The Compleat Sollicitor, Performing His Duty, And Teaching His Client.
Cited by Holdsworth for Its Insights into Seventeenth-Century Practice [Booth, William, Attributed]. The Compleat Sollicitor, Performing His Duty: And Teaching his Clyent to Run Through and Manage His Own Business, As Well in His Majesties Superior Courts at Westminster: As in the Mayors Court, Court of Hustings, And Other Inferiour Courts, Both in the City of London, And Elswhere. Not Formerly Published. London: Printed by John Streater, James Flesher, and Henry Twyford, Assigns of Richard Atkins, And Edw. Atkins, Esquires, 1666. [xxiv], 550 pp. Octavo (5-1/2" x 3-1/2"). Recent period-style calf, blind fillets to boards, raised bands, and gilt title, fillets and publication date to spine, pastedowns and free endpapers renewed, early hand-lettered title to fore-edge of text block. Moderate toning to interior, faint, mostly negligible, dampstaining to lower-outside corner of the final quarter of text block, light foxing and dampspotting to a few leaves, moderate soiling, edgewear and early owner signature (W. Mowbray) to front endleaf, light soiling, early initials and early (illegible) owner names, one struck through, to title page. An appealing copy. $1,500. * First edition. Holdsworth considered this book one of the best of its kind and cited it for its insight into seventeenth-century legal practice. A book of "intensely practical character," it discusses the "process of the different courts, with instructions as to the manner and time of taking the various steps in an action, with the forms of pleading, with the modes of executing, with the fees payable at the different offices of the courts, with the forms of conveyances and other documents which clients would be likely to need." Later editions, titled The Compleat Solicitor, with one "l," were published in 1668 (twice), 1672 and 1683. No copies of any edition recorded at auction on Rare Book Hub. All are scarce. OCLC locates 7 copies of the first in North American law libraries (Columbia, Library of Congress, Northwestern University, University of Minnesota, University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington, Yale). Holdsworth, A History of English Law VI:437. English Short-Title Catalogue R211660.
Price: $1,500.00
Book number 75135