18. Davies, Thomas. The Laws Relating to Bankrupts, Brought Home to the Present Time: With Several Special Cases, Modern Determinations, and Precedents Relating Thereto; and Directions for Creditors and Debtors. Also A List of the Fees in Bankruptcy, and the Method of Proceeding Therein. [London]: Printed by Henry Lintot, 1744. xii, 470, [28], 515-550 pp. Folio (8" x 12-1/2"). Modern quarter calf over cloth, raised bands, maroon gilt spine lettering piece. Sporadic light foxing. Ex-library with small institution ownership stamp to title page and a few leaves. A desirable copy. $1,500.
* First edition. With copious marginal notes, sample forms, and interesting accounts of several cases. This volume was conceived as an attorney’s handbook. As Davies states in the preface, “I hope it will be of some service, and in several instances be like a land mark to the doubtful mariner, and prevent [him] from splitting upon the rocks, or running ashore upon the sands of mistake and uncertainty.” Beginning with a basic definition, Davies describes the various types of bankruptcy, the conditions under which people are entitled to declare bankruptcy, court procedures, and specific problems, such as the rights due to wives and children. Sweet & Maxwell notes that this volume summarizes about fifty cases not reported elsewhere. Sweet & Maxwell I: 541 (18). HLC I: 524. Marvin 255. Kress 2417.

1892 Edition of Dixon’s Law of the Farm

19. [Dixon, Henry Hall (1822-1870)]. Spencer, Aubrey John [1853-1935]. Dixon’s Law of the Farm Including the Cases and Statutes Relating to the Subject and the Agricultural Customs of England and Laws Together With the Small Holdings Act, 1892. London: Stevens and Sons, Ltd., 1892. xxxvi, 712 pp. Octavo (5" x 8-1/2"). Contemporary three-quarter gilt-ruled morocco over brown pebbled cloth, gilt spine with raised bands, spine a bit rubbed, shelfwear to boards, front joint just starting. Attractive marbled endpapers. Ex-library. Institution name gilt-stamped to front cover and spine, corresponding monogram to spine and rear cover, shelf label and bookplate to front pastedown, small ownership stamps to title page and a few leaves. A nice copy. $250.
* Fifth edition. Includes an appendix of relevant statutes and an interesting appendix of agricultural customs. This venerable work, which went through six editions between 1858 and 1904, falls into three sections: “The Land of the Farm,” “The Stock, Crops, and Labour of the Farm” and “The Law of Landlord and Tenant.” Written for the layman, it assembles the principal legal decisions relating to typical incidents of agricultural life. In each situation the author describes the connection between relevant cases, and shows how they governed or modified one other. HLC I: 561. Sweet & Maxwell II: 101.

Magnificent Limited Edition of the Great Domesday

20. [Domesday Book (completed 1086)]. Great Domesday. London: Alecto Historical Editions, 1986-1992. Two facsimile volumes, two translation volumes, two solander boxes containing maps and indexes. Folio (10-1/2" x 15-1/2"). Boxes measure 12" x 17.” Volumes one and two: period-style quarter unlettered goatskin, raised bands, over 1/2-inch thick dark oak boards. Housed in quarter black morocco over brown cloth slipcases, that of volume two includes 22 pp. prospectus volume bound in matching style, top edge gilt. Volumes three and four: bindings duplicate that of prospectus volume; Box one: 60 pp. general index in paper, thirty booklets containing specific indexes; Box two: twenty-eight full-color maps (one 21" x 25,” others 52" x 33"). [with companion volume] Domesday Book Studies. London: Alecto Historical Editions, 1987. 179 pp. Folio (11" x 15"). Quarter cloth over paper. A magnificent set. $6,500.
* Penny Edition limited to 250 sets, this number 194. (A present-day (1992) penny and one from the Norman era are mounted in the front board of facsimile volume two.) This edition was commissioned to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the Great Domesday Book, the comprehensive census and survey of English landowners and their property commissioned by William the Conquerer in 1085. It is a breathtaking work of painstaking scholarship and an example of the highest standards of typography and production. For example, the facsimile volumes use specially manufactured paper that simulates the feel of vellum. Each leaf was hand-trimmed to match the contours of the original. In addition to this, the bindings were crafted from oak boards that were cut in England during the Middle Ages. The translation used in volumes three and four, which follows the arrangement of the folios in the facsimile, is based on the Victoria Histories of the Counties of England (1900-present). The maps in box two, one of each county and one of England, indicate both Norman and present-day boundaries. Box one contains an index for each map. Domesday Book Studies, the companion volume, consists of sixteen essays and three appendixes concerning aspects of the Great Domesday and its historical context.

Cooke’s 1739 Edition of Dugdale’s Origines Juridicialia

21. [Dugdale, Sir William]. Chronica Juridicialia: or, An Abridgment and Continuation of Dugdale’s Origines Juridicialia. Containing a Calendar of the Years of Our Lord God, and of the Reigns of the Kings of England and Great-Britain, From William the Conquerer, to the Present Year 1739. London: Printed for J. Worrall, 1739. [bound with] An Appendix to the Chronica Juridicialia, viz. From 1685, to 1739. London: Printed for J. Worrall, 1739. [bound with] [Strachey, William]. An Index to the Records, With Directions to the Several Places where They are to be Found, and Short Explanations of the Different Kinds of Rolls, Writs, &c. To Which is Added, A List of the Latin Sir-Names, and Names of Places, as They are Written in the Old Records, Explained by the Modern Names. Also a Chronological Table, Shewing at One View the Year of Our Lord, Answering to the Particular Year of each King’s Reign; The Several Parliaments, and the Different Titles by Which our Kings are Styled in the Records. London: Printed for G. Hawkins, 1739. [xvi], 209; 19, [88]; [8], 182, [2] pp. With publisher catalogues for J. Worrall and G. Hawkins. Book measures 4" x 7.” Full calf, rebacked, with raised bands, rules, and spine gilt. Joints worn, front hinge cracked but secure, rear hinge just starting, faint crease through center of spine. Sporadic light foxing, tear to one leaf expertly mended, text otherwise clean. Ex-library. Institution name gilt-stamped to front cover and spine, corresponding monogram to spine and rear cover, shelf label and bookplate to front pastedown, small ownership stamps to title page and a few leaves. Sound. $850.
* Second enlarged edition by Cooke. Dugdale’s work is a rich mine of information concerning the sources of English law and the history of the early English legal profession, and provides a wealth of interesting information about the procedures, customs, ceremonies and administration of the Inns of Court and Chancery. This copy is enhanced significantly through the inclusion of the Appendix and Strachey’s Index, which add a wealth of useful supplemental detail. According to Marvin, “Our first inquiries after the History of the Laws of this Kingdom ought to begin with a careful reading of Sir William Dugdale’s Origines Juridiciales, which we shall find so accurately penned, and with so good a mixture of learning and judgment, that ’t will almost do the work alone. I cannot give a better view of this more elaborate treatise than by telling the reader that it full answers its title page.” Holdsworth concurs, adding: “his book was the chief authority for the history of the Inns; and it is by no means superseded even at the present day.” Holdsworth, Historians 41. Marvin 279.

Unique Collection of Distinguished English Jurists

22. [English Judges and Lawyers]. English Judges and Lawyers. [New York: The Atelier Bindery for Charles Scribner’s Sons, n.d]. [80 leaves]. Folio (10" x 15"). Navy morocco, raised bands, gilt-ruled boards and compartments, gilt edges. Autograph letters and documents, engraved and lithographed portrait illustrations clipped from books and periodicals laid in. Numerous loose items inserted between leaves. Quite handsome. $5,000.
* Fascinating one-of-a-kindfinely bound volume of portrait illustrations and documents written or signed by important English legal figures of the sixteenth to early twentieth centuries. A partial survey of contents includes court documents signed by Coke, Wyndham, Yelverton, Finch, William Montagu and Cowper and autograph letters by Lord Cottenham, Patterson, Bethell, Cranworth, Gurney, Lyndhurst, Wilde, Brougham, Salisbury, Chelmsford, and Pollock.  A paper-print photograph believed to be of Pollock and a letter from Lord Palmerston are also included. The creator of this scrapbook arranged his materials chronologically; portraits and relevant autograph items are mounted on facing leaves. (The presence of several loose items and blank leaves at rear suggests that the compiler was unable to complete the project). A complete listing of the contents is available upon request.

Highly Esteemed by Coke and Blackstone

23. [Fitzherbert, Anthony (1470-1538)]. La Nouuelle Natura Breviu[m] du Iudge Tresreuerende Monsieur Anthony Fitzherbert, Denierement Renue &. Corrige per Laucteur, Auecques un Table Perfecte des Choses Notables Contenus en Ycell, Nouelment Compose per Guiliaulme Rastell, & Iammais per Cydeuaunt Imprimee. London: In Aedibus Richardi Tottelli, 1567. [xxxii], 271 fols. 16mo., book measures 4-1/2" x 6-1/2.” Later library cloth, gilt spine, endpapers renewed. Handsome woodcut title page, signatures and markings in ink to title page, extensive annotations and interesting marginalia in fine early court hand. Minor worming to bottom margin. Ex-library. Institution name gilt-stamped to front cover and spine, bookplate and shelf label to front pastedown, small ownership stamp to title page and a few leaves. An appealing copy. $3,000.
* First published in 1534, the Nouuelle Natura Brevium is a manual of procedure by a Judge of the Common Pleas during the reign of Henry VIII. It was compiled from the earlier Natura Brevium and the Registrum Brevium, and it includes several original observations on the form and function of writs. Rastell’s revisions include the addition of a table. This distinguished treatise went through numerous editions in Law French and English, the final appearing in 1794. Blackstone considered it to be authoritative; Winfield notes that, “Coke put it among the books which he considered most necessary and of greatest authority and excellency.” It remains significant to this day for its descriptions of writs that were falling into desuetude at the time of publication. Winfield 302. Marke 36. Sweet & Maxwell I: 269 (66). Pollard and Redgrave, STC 10961.4. Marvin 311. Beale T347.

24. F.O. The Law-French Dictionary Alphabetically Digested, Very Useful for All Young Students in the Common Laws of England. To Which is Added the Law-Latin Dictionary: Collected Out of the Best Sources by F.O. London: Printed for Isaac Cleave and John Hartley, 1701. Unpaginated. Book measures, 4-1/2" x 7-1/2.” Modern quarter calf over cloth boards, raised bands, red lettering piece. Signature in fine hand and clean tear at foot of title page, handsome contemporary armorial bookplate in copper to verso. Minor marginal worming and light dampstaining to a few leaves. Text clean. Ex-library with ownership stamp to title page, rear free endpaper, and a few leaves. A handsome copy. $750.
* First edition. The second edition was issued in 1718. Followed by Kelham, A Dictionary of the Norman or Old French Language... in 1779. The Law-French dictionary is French-English; the Law-Latin dictionary is English-Latin. Sweet & Maxwell I: 9. HLC I: 1124.

Magnificent 1554 Edition of the Gregorian Decretals

25. Gregory IX, Pope [1227-1241]. Decretales, Quibus additae Suerunt Doctissimorum Virorum non Minus Necessariae Quam Utiles Annotationes & Expositiones. Lyons: Senneton Freres, 1554. [10] fols., 1804 columns, [4], 18 fols. Folio (11" x 16"). Contemporary panelled pigskin over wood boards, raised bands, brass clasps, front hinge cracked but secure, front free endpaper just starting. Printed in red and black throughout, attractive woodcut title page, frontispiece depicting the presentation of the Decretals to Gregory, initials. Worming to boards, title page and several leaves with negligible loss. Signature to title page in small fine early hand. Text bright and clean. A very handsome volume. $3,000.
* With rubrics, glossary, marginal glosses, table and index. “Decretals are letters containing a papal ruling, particularly one relating to canonical discipline, and most precisely a papal prescript in response to an appeal...the Decretals of Gregory IX are the first authentic general collection of papal decretals and constitutions, compiled by Raymond of Penaforte at the request of Pope Gregory IX in 1230-34 and promulgated in 1234. (...) It gave rise to a vast amount of commentaries and literature” (Walker). Gregory’s Decretales is one of the five works known collectively as the Corpus Juris Canonici, a collection of papal decisions concerning ecclesiastical hierarchy, procedure, the functions and duties of clerks, marriage, and crime. This edition predates the Reformation-inspired Correctores Romani (1580-1582), which was definitive until the revision of 1917. Walker 177-179. Adams 1222.

Compilation of Austrian Laws Issued Between 1721-1740

26. Herrenleben, Sebastian Gottlieb, ed. Sammlung Oesterreichischer Gesetze und Ordnungen, wie Solche von Zeit zu Zeit Ergangen und Publiciret Worden, so Viel Deren vom Jahr 1721. bis auf ...Tod-Fall...Caroli VI [1740]. Vienna: Gedruckt bey J.T. Trattner, 1752. [iv], 1144, 68 pp. Folio (9" x 14"). Original full vellum. Handsome armorial bookplate of the Archbishop of Vienna to front pastedown. Sporadic light foxing, minor worming to rear hinge and a few leaves with no loss to text. Handsome red and black title page, woodcut head- and tail-pieces. Desirable. $1,500.
* With two indexes and marginal glosses. A compilation of Austrian laws, mandates, orders and patents issued during the Reign of Charles VI. OCLC locates nine copies.

Property and Slave Emancipation Laws of the British Colonies

27. Howard, John Henry. The Laws of the British Colonies in the West Indies and Other Parts of America Concerning Real Property and Manumission of Slaves; with a View of the Constitution of Each Colony. In Two Volumes. London: Printed by A. Strahan for Joseph Butterworth and Son, 1827. Two volumes. xvi, 598; [2], 386 pp. Octavo (books measure 6" x 9-1/2"). Modern period style quarter calf over marble boards, leather lettering piece, gilt stamping. Ex-library, small ownership stamps to title pages and a few leaves. Handsomely bound. $1,250.
* First edition. Provides a compilation of laws related to real and personal property, aliens and slavery in the British Colonies. Printed marginal notes. Thoroughly indexed, with an index for each colony covered: Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica, Tobago, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Antigua, Montserrat, St. Christopher, Nevis, The Virgin Islands, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Upper Canada, Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Demerara and Essequibo, Berbice. The laws relating to slavery and manumission include those involving slave registration, and the registry of deeds and wills relating to slaves. HLC I:958. Sweet and Maxwell II:173. Marvin 399.

Beginner’s Guide by Giles Jacob

28. Jacob, Giles [1686-1744]. The Clerk’s Remembrancer. Containing All Sorts of Small and Useful Precedents: With Proper Directions in Conveyancing: And the Compleat Methods of Practice in the Courts of Queen’s-Bench, Common-Pleas, and in the High Court of Chancery. [London]: Printed by J. Nutt for B. Lintott and T. Ward, 1714. viii, 313, [15] pp. With one-page publisher’s catalogue at rear. Octavo (4-1/2" x 7-1/2"). Later full morocco, raised bands, spine gilt, some wear to joints, endpapers renewed. Ex-library. Institutional bookplate and shelf label to front pastedown, small ownership stamps to title page and a few leaves. A handsome copy. $1,000.
* Second enlarged edition. Jacob was one of the most prolific English legal writers of the eighteenth century. Best known for his venerable Law-Dictionary, he also produced numerous works for the layman and novice. The Clerk’s Remembrancer is one of these. A handy pocket reference for the new or aspiring clerk, it offers guidance on topics ranging from Latin terms and the drafting of legal instruments to proper courtroom etiquette. Marvin 417. Sweet & Maxwell I: 483. Walker 659.

First Tomlins Edition

29. Jacob, Giles. The Law-Dictionary: Explaining the Rise,Progress, and Present State of the English Law; Defining and Interpreting the Terms or Words of Art; and Comprising Copious Information on the Subjects of Law, Trade, and Government. Corrected and Greatly Enlarged by T[homas] E[dlyne] Tomlins. London: Printed by Andrew Straham for T.Longman, B. Law, C. Dilly..., 1797. Two volumes. Unpaginated. Quarto, books measure 8-1/2" x 11.” Handsome modern full speckled calf with blind-stamped rules and ornaments, contrasting calf panel, dentelles. Raised bands, black and red spine labels. Signatures in fine hand to title pages, light foxing and soiling to a few leaves. Ex-library. Institution stamp to Volume I title page and Volume II endleaf. A desirable set. $1,000.
* First edition edited by Tomlins. Jacob’s venerable New Law-Dictionary was first published in 1729 and is considered by many to be his masterpiece, one that “constituted an entirely new departure in legal literature” (Cowley). Tomlin’s [1762-1841] edition, first published in 1797, is a substantial enlargement and revision. According to Marvin, this edition is the best one. Sweet and Maxwell observe that “A reference to Jacob’s Law-Dictionary is a useful first step in any enquiry into eighteenth century law.” Cowley xc. Marke 1202. HLC I:1036. Marvin 418. Sweet & Maxwell I:9(33).

Jacob’s Favorite Work

30. Jacob, Giles. The Student’s Companion: Or, the Reason of the Laws of England. Shewing, The Principal Reasons and Motives Whereon Our Laws and Statutes are Grounded, In the Most Essential and Capital Points, Not Only in Civil but Criminal Cases; Together with the Law It Self. So as to Convey to Students, and Others, the Fundamental Knowledge of the Law, Necessary in Their Studies. [London]: Printed by E. and R. Nutt, and R. Gosling, (Assigns of Edward Sayer, esq.) for T. Cobbett, 1725. [vi], vi, 224, [viii] pp. 12mo. (5" x 7-1/2"). Later red cloth, spine gilt, endpapers renewed. A few minor marginal notations in fine early hand, light foxing to a few leaves, text otherwise clean. Ex-library. Institution bookplate and shelf label to front pastedown, a few ownership stamps to title page and elsewhere. A nice copy. $750.
* First edition. The essential topics of legal study arrayed alphabetically from “Actions” to “Writs.” The Companion also contains a short introduction that outlines an appropriate plan of study and list of essential books for the aspiring barrister. Holdsworth, citing the preface to its second edition, notes that Jacob considered this to be his favorite and finest work. Holdsworth III: 425. Walker 659. Marvin 418. HLC I: 1037. Cowley 174.

Jacob’s Treatise of Laws

31. Jacob, Giles. A Treatise of Laws: Or, A General Introduction to the Common, Civil, and Canon Law. In Three Parts. I. The Common Law of England: Illustrated in Great Variety of maxims &c. Also the Use of this Law; With References to Statutes, in All Cases. II. Of the Civil Law, Intermix’d With the Law of Nations, and Its Use Here in England; and a Parallell Between Civil Law and Common Law. III. The Canon Law, and Laws Ecclesiastical; Containing the Authority, and Rights of the English Clergy; Of Patrons and Churches; Courts Ecclesiastical, Trials, &c. The Whole Adapted to the Use of Students, and Practicers of the Law; Students of the Universities; Civilians, Proctors, Ecclesiasticks, and All Young Gentlemen. London: Printed for T. Woodward and J. Peele, 1721. [ii], vi, [vi], 533, [15] pp. Book measures, 5" x 8.” Modern quarter calf over cloth boards. Text clean and bright. Ex-library with ownership stamp to title page and a few leaves. A very nice copy. $1,500.
* First edition. A digest by one of the most prolific legal writers of eighteenth-century England. The mention of “civilians, proctors, clergy, and gentlemen” in the subtitle is significant. Jacob, though certainly interested in boosting sales by attracting the widest audience possible, was an idealist who believed that widespread knowledge of the Law would help create a more just society. This is also evident in his later publications, such as The Common Law Common-Placed (1726) and Every Man His Own Lawyer (1736). Sweet & MaxwellI: 34 (48).

Elzevier’s Typographical Masterwork

32. [Justinian (C.E. 483-565)]. Corpus Juris Civilis, Pandectis ad Florentium archetypum expressis, Institutionibus, Codice et Novellis, Addito Textu Graeco, ut & in Digestis et Codice, Legibus et Constitutionibus Graecis, Cum Optimis Quibusque Editionibus Collatis. Cum Notis Integris, Repetitae Quintum Prelectionis, Dionysii Gothofredi, JC... Amsterdam & Leiden: Johann Blaeu, Louis & Daniel Elzevier, F. Hackius, 1663. Two vols. Large folio (9-1/2" x 15-3/4"). [18], 796 pp.; [12], 388, [12], 300, [92], [39] pp. Extra engraved title page by C. van Dalen. Full contemporary calf, raised bands, decorative gilt spines with contrasting gilt spine, lettering pieces. Edges rouged, joints of Vol. Two just starting, some rubbing, marbled endpapers, ownership inscriptions of Aegidius De Backer of the Society of Jesus, 1779. Very minor stains. Printed in double columns with extensive printed marginal glosses and explanations. In Latin, with one section in Greek and Latin. A clean fresh copy. $2,000.
* “Justinian’s codification as a whole, including the Novels, is now called by the general descriptive name of Corpus Juris Civilis, an expression which came into use late in the 16th century from the famous French jurist Denis Godefroy (Gothofredus) [the editor of the present work], who first used this term in his 1583 edition of Justinian’s monumental codification. This expression “Corpus Juris,” so familiar and frequent in modern legal literature, is but a correct shortened form of Godefroy’s title” (Marke).  This edition is particularly appealing for its exquisite design, which harmoniously combines an imposing array of typographical matter in both Latin and Greek. Indeed, this work has been called the most beautiful book ever issued by the Elzeviers. Marke 114. Willems1299. Brunet III, 608. Graesse III:503.

Popular Introduction to Kent

33. Kinne, Asa. The Most Important Parts of Kent’s Commentaries, Reduced to Questions and Answers. New York: W.E. Dean; Philadelphia: Thomas, Cowperthwaite and Company, 1842. xii, [9]-249 pp. Includes four-page bookseller catalogue. Octavo (6" x 9"). Modern quarter calf over cloth. Early ownership signature in fine hand to title page, sporadic light foxing. An appealing copy. $300.
* Second edition. A popular introductory digest of Kent that went through numerous editions during the nineteenth century. According to a testimonial reprinted on an endleaf, Kent supported Kinne’s effort: “I approve of the work and wish it success, for I think it is well calculated to facilitate and promote the study and diffusion of the elementary principles of constitutional and municipal law embodied in the commentaries.” Marvin 441. Marke 249 (citing later editions).

Handsome Eighteenth-Century Legal Anthology

34. [Legal Anthology]. Variorum Opuscula ad Cultiorem Jurisprudentiam Adsequendam Pertinentia. Pisa: Apud Aug. Pizzorno, 1769-71. Eight books in four volumes. Octavo (4-1/2" x 7"). Contemporary three-quarter vellum, red leather lettering pieces, over marbled vellum boards. One lettering piece chipped with minor loss. Early bookplate to each front pastedown. Attractive woodcut tail-pieces. Light browning to a few leaves, text otherwise bright. A handsome set. $750.
* Anthology of important British and Continental writings of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries dealing with legal history and theory. Authors include Bacon, Grotius, Hotoman, Leibniz and Wolff. OCLC locates two copies.

1830 Pennsylvania Legal Manual

35. [Legal Manual]. The Pocket Lawyer, or Self-Conveyancer: Containing All the Most Useful Forms, Rendered So Plain, that Every Man Can Draw Any Instrument of Writing, Without the Assistance of an Attorney. In a Method Entirely New. Harrisburg, PA: Printed and Published by G.S. Peters, 1830. 107 pp. 12mo (3" x 5-1/2"). Quarter polished calf with gilt spine bands over marbled boards, light foxing throughout. Quite attractive. $150.
* Third edition. A handy guide of all the forms an individual might need, such as release of a legacy, promissory note, agreement for building a house, indenture of an apprentice and petition for vacating a road.

A Defense of Nobility in the Age of Enlightenment

36. [Lowhen, Baron von]. The Analysis of Nobility. In its Origin; As Military, Mercantile, and Literary; Proofs, Privileges, Duties, Acquisition, and Forfeiture Thereof, Interpreted with Several Curious Monuments of History, Relating to Laws of Chivalry, Creations, Degradations, Justs, Tournaments, Combats, &c. Translated from the Original German of Baron Von Lowhen. With Notes Collected From the Best English Antiquarians, and Other Authors. London: Printed and Sold By J. Robinson, 1754. [xii], 317, [7] pp. Octavo (4-1/2" x 7"). Later buckram with gilt-stamped spine, endpapers renewed. Two minor tears to title page expertly mended with no loss. Sporadic light foxing and a few light markings in pencil, text otherwise clean. Ex-library. Institution name gilt-stamped to spine, shelf label and bookplate to front pastedown, small ownership stamps to title page and a few leaves. A solid copy. $150.
* First edition. A fascinating treatment written at a time when the nobility’s preeminence was being undermined by the growth of a mercantile middle class and the dissemination of Enlightenment thought. Von Lowhen, who appreciated these developments (he cites Addison and Voltaire among others), offers a comprehensive and somewhat defensive guide that explains the origins and kinds of nobilty, the privileges and duties of nobles and how nobility is acquired and lost. The third chapter “Of Mercantile Nobility” reflects the author’s desire to reconcile “new money” with the aristocracy.

An Uncommon Work on the Law of Dogs

37. Lupton, Frederick. The Law Relating to Dogs. London: Stevens and Sons, 1888. xii, 160 pp. Octavo (5" x 8"). Contemporary three-quarter gilt-ruled morocco over brown pebbled cloth, gilt lettered spine with raised bands, worn. Marbled endpapers. Underlining in light pencil to a few leaves, text otherwise clean and bright. Ex-library. Institution name gilt-stamped to front cover and spine, corresponding monogram to spine and rear cover, shelf label and bookplate to front pastedown, a few small ownership stamps to title page and throughout. A sound copy. $250.
* First edition. With copious printed marginal notes and an appendix of relevant statutes. Conceived for professional and layman alike, The Law of Dogs treats a wide variety of situations ranging from dog bites and property damage to cruelty to animals and vivisection. Lupton’s discussion is illustrated with numerous citations of relevant cases. He notes in the preface that he incorporated several points suggested by Sir Frederick Pollock, who had read a proof copy (preface). HLC I: 1212. Sweet & Maxwell II: 222.

1680 Magna Carta With Coke’s Commentaries

38. [Magna Carta]. Coke, Sir Edward [1552-1634]. Magna Charta, Made in the Ninth Year of King Henry the Third. And Confirmed by King Edward the First, in the Twenty-Eighth Year of His Reign. With Some Short, but Necessary Observations from the Lord Chief Just. Coke’s Comments Upon It. Faithfully Translated for the Benefit of Those That Do Not Understand the Latine, by Edw. Cooke. London: Printed by the Assignees of Richard and Edward Atkins, 1680. Octavo (4" x 6"). [5], 79, [2] pp. Eighteenth century spotted sheep, rebacked, title in gilt, edges speckled red. Handsome engraved coat-of-arms to verso of final leaf. A nice copy. $1,000.
* The “great charter” of political and civil liberties was granted by King John at Runnymede in 1215. It was renewed in 1217 by the Earl of Pembroke, regent to the child Henry III, with numerous alterations and emendations. The charter was renewed again with minor revisions in 1225 during the reign of Henry III. This is the text translated by Coke. His commentaries support the argument that the charter is the source of all rights and liberties enjoyed by the English people. This interpretation had a profound influence on political thought in England and Colonial America. Sweet & Maxwell I: 551 (13, 4). Wing M253A. Walker 796.

First Use of Insanity Defense in British Divorce Case

39. [Mordaunt Divorce Case]. An Official Report of Mordaunt V. Mordaunt, Cole, and Johnstone. As Tried Before Lord Penzance, In the Divorce Court, February 16th and Following Days. London: Published at the Office, 317 Strand [and others], 1870. [ii], 122 pp. Octavo (5-1/2 x 8-1/2"). Original wrappers, soiled. Some wear to spine and edges, internally fine. $250.
* Fascinating account of the “great Warwickshire scandal case” in which Lord Mordaunt attempted to divorce Lady Mordaunt for adultery. Her attorneys managed successfully to bar the proceedings by claiming that she was unfit for trial because she had become insane. This was the first time an insanity defense was employed in a divorce case. Lord Mordaunt’s lawyers attempted to show that she was shamming, but she managed to convince the jury nevertheless. Along with its legal significance, this item is interesting for its insights into Victorian mores concerning insanity, divorce and the status of women. Uncommon. OCLC locates thirteen copies, with eight in the United States.

1575 Studies of Roman Criminal Law

40. [Novellus, Jacobus]. Tractatus Criminalis D. Iacobi Nouelli utr. Iur. Doct.: Utilis ac Necessarius Tàm Judicibus Maleficioru[m], Quàm Cancellarijs Tèrrae Firmae, ac Alijs Uersantibus in Palatio: Cum Multis Additionibus Nouissimè in Lucem Datis, & cum Summariis, ac Repertorio Admodum Opportuno, ac Locupletissimo. Venice: Ex Officina Ionnis Baptistae Somaschi, 1575. [bound with] Tractatus Singularis Defensionem Omnium Reorum, Contra Quascunque Accusationes & Inquisitiones pro Quibuscunq[ue] Criminibus Instruens: tum ad Theoricam Iuris, tum ad Communem Omnium Tribunalium Uniuersae Europae Stylum & Praxim Accommodatus. Venice: Ex Officina Ionnis Baptistae Somaschi, 1575. [xvi], 239, [30]; [viii], 176, [24] pp. Octavo (4" X 6"). Two volumes bound as one, each with title page. Contemporary full vellum, worn with chipping to front board and spine. Sporadic dampstaining throughout. Minor worming to binding and a few leaves with negligible loss. Handsome woodcut initials, Somaschi centaur device to title pages. Minor worming and signature to Tractatus Criminalis title page, lower section repaired with no loss. A pleasant copy. $850.
* Includes indexes. Later editions of studies concerned with the Roman system of criminal law by the important Venetian jurist. These were published originally in 1565 with the titles Practica et Theorica Causarum Criminalium and Tractatus Aureus Defensionem Omnium Reorum Adversus Quascunque Accusationes et Inquisitiones pro Quibuscunque Criminibus Docens. Uncommon. OCLC locates two copies of this volume.

Tally Ho!

41. [Oliphant, George Henry Hewitt]. The Law of Horses, Including the Law of Innkeepers, Veterinary Surgeons, &c, and of Hunting, Racing, Wagers and Gaming. Third Edition, by Granville Richard Rider. London: Henry Sweet, 1865. lxxxiv, 626 pp. Book measures 4" x 7.” Modern quarter calf over cloth boards. Ex-library with small ownership stamps to title page and few other leaves. An attractive binding. $500.
* Third edition. With copious marginal notes. Oliphant was a London barrister and a member of the Inner Temple. Published originally in 1847, The Law of Horses aims, in as concise a manner as possible, to outline all aspects of the law of contracts concerning horses. Oliphant’s detailed account considers buying, selling, hiring and care, as well as liabilities incurred on roadways and fields. His discussion of gambling laws is especially interesting, as is the extensive index, which contains texts of relevant statutes, accounts of several related cases, gaming regulations, conditions of sale at Aldridges and Tattersalls, rules of Tattersall’s subscription room, the Queen’s Plate Articles, data about the Newmarket Courses and regulations concerning post horses and slaughter. HLC II: 269.

42. [Oliphant, George Henry Hewitt]. The Law of Horses, Including the Law of Innkeepers, Veterinary Surgeons, &c, and of Hunting, Racing, Wagers and Gaming. Fifth Edition, by Clement Elphinstone Lloyd. London: Sweet and Maxwell, 1896. xlix, 590 pp. Octavo, book measures 5" x 8.” Contemporary three-quarter morocco over black pebbled cloth, gilt spine with raised bands, worn with approx. one inch of loss to foot of spine. Marbled endpapers. Ex-library with institution name gilt-stamped to front cover and spine, corresponding monogram to spine and rear cover, shelf label and bookplate to front pastedown, a few small ownership stamps to title page and throughout. A sound copy. $350.
* Fifth edition. Updated, with copious marginal notes. Oliphant was a London barrister and a member of the Inner Temple. First published in 1847, The Law of Horses aims, in as concise a manner as possible, to outline all aspects of the law of contracts concerning horses. Oliphant’s detailed account considers buying, selling, hiring and care, as well as liabilities incurred on roadways and fields. His discussion of gambling laws is especially interesting, as is the extensive appendix of relevant statutes.

Important Commentaries on Justinian Law

43. Perez, Antonio [1583-1673 (?1674)]. Praelectiones in Duodecim Libros Codicis Justiniani imp. Quibus Leges Omnes & Authenticae Perpetua Serie Explicantur, Mores Hodierni Inseruntur, & Quid Sit Juris Antiqui, Novi, & Novissimi, Enodatur, ac Breviter Exponitur. Editio Nova, ab Auctore Recognita & Aucta, Summariis Indicibusque Locupletata. Amsterdam: Apud Danielem Elsevirium, 1671. [xvi], 694; 665, [59] pp. Two volumes in one, each with title page. Quarto (7-1/2" x 9"). Original full vellum, raised bands, decorative blind-stamped rules and arabesques, clasps lacking, front joint cracked but secure, rear joint just starting, endpapers renewed. Minor worming with minimal loss to title page and following leaf, otherwise quite good internally. Handsome red and black volume one title page, large woodcut Elzevier Minerva device to both. In all an attractive copy with character. $750.
* Revised and expanded edition of works first published in 1626 and 1651. Perez, a Spanish jurist and statesman, was Professor of Law at the University of Louvain, state counselor to Phillip II and an influential scholar of Roman law. His commentaries on Justinian, works that went through several editions during the seventeenth and eighteeenth centuries, were highly esteemed because they were not just elucidations of Justinian and civil law, but original contributions to legal theory. The nearly 700 pages of this edition make this one of the largest works published by the Elzevirs. Walker 946. Graesse Vol. 5-6 201. Willems 1457.

A Spirited Attack on the Right of Ordination

44. Prynne, William [1600-1669]. The Unbishoping of Timothy and Titus and of the Angel of the Church of Ephesus: Or A Brief Elaborate Discourse, Proving Timothy and the Angel to be No First, Sole, or Diocesan Bishop of Ephesus, nor Titus of Crete; and That the Power of Ordination, or Imposition of Hands, Belongs to Jure Divino to Presbyters, as Well as to Bishops, and Not to Bishops only, as Bishops; Who by Divine Institution are Evidenced to be One and the Same with Presbyters, and Many Over One City, Church, Not One Over Many City or Churches. [London]: First Compiled, Printed in the Year 1636. Reprinted with additions...1661...for Edward Thomas. (Date changed to 1660 in early hand.) [ii], 52, 144, [ii] pp. Quarto (5-1/2" x 7-1/2"). Diced calf with gilt and blind-stamped ornamental borders and board edges, spine bands, stamped ornaments to compartments, front board expertly reattached. Worn, with about an inch of loss to foot of spine, marbled endpapers. Ex-library, institution bookplate and shelf label to front pastedown. $750.
* Later printing of second edition (1660). William Prynne was a contentious and erudite Puritan attorney and onetime keeper of records for Parliament who is remembered both for his numerous books and pamphlets about legal history, religion and politics, and his ability to antagonize others. He was particularly critical of the court and clergy during the reign of Charles I. His personality and choice of targets eventually led to his disbarment, imprisonment, and mutilation (loss of ears) by the Star Chamber. Both qualities distinguish the present work, a spirited attack on the doctrine that limits the right of ordination to bishops. DNB XVI:432-437. Wing III: 4120 (97).

Notable Law Dictionary by an Early English Printer

45. [Rastell, John (d.1536)]. Les Termes de la Ley: Or, Certain Difficult and Obscure Words and Terms of the Common and Statute Laws of this Realm, now in Use, Expounded and Explained. Corrected and Enlarged, with the Addition of Many Other Words: Particularly of Those that have Been Lately Introduced Into the Statute Law of Great Britain, Never Printed Before in any Other Impression. [London]: Printed by Eliz. Nutt and R. Gosling for R. Gosling, 1721. [iv], 592 pp. Book measures 5" x 8.” Modern quarter calf, cloth boards, raised bands, red lettering piece. Title page soiled, text block sound. Ex-library. ownrship stamp to title page, and a few leaves. $750.
* Later edition. “The first general English dictionary published was preceded in point of time by the first law dictionary. Elyot’s Dictionarie appeared in 1538, while Rastell’s Expositiones Terminorum Legum Anglorum came from the press eleven years earlier. in 1527. Being in alphabetical order of words, it set the model for Elyot. Moreover, it had a longer life ‘in print’ than Elyot. Of the latter, six editions were published, while the former, under its old and its new title, Termes de la Ley, Adopten in 1624, ran to at least twenty-nine editions, the last appearing in 1819. [It is a work] which...[clearly] reflects the common law at the close of the year-book period.” (Marke) Rastell was more than just a legal scholar, he was an “impressario, adventurer, litigant, artist, historian, pamphleteer” (Graham). Rastell, though trained as a lawyer (at Oxford and Lincoln’s Inn) was also a printer. “As a printer he seems to have begun some time after 1516...The majority of the books he issued were legal.” (DNB) Rastell published at least one book with Wynkyn de Worde. Worde was Caxton’s successor, and an important English printer of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The book’s authorship is attributed sometimes to his brother William, who may have collaborated in its production. Marke 1203. H. Graham, “Rastell and the Printed English Law Book of the Renaissance”, 47 Law Library Journal 6, 20 [1954]. DNB XVI: 746-747. Marvin 599. HLC II: 424. Sweet & Maxwell I: 11.

1615 English Edition of Rastell’s Statutes

46. [Rastell, William (1508-1565)]. A Collection in English, of the Statutes Now in Force, Continued From the Beginning of Magna Charta, Made in the 9. Yere of the Raigne of H.3. Untill the End of Parliament Holden in the 7. Yere of the Raigne of Our Soueraigne Lord King Iames,.. Hereunto are Added Two Tables: The One. Declaring Under Titles, by the Order of the Alphabet, the Substance of Such Referments as Stood at the End of Each Title in the First Collection of Statutes, Set Forth by M. Iustice Rastell. And in This Table the Title of Iustices of the Peace is Specially Perused and Amended.. In the Other Table. Are Set Downe By Order of the Kings Raignes, the Seuerall Times of Their Parliaments, Together With the Sundry Chapters and Intitulings of the Particular Statutes in Euerie of the Same:.. London: Printed for the Society of Stationers, 1615. [xl], 486, [15] fols. Lacking rear endleaf. Folio (book measures 8-1/2" x 13"). Modern full morocco, raised bands, with gilt spine lettering. Armorial bookplate (John Ludford) to front pastedown, attractive woodcut initials and head and tail-pieces. Very minor worming to six leaves with very slight loss, light foxing to margins of title page, text otherwise bright and clean. Ex-library with institutional bookplate to front free endpaper and endleaf, small ownership stamp to title page and a few leaves. A desirable copy. $2,500.
* Rastell first published his great collection of statutes from Magna Carta to the present in 1557. It was updated periodically, the final edition appearing in 1625. “It is partly of the nature of an edition of the Statutes at large, as the enacting parts of the public statutes in force are printed nearly word for word, and in their original language. But it is more of the nature of an abridgment.... The book was frequently republished and brought up to date in successive editions and in 1579 the Latin and French Statute were translated.” Holdsworth, HEL IV: 311-312. Sweet & Maxwell I:554 (19). Cowley 116. Pollard and Redgrave, STC 9325. Marke10.

Legal Writings of Adam Smith

47. Smith, Adam [1723-1790]. Lectures on Justice, Police, Revenue and Arms. Delivered in the University of Glasgow. Reported by a Student in 1763 and Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Edwin Cannan. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1896. xxxix, 293 pp. Octavo (5" x 8"). Three-quarter polished calf, spine extra gilt with lettering pieces, marbled edges and endpapers. Front endleaves detached, front joint cracked but secure, rear joint just starting, but in all quite handsome. $400.
* First edition. Better known for his work in economic theory, Smith made equally important contributions to aesthetics, linguistics, psychology, ethics and political science. The present volume reports a series of lectures that reflect Smith’s interests in legal theory and political economy. His observations on natural and public jurisprudence, domestic and private law, the administration of the law (i.e. “police”), taxation and legal rights in times of war are especially interesting because they draw on several ideas that would later appear in An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). The connection between both of these works is often so clear, in fact, that the editor includes a table of parallel passages.

Handsome Edition of Spelman’s Glossarium

48. Spelman, Henry [1564?-1641]. Glossarium Archaiologicum: Continens Latino-Barbara, Peregrina, Obsoleta, & Novatae Significationis Vocabula; Quae Post Labefactatas a Gothis, Vandalisque Res Europaeas, in Ecclesiasticis, Profanisque Scriptoribus, Variarum Item Gentium Legibus Antiquis Municipalibus, Chartis, & Formulis Occurrunt : Scholiis & Commentariis Illustrata: in Quibus Prisci Ritus Quam-Plurimi, Magistratus, Dignitates, Munera, Officia, Mores, Leges Ipsae, & Consuetudines Enarrantur. London: Excudebat Tho. Braddyl, & Prostant Apud Georg. Pawlett, & Guil. Freeman, 1687. [xxii], 576 pp. Lacks portrait frontispiece. Author’s letter, editor’s preface and author’s preface not in correct order. Folio, book measures 8-1/2" x 13.” Later brown quarter morocco with raised bands and gilt stamping over cloth boards, endpapers renewed. Later inscription to front endleaf, red and black title page, very attractive woodcut head-piece and initials. Sporadic light foxing, text otherwise clean. Ex-library. Institutional bookplate and small shelf label to front pastedown, ownership stamp to front free endpaper. A handsome volume. $500.
* Third edition, with the variant imprint noted in Cowley (178). Preface includes a biography of the author. The Glossary was the earliest English dictionary of legal and historical terms based on philological methods. The product of considerable archival research and consultation with scholars throughout Europe, Spelman’s dictionary superseded all previous attempts at legal lexicography. As Holdsworth observes, “It is a great deal more than a law dictionary, being a dictionary of Latin and other words to be found in all the post-classical authors and documents English and foreign....In fact it is a product of that new school of historians and historically minded lawyers” (V:402). This point is supported by Winfield, who notes its usefulness when interpreting terms used in the Domesday Book. Cowley adds that the biographical preface is considered to be authoritative (lxxxviii). Cowley lxxxviii, 178. Holdsworth, HEL V: 402, 404. HLC II:636. Marvin 655. Sweet & Maxwell I:12(53). Winfield 112.

Three Regicides Who Fled to America

49. Stiles, President [Ezra] [1727-1795]. A History of Three of the Judges of King Charles I. Major-General Whalley, Major-General Goffe, and Colonel Dixwell: Who at the Restoration, 1660, Fled to America; and Were Secreted and Concealed, in Massachusetts and Connecticut, for Near Thirty Years. With an Account of Mr. Theophilus Whale, of Narragansett, Supposed to Have Been Also One of the Judges. Hartford: Elisha Babcock, 1794. Portrait frontispiece and eight plates, three of which fold out. (Our copy lacks plate seven, but Evans and Howes note that no copy has been found with plate seven, hence this copy is apparently complete), errata sheet pasted to lower blank portion of p. 357. 12mo (4" x 6-1/2). 357, [1] pp. Contemporary full sheep, worn, with red morocco lettering piece, front board partially detached, rear board just starting, housed in attractive quarter-calf clamshell box. Early book catalogue entry for this item to front pastedown. Lower corner of two leaves lacking with some loss to text, light browning and sporadic foxing throughout. Withal a desirable copy. $1,250.
* First edition. Leaf from the December 1916 Americana catalogue of the State House Book Shop, Philadelphia, that offers a copy of this item, and a 1909 letter from Franklin B. Dexter, librarian of Yale University, noting the location of the plates and stating that plate seven was never printed, laid in.  Ezra Stiles was president of Yale College from 1778 to 1795. His book chronicles the lives of three of the “Regicides,” members of the fifty nine-man tribunal convened by Parliament that sentenced Charles I to death in 1649. The forty one members alive during the Restoration were persecuted by Charles II. Nine were executed; Dixwell [1607-1688(9?)], Goffe [1605?-1697?] and Whalley [d1675?] fled to America and lived “underground” for the rest of their lives. Sabin 91742. Evans 27743. Howes S999.

Strachey’s Records

50. [Strachey, William]. An Index to the Records, With Directions to the Several Places where They are to be Found, and Short Explanations of the Different Kinds of Rolls, Writs, &c. To Which is Added, A List of the Latin Sir-Names, and Names of Places, as They are Written in the Old Records, Explained by the Modern Names. Also a Chronological Table, Shewing at One View the Year of Our Lord, Answering to the Particular Year of each King’s Reign; The Several Parliaments, and the Different Titles by Which our Kings are Styled in the Records. London: Printed for G. Hawkins, 1739. [viii], 182, [2] pp. Includes two-page publisher’s catalogue at rear. Octavo, book measures 4-1/2" x 7.” Modern quarter calf with raised bands and gilt over cloth. Signature to front free endpaper and brief annotations to a few leaves in fine early hand. Ex-library with small ownership stamps to title page and a few leaves. An attractive copy. $500.
* An index to records not only found in public records but in private libraries as well. A useful source, enhanced by the Latin and chronological charts. HLC II: 676. Sweet & Maxwell I: 78.

Includes Several Indian Treaties

51. [U.S. Statutes and Treaties]. Minot, George Richards [1758-1802], ed. Public Laws of the United States of America, Passed at the Second Session of the Twenty-Third Congress; 1854-1855. [bound with] Private Laws of the United States of America, Passed at the Second Session of the Thirty-Third Congress; 1854-1855. [bound with] Treaties Concluded by the United States of America, with Foreign Nations and Indian Tribes, Which Have Been Proclaimed Since the Publication of Little and Brown’s Edition of the Laws and Treaties of the United States for the Session of 1853-1854. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1855. v, [597]-725, xvii; viii, [109]-148, iv; [i], 165-244, iv. Octavo (6" x 9-1/2"). Original quarter calf with leather spine label over paper boards, worn. Joints cracked but secure, light browning and foxing to a few leaves. In all a desirable copy. $300.
* Content from this title also published under the important series Statutes at Large. Includes treaties with the Apaches, Camanches, Chippewas, Cow Creek Indians, Kiowas, Lew Chew, Menomonees, Miamies, Rogue River Indians, Umpquas and Wyandotts. HLC II:123.

Venerable Introduction to the Law

52. Warren, Samuel [1807-1877]. A Popular and Practical Introduction to Law Studies, and to Every Department of the Legal Profession, Civil, Criminal, and Ecclesiastical: With an Account of the State of the Law in Ireland and Scotland, and Occasional Illustrations from American Law. New York: D. Appleton & Co.; Philadelphia: George S. Appleton, 1846. xxiv, 674, [6] pp. Includes publisher catalogue. Octavo (5-1/2 x 9"). Modern quarter calf over cloth, early signatures in fine hand to front free endpaper and title page, sporadic foxing throughout. A desirable copy. $250.
* Based on the second London edition. Entirely remodelled, rewritten and greatly enlarged with an American introduction and appendix by Thomas W. Clerke. Not content to limit himself to practical advice, Warren also offers a primer on legal ethics (and a sampling of encouraging maxims). Clerk’s additions include an outline of the recently reorganized Harvard Law School curriculum. “It stands at the head of all works of its class for amount and variety of information, felicity of illustration, and a spirit-stirring and sparkling style.” Marvin 719. HLC II: 870.

Revised: Wednesday, January 30, 2002