Lex Constitutionis: Or, The Gentleman's Law, Being, a Compleat...
Legal Guide for "Gentlemen of All Ranks" in a Well-Preserved Contemporary Binding Jacob, G[iles] [1686-1744]. Lex Constitutionis: Or, The Gentleman's Law. Being, A Compleat Treatise of All the Laws and Statutes Relating to the King, And the Prerogative of the Crown; The Nobility, And House of Lords; House of Commons; Officers of State; The Exchequer and Treasury; Commissioners and Officers of the Customs; Of the Excise; Of the Post-Office; Stamp-Office; Forfeited Estates; Publick Accounts; The Navy-Office; War-Office; Lieutenancy of Counties; Justices of Peace, &c. Wherein Near One Hundred Authors of the Best Reputation, Both Ancient and Modern, On the Subject, Have Been Consulted, And are Referr'd to. And also, An Introduction to the Common Law of England, With Respect to Tenures of Lands, Descents, Marriage-Contracts, Coverture, &c. Of Property, Creation and Forfeiture of Estates; Trials of Offenders, Courts at Westminster, &c. To Which are Added, Under Their Proper Heads, The Manner of Passing Bills in Both Houses of Parliament, the Judicature of the Lords; Variety of Adjudg'd Cases; And some Curious History of Antiquity. [London]: Printed by Eliz. Nutt and R. Gosling, (Assigns of Edward Sayer, Esq;) for B. Lintot, 1719. [ii], [v]-xiv, 360, [12] pp. Octavo (7-1/2" x 4-3/4"). Contemporary calf, blind rules to boards, blind fillets along joints, raised bands and fragment of paper shelf label to spine, blind tooling to board edges. A few minor scratches and scuffs to boards, corners lightly bumped, front hinge cracked, light toning to text. A notably well-preserved copy. $800. * First edition. Holdsworth thought highly of this book, noting its "a learned book-the author tells us that he had consulted nearly a hundred authorities; the idea of making such a book was original; and the main features of the constitution are set out." In his preface, Jacob indicates that he did not write this treatise on England's Constitution for the landed gentry exclusively, but for "gentlemen of all ranks," that is, the literate general public. This distinction 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 other publications, such as A Trea.
Price: $800.00
Book number 67300