthew XIX, 18. Date from
text. OCLC locates 1 copy worldwide at Harvard Law School. See
illustration on front cover and below. 

Well-Preserved Copy of Tucker’s Commentaries
206. Tucker, Henry St. George [1780-1848].
Commentaries on the Laws of Virginia. Comprising the Substance of a
Course of Lectures Delivered to the Winchester Law School.
Richmond: Shepherd and Colin, 1846. Two volumes. Star-paged. Octavo
(5-3/4" x 9"). Contemporary sheep, red and black lettering pieces to
spines. Light rubbing to extremities, corners lightly bumped. A few
small inkstains and scuffs to boards, front free endpaper lacking
from Volume II. Early owner siganture to front endleaf of Volume I.
Foxing and offsetting to endleaves, negligible light foxing to a few
text leaves, interior otherwise fresh. A notably well-preserved copy
of an uncommon edition of an important title. $1,500.
* Third edition. Star-paged to the first edition (1836-1837). Along
with James Kent’s Commentaries on American Law and Joseph
Story’s Commentaries on the Constitution, Tucker’s work
established the standard for American treatise writing and helped to
systematize American law. It copies the arrangement of material
found in the first three books of Blackstone’s Commentaries
on the Laws of England. Respected throughout the United
States, the Commentaries on the Laws of Virginia served as
the primary reference for the Virginia bar, and was considered the
most valuable text in much of the South until the Civil War. Tucker
was a judge of the superior courts of chancery for the Winchester
and Clarksburg districts, President of Virginia’s Supreme Court of
Appeals, the founder and director of a private law school in
Winchester and, later in life, Professor of Law at the University of
Virginia. Works that grew out of the classroom include the
Commentaries and Lectures on the Constitutional Law
(1843). OCLC locates 16 copies of this edition. Cohen 5428.
See illustration below. 

Early Bill on Bankruptcy
207. [United States Congress]. House of Representatives.
H.R. 332: A Bill to Establish an Uniform System of
Bankruptcy Throughout the United States. [Washington, DC:
January 2, 1827]. 81 pp. Folio (7-1/2" x 12"). Disbound
stab-stitched pamphlet. Binding secure, light browning throughout.
$450.
* This bill was presented to the 19th Congress, 2d Session. Enacted
in February 1800, the first Federal bankruptcy act aimed to
encourage economic risk and supersede the patchwork of debtor laws
in force in the different states. Never a popular law, it was
routinely attacked as a shield for the financially irresponsible and
finally repealed in November 1803. The United States would not have
another national bankruptcy law until 1841. Two notable bills were
proposed unsuccessfully during those intervening years; one in 1820
and this one. Both are interesting for their conception of
bankruptcy and awareness of the resistance Congress had to reforms
of any kind. 

The Expansion of “Affirmative Action”
208. [United States Congress]. Senate Committee on Labor and Public
Welfare, Subcommittee on Labor.
Legislative History of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of
1972. (H.R. 1746, P.L. 92-261) Amending Title VII of the
Civil Rights
Act of 1964.
Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1972.
xxii, 2067 pp. Original cloth, moderate shelfwear, hinges cracked
but secure, internally clean. Ex-library. Stamps to preliminaries.
$250.
* President Johnson’s Executive Order 11246 enshrined the principle
of nondiscrimination in federal employment and introduced the phrase
“affirmative action” to the national debate on minority rights. This
was followed by the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission by Congress, which drew upon Johnson’s order and the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 to established timetables and goals for the
expansion of minority representation in federal employment and
contracting. 
Valuable 1833-1836 Compendium of
U.S. Commercial Regulations
209. United States Department of the Treasury.
A Digest of the Existing Commercial Regulations of Foreign
Countries, With Which the United States Have Intercourse; As Far as
They Can be Ascertained. Prepared Under the Direction of the
Secretary of the Treasury, In Compliance With a Resolution of the
House of Representatives, of 3d March, 1831. Three volumes.
Volume I: City of Washington: Printed by Francis Preston Blair,
1833; Volumes II and III: Washington City: Blair & Rives, Printers,
1836. Complete set. Octavo (5-3/4" x 9"). Contemporary sheep, blind
fillets to boards, lettering pieces and blind fillets to spines.
Some rubbing, a few small scuffs to boards. Several unopened
signatures. Occasional discoloration and foxing, interior otherwise
fresh. A notably well-preserved copy. $950.
* This is one of 750 sets printed for the use of the House of
Representatives. A valuable resource for students of commercial and
international law of the period (and students of taxation as well),
it contains laws, the texts of treaties and statistical information.
These books were published at an important juncture in U.S. history.
Having survived the Napoleonic Wars and the devastation of the War
of 1812, the United States was beginning to emerge as one of the
world’s leading commercial powers. OCLC locates 27 copies. Cohen
(2003 Supplement) 7432.70. See illustration below. 

210. United States. National War Labor Board.
The Steel Case. Industry Statements Presented to the Steel Panel
of The National War Labor Board. [n.p.], 1944. Two volumes.
Fold-out charts. Original cloth, some shelfwear, internally clean.
Ex-library. Location numbers to spines, bookplates to front
pastedowns, card pockets to rear pastedowns. $80. 
First Edition of Notable
Eighteenth-Century Dictionary
211. Vicat, B[eat]-Phil[ippe] [1715-1770], Compiler.
Vocabularium Juris Utriusque ex Variis Ante Editis, Praefertim ex
Alexand. Scoti, Jo. Kahl, Barn. Brissonnii, et Jo. Gottl. Heineccii
Accessionibus; Opera et Studio. [Lausanne]: Ex Officina
Bousquetiana, 1759. Three volumes. Volumes I and II have copperplate
pictorial frontispieces. Dedication has attractive copperplate
vignette. Octavo (4-3/4" x 7-1/2"). Recent period-style quarter calf
over cloth, raised bands and lettering
pieces to spines,
endpapers renewed. Title pages printed in red and black. Small later
institution inkstamps to title pages. Light soiling to title pages,
light foxing and toning to some leaves, interior otherwise clean. An
appealing set. $1,500.
* First edition. As Vicat explains in his preface, he compiled this
dictionary from those of Francois Hotoman, Barnabe Brisson, Johannes
Calvinus (Kahl), Johann Gottlieb Heineccius and, especially,
Alexander Scotus to bring their “excellent” work to a wider
audience. More important, by combining these works and filling the
gaps with original entries he was able to create a dictionary that
covered the whole language of the law. Vicat’s definitions are
brief, but they contain comprehensive reference to authorities and
texts, as well as conjugations, common phrases using the words,
metaphors, alternate definitions and antonyms. Vicat was a jurist
and the director of the University of Lausanne’s library from 1749
to 1762. A pioneer in library science, he was the first to issue a
printed catalogue. OCLC locates 27 copies, 13 of this edition.
BMC 26:118. See illustration below. 

Important Critical Edition of Early Welsh Laws
212. [Wales]. [Record Commission, Great Britain].
Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales; Comprising Laws Supposed to
be Enacted by Howel the Good, Modified by Subsequent Regulations
Under the Native Princes Prior to the Conquest by Edward the First:
And Anomalous Laws, Consisting Principally of Institutions Which by
the Statute of Ruddlan Were Admitted to Continue in Force: With an
English Translation of the Welsh Text. To Which are Added a Few
Latin Transcripts, Containing Digests of the Welsh Laws, Principally
of the Dimetian Code. With Indexes and Glossary. Printed By
Command of His Late Majesty King William IV. Under the Direction of
the Commissioners of the Public Records of the Kingdom. [London:
Printed by George E. Eyre and Andrew Spottiswoode, Printers to the
Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, 1841]. [vi], xv, [9], 1005 pp. Main
text in parallel columns. Folio (10" x 14"). Recent cloth, gilt
titles to spine, endpapers renewed. Occasional small woodcuts. Lower
corners lacking from half-title and title page with minor loss to
text, light browning and minor chipping to outer edges of
preliminaries and final index leaves. Minor tears and finger smudges
to a few text leaves, interior otherwise fresh. $600.
* First folio edition. With indexes and a glossary of Welsh and
other terms. Also published in a two volume octavo edition, this is
a scholarly critical edition of early Welsh laws based on original
manuscript sources. The texts in Welsh have parallel English
translations. Contents include the Vendotian Code, the Dimetian
Code, the Gwentian Code, Anomalous Laws, the Leges Howeleis Boni and
the Statuta de Rothelan. It remains a standard source for scholars
of this period. HLC II:791. See illustration below. 

213. Walker, James.
The Theory of the Common Law. Boston: Little, Brown and Co.,
1852. xxiv, 130 pp. Reprinted 1998 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.
Cloth. New. $65.
* Uncommon first and only edition of an original essay written by a
successful lawyer and accomplished scholar from South Carolina.
Untypical of most American practitioners at this time, Walker had a
deep interest in Roman law, which is reflected here in numerous
comparative references and in an earlier book by Walker on Roman
law. 

214. Walker, W.S.
Walker’s Errors in Civil Proceedings. Being the Errors in Civil
Proceedings. Being the Errors in Civil Proceedings which Were Held
by the Appellate Court to be Insufficient to Justify Reversal of the
Judgement Rendered by the Trial Court. Cincinnati: The W.H.
Anderson Co., 1917. xxv, 1434 pp. Later buckram, some shelfwear,
internally clean. Ex-library. Location label to spine, stamps to
endleaves, card pocket and stamps to rear pastedown. $95. 
Signed Limited Edition of
“An Important Work on Comparative Law”
215. Wigmore, John Henry [1863-1943].
A Panorama of the World’s Legal Systems. St. Paul: West
Publishing, [1928]. Three volumes. Five hundred illustrations, many
in color. Original cloth, gilt titles to front boards and spines,
light shelfwear, internally clean. Bold author signature to last
page of the preface (page xv). An appealing set. $250.
* First printing of the first edition. Limited to 1990 copies, this
number 1230. Wigmore’s pioneering study provides a description and
history of the legal systems of the Egyptians, Mesopotamians,
Hebrews, Chinese, Hindu, Greeks, Romans, Japanese, Muslims, Celts,
Slavs and Germans as well as the maritime, Papal, Romanesque and the
Anglican legal Systems. “[A]n important work on comparative law
[that] contains a wholly original idea for the teaching of legal
history—the idea that pictures can be used to aid the teaching of
the history of the great legal systems of the world. It is as
original as the idea which Mansfield suggested to Blackstone in the
middle of the 18th century, that English law should be taught at the
universities. I had the privilege of attending one of these picture
lectures at Northwestern, and both that lecture and Wigmore’s book
convinced me that this method of teaching legal history has a future
before it.”: William S. Holdsworth, Law Quarterly Review
59:289-290. 
216. Wigmore, John Henry.
A Panorama of the World’s Legal Systems. Library Edition.
Washington, DC: Washington Law Book Company, [1936]. xxiii, 1206 pp.
500 illustrations. Original cloth, light shelfwear, large elegant
author signature and “1936” to front free endpaper, internally
fresh. $65.
* Unabridged one-volume edition of a three-volume work first
published in 1928 with additional material about the legal systems
of Ethiopia, Mongolia, Nepal and Tibet and expanded reading lists.

217. Windscheid, Bernard [1817-1892].
Zur Lehre des Code Napoleon von der Ungultigkeit der
Rechtsgeschafte. Dusseldorf: Julius Buddeus, 1847. Reprint.
Frankfurt: Ferdinand Keip, 1969. xi, 346 pp. Softbound, light
shelfwear, internally clean. Ex-library. Stamp to front cover and
verso of title page. $95.
* A facsimile reprint of the first edition. 
218. Wines, Frederick H.
The County Jail System: An Argument and Appeal for Its Abolition.
Springfield, IL: [s.n.], 1877. 22 pp. Octavo (5-1/2" x 8-1/2").
Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers, some shelfwear and
soiling, front cover detached, internally clean. $45.
* Read at
the National Person Congress, in New York, May, 1876. 
Wingate’s Abridgment, 1684
219. Wingate, Edm[und] [1596-1656], Compiler.
An Exact Abridgment of All Statutes in Force and Use, from the
Beginning of Magna Charta, Until 1641. And from Thence Continued
Down under Their Proper Titles Alphabetically To This Present Year,
1684. London: J. Bill, H. Hills, and T. Newcomb, 1684. [i], 686,
[60] pp. Octavo (4-1/2" x 7"). Recent period-style quarter-calf over
marbled boards, raised bands, gilt spine labels. Cropped closely at
top edges, bound somewhat tightly. Ex-library (ink stamp and
notation on title). A good copy in an attractive binding. $500.
* Seventh edition. The standard abridgments during the seventeenth
century were those of Pulton and Rastell. They were lengthy works,
and therefore not easily portable or useful for quick reference.
Aware of these problem, Wingate compiled his handy Exact
Abridgment. First published in 1642, this popular work was
republished with necessary updates until 1708. S&M I:566(34). HLC
II:943. 

220. Yale, D.E.C., Editor.
Sir Matthew Hale’s The Prerogatives of The King. London:
Selden Society, 1975. lxxxiv, 353 pp. Frontispiece. Cloth, some
shelfwear and fading to spine, internally clean. $25.
* Selden Society Volume 92. 
1902 Yale Law School Yearbook
221. [Yale Law School]. Lamontagne, Oscar Olaus, and John Leo
Gilson, Editors.
The Yale Shingle 1902. New Haven: Yale Law School, May, 1902.
[xvi], 156, [50] pp. Advertisements. Photographs and line
illustrations. Octavo (7" x 9"). Original cloth, gilt title to front
board. Some shelfwear to extremities, front hinge cracked but
secure. Early owner stamp to front endleaf, interior otherwise
clean. $125.
* The Yale Shingle, a yearbook published from 1893 to 1912,
offers a great deal of fascinating information about the students at
Yale Law School. The biographical essays that accompany the portrait
photographs of the students provide education backgrounds, class
activities and character sketches. Descriptive chapters derived from
surveys record their attitudes toward aspects of student life, Yale
and personal, social and political issues. The 1902 Shingle
has several special essays in honor of Yale’s bicentennial. 

222. [Yates, Robert (1738-1801); Lansing, John (1754-1829); Martin,
Luther; (1748-1826)].
Secret Proceedings and Debates of the Convention Assembled at
Philadelphia in the Year 1787, For the Purpose of Forming the
Constitution of the United States of America From the Notes Taken by
the Late Robert Yates , Esq. Chief Justice of New-York, and Copied
by John Lansing, Jun., Esq. Late Chancellor of that State, Members
of that Convention Including “The Genuine Information” Laid Before
the Legislature of Maryland by Luther Martin, Esq. then
Attorney-General of that State and a Member of the Same Convention
also Other Historical Documents Relative to the Federal Compact of
the North American Union. Washington, DC: United States
Government Printing Office, 1909. 208 pp. Original cloth, gilt title
to front board, some shelfwear, internally clean. $75.
* Reprint of a work first published in Albany in 1821. Lansing and
Yates were two of New York delegates to the constitutional
convention. Believing that the convention was exceeding its
authority, Yates left it and became a leading Anti-Federalist.
Martin was a member of the committee that represented Maryland at
the convention. “The Genuine Information” was an important and
widely circulated Anti-Federalist pamphlet. Though critical, Yates’s
notes are often more detailed than the better-known notes by
Madison. “Luther Martin’s Genuine Information is a general summary
of the course of the Debates with a running criticism on each of the
Constitution’s articles. 
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