Observations on the Regiam Majestatem.
The Roots of Scots Law: An Outstanding Association Copy of Davidson's Enlightenment Critique of the Regiam Majestatem, Gifted by Antiquary David Herd to Sheriff Andrew Plummer Davidson, John, [1724-1797]. Observations on the Regiam Majestatem. [Edinburgh]: s.n., [1792]. First edition. Octavo (8-1/4" x 5"; 210 x 127 mm). 15, [1] pp. Issued anonymously. Sewn textblock disbound from a larger sammelband. Outer leaves (the half-title/verso presentation leaf and the final blank) are cleanly detached but present. Light uniform age-toning, otherwise clean, crisp, and internally fresh. Features a contemporary ink presentation inscription on the verso of the half-title page: "Andw Plummer Esq./ from D.H." The recipient was Andrew Plummer of Middlestead (d. 1799), Sheriff-Depute of Selkirkshire and close friend to John Davidson. The presenter "D.H." is almost certainly the celebrated Scottish antiquary, editor, and folklore collector David Herd (1732-1810). $450. In this treatise, John Davidson, a Writer to the Signet and meticulous antiquary, applies the empirical skepticism of the Scottish Enlightenment directly to the medieval text. Through a sharp, line-by-line textual dissection, Davidson demonstrates that the work heavily mirrors Ranulf de Glanvill's 1188 English legal treatise, proving it to be a localized adaptation rather than a purely native creation. By using document-based analysis to challenge romantic nationalist assumptions, Davidson actively modernized Scottish legal history. This copy is an exceptional association artifact, physically linking three major figures at the absolute center of the late 18th-century Scottish antiquarian revival. English Short Title Catalogue T69433.
Price: $450.00
Book number 86780