Littletons Tenures in English, Lately Perused and Amended.
Littleton's Tenures in English Littleton, Sir Thomas [1402-1481]. Littletons Tenures in English. Lately Perused and Amended. London: Imprinted by Thomas White, 1604. 142, [2] pp. Octavo (5-1/4" x 3-1/2"). Recent period-style quarter calf over paper-covered boards, endpapers renewed. Light rubbing to boards, moderate wear to corners, hinges cracked. Moderate toning to text, light edgewear to title page, following six leaves, and final leaf. Brief early inscription and early owner signature of Sir William Boys and Charles Peers to title page, a few early doodles to verso of final leaf. $850. * Later edition. Written during the reign of Edward IV [1442-1483] and first published around 1481, Littleton's Tenures is probably the most revered treatise in the history of the common law. Much admired for its learning and style, it is concerned with tenures and other issues relating to real property. This venerable work, which Coke called "the ornament of the Common Law, and the most perfect and absolute work that ever was written in any humane science," is considered a landmark because it renounced the principles of Roman law (and Latin) in favor of guidelines and doctrines drawn from the Year Books and, when necessary, hypothetical cases. The first dated English translation was published in 1538. Charles Peers [1661-1737] was Sheriff and later Lord Mayor of London. He was also chairman of the East India Company. OCLC locates 5 copies of the 1604 edition, 3 in law libraries (George Washington University, Library of Congress, University of Pennsylvania). Holdsworth, A History of English Law II:573. English Short-Title Catalogue S103917.
Price: $850.00
Book number 71682