The Englishman's Right; A Dialogue Between a Barrister at Law... 1798
First Post-Revolution Edition of an Important Work on the Right to Trial by Jury Hawles, Sir John (1645-1716). [Bacon, Francis (1561-1626)]. The Englishman's Right, Or, A Dialogue Between a Barrister at Law and a Juryman; Shewing, 1. The Antiquity. 2. The Excellent Designed Use. 3. The Office and Just Privileges of Juries by the Law of England. (Being a Choice Help for All Who Are Qualified by Law, To Serve on Juries). To Which is Prefixed, An Introductory Essay, On the Moral Duty of a Judge. By Lord Bacon. Philadelphia: Printed by John Thompson, of Philadelphia; For Alexander Brodie, 1798. 6, [vii]-viii, [1], [17]-70 pp. Octavo (7-3/4" x 4-3/4"; 19.6 x 11.8 cm). Contemporary quarter sheep over marbled boards. Some rubbing to boards and board edges, chipping to foot of spine, corners bumped and worn, front hinge starting at foot. Moderate toning to interior, small faint dampstain to top-edge of first six or so leaves, light foxing to a few leaves. Owner inscriptions of S. Rockwell to front free endpaper and head of first page and Samuel Rockwell, dated 1809, to front pastedown and head of title page. A very good copy in an appealing contemporary binding. $1,500. * Third American edition. First published in London in 1680, and in Boston in 1693 and 1772, this 1798 Philadelphia edition was the first printed after the Revolution. Possibly a response to the recent passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, it has an interesting preface by the bookseller, Alexander Brodie: "But lest the title 'The Englishman's Right' should give offence to any, it is proper to observe that the Charter of the Liberties of England is a grant from their kings obtained by force...let it be remembered, that Judges are appointed to interpret the Laws faithful but Juries were instituted to watch and restrain Judges." A staunch Whig, Hawles wrote The Englishman's Right to outline the rights, duties and proper behavior of a juryman and to promote the jury system as a bulwark against tyranny. Immediately successful among Whigs and others who saw themselves as defenders of English liberties, it "remained through the eighteenth century the foundation text of the ideology of jury independence and of the jury as the bulwark of English liberty" (Beattie). It was received with great enthusiasm in America, where it was reprinted severa.
Price: $1,500.00
Book number 83582