Titles of Honor. First Edition, London 1614.
First Edition of Selden's First Major Work Selden, John [1584-1654]. Titles of Honor. London: By William Stansby for John Helme, 1614. [xxxviii], 391, [43] pp. As in most copies, lacking blank leaves (**1-**2) between first and second dedications (a4, b1). Quarto (7-1/4" x 5-3/4"). Contemporary limp vellum with yapp edges and holes for thong ties, raised bands and later calf lettering piece to spine. Light rubbing and a few spots to exterior, endleaves removed, later armorial bookplate (of Richard Mullings) to inside front cover. Moderate toning to interior, light foxing in a few places, light edgewear and a few minor stains to preliminaries and final few leaves, early annotations to title page and inside rear cover. $1,500. * First edition. Selden's first major work, this monumental study of peerage law considers genealogy and heraldry in the British Isles, Europe, China, Turkey and the Middle East. It has three major sections: the first addresses the rights, privileges and duties of kings and emperors; the second addresses inferior titles and heirs to thrones; the third concerns feminine titles, honorifics and laws of precedence. As a whole, therefore, the book deals with the rights of nobility, and certainly comprehends the rights of kings over their subjects, including the right of kings to govern. Therefore, the content of the treatise was crucial to the dispute between the English Parliament and the Stuart kings that would result three decades later in the Civil War. English Short-Title Catalogue S117085.
Price: $1,500.00
Book number 74384