[Rarebooks] A Selection of Lawbook Exchange Titles

[The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.]

Monday, April 26, 2004, 5:40 PM:

1.                  First Edition, London, 1759
[Franklin, Benjamin [1706-1790], attributed to]. [Jackson, Richard].
An Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of
Pennsylvania, From Its Origin; So Far as Regards the Several Points of
Controversy, Which Have, from Time to Time, Arisen Between The Several
Governors of that Province, and Their Several Assemblies. Founded on
Authentic Documents. London: R. Griffiths, 1759. viii, [18], 444 pp.
Octavo (5" x 8") Contemporary speckled calf, rebacked in period style
withraised bands and letering piece, maroon lettering piece. Some
rubbing to boards with wear to corners and edges. Hinges cracked but
secure, first and final gatherings detached, lower corner lacking from
a leaf with no loss to text. Negligible worming to bottom edges of a
few leaves. Early owner signature to front free endpaper, browning and
some chipping to edges of endleaves, interior otherwise fresh. $800.
* First edition. A skillful argument for the rights of the
Pennsylvania Assembly over those of the proprietary government. The
idea for this book originated with Franklin, who was sent to London by
the Assembly in 1757 to represent the colony in a tax dispute with the
Proprietors (descendants of William Penn living in Great Britain).
Franklin was believed to be its author for many years. He denied the
attribution, however, in a letter to David Hume. Though Franklin
certainly provided much of its material, the actual author was Richard
Jackson, his co-agent in London. Winegrad and Pegler, The Intellectual
World of Benjamin Franklin 70. Howes, U.S.iana, 1650-1950 (2nd ed.) P-
204. Sabin, A Dictionary of Books Relating to America 25512, 25513.
Sweet & Maxwell, A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth of
Nations I:161. Ford, Bibliography of Benjamin Franklin 253.
(Inventory # 41053)

2.      1894 Guide to Essential Books for the American Attorney
Griswold, H.E. Catalogue of Law Books, Published or for Sale by Banks
& Brotehrs (David Banks, A. Bleecker Banks) Law Publishers,
Booksellers, and Importers. New York: [Banks and Brothers], 1894. 674
pp. Octavo (5-1/2" x 8"). Original gilt-stamped moire cloth, moderate
shelfwear, hinges just starting. Negligible light foxing to endleaves
and a few text leaves. Early owner signature to front pastedown,
interior otherwise clean. $250.
* With general index, subject index and an annotated Banks Brothers
catalogue. This book was conceived as a reference guide for attorneys.
Arranged by subject, it contains lists of essential treatises. Most of
these are American or English, but a few European titles are also
included. Other sections list American, Canadian and English reports,
legal periodicals and trials. Valuable for its insights into American
legal bibliography at the close of the nineteenth century, it lists
the titles that were commonly available and indicates those that were
considered important to the profession.
(Inventory # 41054)

3.             Interesting Essay on Magna Charta
Johnson, [Reverend] Samuel [1649-1743]. A History and Defence of Magna
Charta Shewing the Manner of Its Being Obtained from King John, With
Its Preservation and Final Establishment in the Succeeding Reigns;
With an Introductory Discourse, Containing a Short Account of the Rise
and Progress of National Freedom, From the Invasion of Caesar to the
Present Times. Also the Liberties Which are Confirmed by the Bill of
Rights, &c. To Which is Added, An Essay on Parliaments, Describing
Their Origin in England, and the Extraordinary Means by Which They
Have Been Lengthened from Half Yearly to Septennial Ones. London:
Printed for J. Bell, 1772. [ii], lxii, 284 pp. Octavo (5-1/2" x 9").
Later quarter cloth with paper spine label and raised bands over
contemporary paper boards, uncut edges. Light soiling to boards, some
wear to corners. Hinges cracked but secure, clean horizontal tear to
fore-edge of a leaf with no loss. Attractive woodcut head and tail-
pieces. Later bookplate to front pastedown, early owner signature to
front free endpaper, text notably fresh. A nice copy. $750.
* Second edition. With an appendix containing the articles on which
the Magna Charta was framed and a French copy of the charter from "the
records of France." Both texts have English translations on facing
pages. The Reverend Johnson was the Rector of Corringham and a staunch
churchman. First published in 1769, this book was influenced by a
perceived erosion of liberties over the past few years and England's
recent "unhappy disputes with the Americans" (xxxix). It argues that
the charter is an affirmation of ancient laws rather than a
reformation and traces the origins of the Civil War to the
unwillingness of Charles I to acknowledge the legitimacy of the
Petition of Rights presented by the House of Commons on 1628. Johnson
also discusses the Bill of Rights issued after the Glorious Revolution
and the Petition of the Freeholders of Middlesex. British Museum
Catalogue (Compact Edition) 13:650.
(Inventory # 37694)

4.           With Comparisons Between Roman and English Laws
Justinian [483-565 CE]. Harris, George [1722-1796]. D. Justiniani
Institutionum Libri Quatuor: The Four Books of Justinian's
Institutions, Translated Into English, With Notes. London: Printed by
J. Purser; for M. Withers, 1761. xv, 73; [1], 121; [1], 100; 92; 11,
[5] pp. Quarto (8" x 10"). Contemporary calf, blind frames to boards,
rebacked in period style retaining original lettering piece. Moderate
rubbing to boards with a few scuffs, some wear to corners. Front free
endpaper and rear endleaf lacking, title page and following leaf
detached with chipping to edges. Offsetting to preliminaries and index
leaves, light foxing and browning to portions of text. Early
signatures to front pastedown and title page, interior otherwise
clean. $750.
* Second edition. With index. The final section contains Book 118 from
the Novels, "Concerning the Succession of Descendents." First
published in 1756, this edition is notable for its elegant parallel
translation. More important, Harris, an advocate of Doctor's Commons,
added an interesting historical introduction and notes that compare
the rules of Roman and English law. Commissioned by the Emperor
Justinian in 530 CE, the body of writings known collectively as the
Corpus Juris Civilis preserved and restated all existing Roman law. It
has four books: the Code, Novels, Institutes and Digest. Intended for
students, the Institutes is a synopsis of the reformed legal system.
The Novels, which is the source of this book's final section, is a
compilation of laws enacted by Justinian. Holdsworth, A History of
English Law XII:641. Sweet & Maxwell, A Legal Bibliography of the
British Commonwealth of Nations I: 612.
(Inventory # 41054)

5.                Keble's Statutes at Large, 1215-1676.
Keble, Joseph [1632-1710], Compiler. The Statutes at Large in
Paragraphs, From Magna Charta Until This Time, Carefully Examined by
the Rolls of Parliament; With the Titles of Such Statutes as Are
Expired, Repealed, Altered, or Out of Use. Together With the Heads of
Pulton's or Rastel's Abridgments in the Margin, and the Addition of
Above Five Hundred New References from Other Books of the Law: and a
New Table. London: Printed by the Assigns of John Bill and Christopher
Barker, 1676. [iv], 1472, [167] pp. Folio (9-1/2" x 15"). Contemporary
calf, rebacked in period style with raised bands, and blind ornaments.
Some rubbing, a few chips to boards, wear to corners, hinges cracked
but secure. Woodcut Royal arms to title page, attractive woodcut head-
pieces, tail-pieces and decorated initials. Chips and other wear to
fore-edges of a few leaves, chip to fore-edge of another leaf with
minor loss to text. Minor worming to final quarter of index with
negligible loss. A few small ink smudges and light foxing to a few
leaves, interior otherwise fresh. $1,000.
* First edition. With a topical index of all statutes from Magna
Charta to 1676. The statutes in this volume include marginal
references to reports and other legal works. Expired, repealed,
altered and obsolete statutes are also included. Holdsworth, A History
of English Law VI:312-313. Wing, Short-Title Catalogue of Books
Printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and British America
K117.
(Inventory # 41052)

6.                Keble's Statutes at Large, 1640-1676.
Keble, Joseph [1632-1710], Compiler. The Statutes at Large in
Paragraphs, From M.DC.XL. Until This Time, Carefully Examined by the
Rolls of Parliament; Together With the Titles of Such Statutes as Are
Expired, Repealed, Altered, or Out of Use. To Which is Added a New
Table To the Whole Statutes, and a Catalogue of the Several Heads.
London: Printed by the Assigns of John Bill and Christopher Barker,
1676. [iv], 368, [171] pp. Folio (9-1/2" x 15"). Contemporary calf,
raised bands, blind-stamped frame to boards. Some rubbing, wear to
corners, chipping to spine ends, boards partially detached but secure.
Woodcut Royal arms to title page, attractive woodcut head-pieces,
tail-pieces and decorated initials. Minor worming to margins of title
page and text, annotations to a few leaves in early hand. Occasional
early spark burns, interior otherwise fresh. A good copy. $1,000.
* With a topical index of all statutes from Magna Charta to 1676. This
volume is a companion to Keble's The Statutes at Large in Paragraphs,
>From Magna Charta Until This Time (1676), which contains statutes
enacted to May 1661. (Keble's reasons for repeating material from the
other volume remain obscure.)The statutes include marginal references to
reports and other legal works. Expired, repealed, altered and obsolete
statutes are also included. Holdsworth, A History of English Law
VI:312-313. Not in Sweet & Maxwell, Wing, or the British Museum
Catalogue.
(Inventory # 37924)

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Michael von der Linn
Cataloguer
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and International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
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