Les Termes de la Ley; Or, Certain Difficult and Obscure Words...
1685 Printing of the First English Law Dictionary [Rastell, John (d.1536)]. [Rastell, William, Editor]. Les Termes de la Ley: Or, Certain Difficult and Obscure Words and Terms of the Common Laws and Statutes of this Realm Now in Use, Expounded and Explained. Now Corrected and Enlarged. With Very Great Additions Throughout the Whole Book, Never Printed in Any Other Impression. London: Printed by W. Rawlins, S. Roycroft and M. Flesher, 1685. [iv], 463, 468-671, [1] pp. Main text in parallel columns. Pagination irregular. Text complete. Octavo (6-1/2" x 4-1/4"). Recent period-style quarter calf over cloth, blind fillets and lettering piece to spine, endpapers renewed, title page, with repair to upper corner, mounted. Moderate toning to text, two small later signatures and embossed and ink library stamps to title page, brief annotations to verso. A nice copy in a handsome binding. $650. * Later edition. English and Law French in parallel columns. First published in 1527 by John Rastell, this was both the first English dictionary and first English law dictionary. It was originally written in Law French with the Latin title Expositiones Terminorum Legum Anglorumae. Later editions were produced by his son, William. Quite popular with students and lawyers due to its clarity and concision, it went through at least twenty-five editions by 1721. A final reissue appeared in 1819. As Marvin observes, it is a useful dictionary because it "reflects the common law at the close of the year-book period with much fidelity.": Legal Bibliography 599. English Short-Title Catalogue R201044.
Price: $650.00
Book number 68010