A New Law Dictionary, Intended for General Use, as Well as For...
Irish Issue of Only Edition of Burn's Dictionary Burn, Richard [1709-1785]. Burn, John [1744?-1802], Editor. A New Law Dictionary, Intended for General Use, as Well as For Gentlemen of the Profession, and Continued to the Present Time by John Burn. Dublin: Printed by Brett Smith, 1792. vii, 739 pp. Complete in one volume. Octavo (8-1/2" x 5-1/2"). Later library cloth, calf lettering piece and paper shelf label to spine. Light shelfwear, corners bumped, front joint just starting at head, hinges cracked, a few cracks to text block. Moderate toning, somewhat heavier in places, occasional light foxing, early owner signatures ("Henry Brown" and "A. Kenner") and later library stamp to head of title page, library marks to verso. $750. * Irish issue of only edition, published the same year as the (two-volume) London edition. Intended to be a practical tool, Burn eliminated most of the definitions in Law-French found in earlier dictionaries. (They became obsolete when George II ordered the exclusive use of English in 1733.) This elimination cleared space for other material and longer entries. Indeed, Burn's articles on such subjects as judgment, jury, purchase and will are broader, more detailed and better organized than they are in earlier dictionaries of this kind. It is unclear whether Burn intended to publish this book; it was edited, expanded and published posthumously by his son, John Burn. English Short-Title Catalogue N20286.
Price: $750.00
Book number 68849