The Law of Contracts. Fourth edition. 2 Vols. 1860.
A Highly Influential and Distinctly American Treatise on Contracts Parsons, Theophilus [1797-1882]. The Law of Contracts. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1860. 2 volumes. Pagination irregular; star-paged to the first edition. 8-pp. publisher's catalogue at beginning of Vol. I. Complete. Octavo (9-1/4" x 5-3/4"; 24 x 14.5 cm). Contemporary sheep, blind rules to boards, raised bands, blind fillets and lettering pieces to spines, blind tooling to board edges. Some rubbing and scuffing, chipping to head of spine on Vol. I, front joint of Vol. II just starting at foot. Moderate toning and occasional light foxing to interior. Ink owner stamps ("Gardiner") to front boards and spines, initials "JLG" to inner edge of front boards, armorial bookplate (of John Lyon Gardiner) to front pastedown. A good set. $500. * Fourth edition. First published in 1853, this work is widely considered one of the most important and influential American legal treatises of the nineteenth century. Parsons was the Dane Professor of Law at Harvard University from 1848-1870. Like others who held the title, such as Greenleaf and Story, he sought to move beyond purely English precedents and create a systematic framework of American law for practitioners and students. His work played an essential role in the development of American law as a distinct body. In The Law of Contracts, which reached nine editions, Parsons articulated what became known as the "objective" theory of contract law, which prioritized the language of a contract over its framers' intent. This theory represented an important shift for American commerce and came to dominate American contract law; The Law of Contracts itself remained influential well into the twentieth century. John Lyon Gardiner [1841-1901] was a member of an old, influential and very wealthy New York family. He gave up his law practice to become the eleventh proprietor of Gardiners Island, one of the largest privately owned islands in the United States. Cohen, Bibliography of Early American Law 3654.
Price: $500.00
Book number 85233