[Rarebooks] A Selection of Lawbook Exchange Titles

[The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.]

Friday, January 16, 2004, 5:23 PM:

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1.                  Grotius' Most Influential Work
Grotius, Hugo [1583-1645]. De Jure Belli ac Pacis Libri Tres, In
Quibus jus Naturae & Gentium, Item Juris Publici Praecipua
Explicantur. Editio Nova cum Annotatis Auctoris. Ex Postrema Ejus Ante
Obitum Cura Multo Nunc Auctior. Accesserunt & Annotat in Epistolam
Pauli ad Philemonem. Amsterdam: Apud Ioannem Blaev, 1663. [xvi], 618,
[53] pp. Two leaves of Prolegomena bound out of sequence in index at
the rear of the volume. Octavo (5" x 7-1/2"). Contemporary calf,
paneled boards, rebacked with red and black lettering pieces and
raised bands. Some rubbing to boards with wear to edges and corners.
Title page with attractive woodcut printer device printed in red and
black. Woodcut decorated initials and tail-piece. Light foxing and
dampstaining to endleaves. Small embossed owner stamp to title page,
later marks in light pencil to a few leaves, interior otherwise clean.
A nice copy. $450.
* Later edition of a work first published in 1625. With side-notes and
index. Easily Grotius' most influential book, it established his
status as the "father of international law" and remains influential
today. Grotius addresses two principal topics: the legal obligations
of human societies, including those that have sovereign power, and the
procedure for enforcing such duties and punishing violations of law.
Grotius argues that natural law prescribes rules of conduct for
nations as well as for private individuals. Although he did not
condemn war as an instrument of national policy he maintained that it
is criminal to wage war except in certain causes. More broadly, he
viewed war as a type of law enforcement. Another important innovation
was his insistence that belligerents respect the rights of civilians
and their property. Ter Meulen and Diermanse, Bibliographie des Ecrits
Imprimes de Hugo Grotius 578. Dekkers, Bibliotheca Belgica Juridica 70
(6).
(Inventory # 7177)

2.             First Edition of Jacob's Great Dictionary
Jacob, Giles [1686-1744]. A New Law-Dictionary: Containing, The
Interpretation and Definition of Words and Terms Used in the Law; and
Also the Whole Law, and the Practice Thereof, Under All the Heads and
Titles of the Same. Together With Such Informations Relating Thereto,
as Explain the History and Antiquity of the Law, and Our Manners,
Customs, and Original Government. Collected and Abstracted From All
Dictionaries, Abridgments, Institutes, Reports, Year-Books, Charters,
Registers, Chronicles, and Histories, Published to This Time. And
Fitted for the Use of Barristers, Students, and Practisers of the Law,
Members of Parliament, and Other Gentlemen, Justices of Peace,
Clergymen, &c. With Large Additions. To Which is Annexed, a Table of
References to All the Arguments and Resolutions of the Lord Chief
Justice Holt; In the Several Volumes of the Reports. London: Printed
by E. and R. Nutt, and R. Gosling, 1729. Unpaginated. Main text
printed in double columns. Folio (8-1/4" x 13"). Contemporary paneled
reversed calf, raised bands, recently rebacked retaining original
backstrip with lettering piece and gilt ornaments, marbled endpapers.
Some rubbing with wear to board edges and corners, a few scuffs to
boards. Early owner bookplate to verso of front free endpaper, small
tear and top-edge chip to title page carefully repaired. Interesting
detailed early annotations (nineteenth century?) to bottom margins of
several leaves, later annotations (twentieth century?) in pencil to a
few. Interior clean and bright. $2,000.
* First edition. As Cowley has pointed out, A New Law-Dictionary was
both Jacob's masterpiece and "an entirely new departure in legal
literature" that provided a model for several subsequent efforts. In
contrast to earlier works, each entry summarizes all of the laws
relating to the subject and offers extensive interpretive commentary.
Obsolete terms are omitted. It was recognized almost immediately that
Jacob created a highly useful legal encyclopedia that was more
detailed and concise than any other abridgment of the period. An
extremely popular work that went through twelve editions between 1729
and 1800, it offers unparalleled insights into Anglo-American law
during the eighteenth century. Cowley, A Bibliography of Abridgements,
Digests, Dictionaries and Indexes to the Year 1800 217. Catalogue of
the Library of the Harvard Law School (1909) I:1036. Sweet & Maxwell,
A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth of Nations I:9 (33).
(inventory # 40090)

3.                         Kames' Decisions
[Kames, Lord (Henry Home, 1696-1782) and Lord Woodhouselee (Alexander
Fraser Tytler, 1747-1813)]. The Decisions of the Court of Session,
from Its First Institution to the Present Time. Abridged, and Digested
Under the Proper Heads, in Form of a Dictionary. Edinburgh: Richard
Watkins, Alexander Kincaid, and Robert Fleming, 1741-1804. Four
Volumes.
[With]
Supplement to Volumes Third and Fourth of the Dictionary of Decisions;
Containing All the Omitted Cases, Abridged and Digest under Proper
Heads.
Edinburgh: Printed for Bell and Bradfute, 1804. xxiv, 239 pp.
Five volumes in all. Folio (7-1/2" x 12-1/2"). Contemporary calf,
rebacked, raised bands, red and black lettering pieces. Moderate
rubbing with wear to board edges corners and joints. Volume One boards
detached. Title-page of volume four cropped closely with slight loss
of text. Interiors notably fresh. Ex-library. Institution label to
head of each spine, small stamps to preliminaries. $750.
* Volumes One and Two by Kames, Three and Four by Tytler. The
supplement contains previously omitted cases (to the end of 1796) and
also decisions of the Court of Justiciary. Catalogue of the Library of
the Harvard Law School (1909) I:1076. Sweet & Maxwell, A Legal
Bibliography of the British Commonwealth of Nations V:57.
(Inventory # 19572)

4.               1829 German Treatise on Criminal Law
Martin, [Christoph Reinhard Dietrich (1772-1857)]. Lehrbuch des
Teutschen Gemeinen Criminal-Rechts, mit Besonderer Rucksicht auf das
im Jahre 1813 Publicirte Strafgesetzbuch fur das Konigreich Baiern.
Heidelberg: In der Universitats-Buchhandlund von Chr. Fr. Winter,
1829. lvi, 776 pp. Octavo (5" x 7-3/4"). Contemporary vellum covered
in marbled paper, lettering piece and gilt fillets to spine, rouged
edges. Rubbed with wear to joints, board edges and spine ends. Early
owner signature to title page. Light foxing and light browning to a
few leaves, interior otherwise fresh. $1,000.
* Second edition, corrected and enlarged. Notable for its liberal
outlook and commitment to German Idealism, this distinguished treatise
went through five editions between 1825 and 1857. Influenced by German
Idealism, it contains an outline of criminal jurisprudence, a history
of criminal law in Europe and an overview of contemporary criminal law
in the German states. Particular attention is given to the Bavarian
Criminal Code of 1813. One of the reforms enacted by the King Ludwig
I, it is notable for its commitment to Enlightenment ideals. OCLC
locates three copies, none of this edition. Allgemeine Deutsche
Biographie XX:485. British Museum Catalogue (Compact Edition) 16:1008.
(Inventory # 38622)

5.                       "Of Immense Utility"
Nicolson, W[illiam] [1655-1727]. The English Historical Library. In
Three Parts. Giving a Short View and Character of Most of Our
Historians Either in Print or Manuscript: With an Account of Our
Records, Law-Books, Coins, and Other Matters Serviceable to the
Undertakers of a General History of England. London: Printed for
Timothy Childe and Robert Knaplock, 1714. xviii, 272 pp. Folio (8" x
12-1/2"). Contemporary calf, paneled boards with decorative devices,
raised bands, hand-lettered title to second spine compartment.
Moderate rubbing and a few small scuffs. Early signature on title-page
(E.W.V. Salisbury). Small armorial bookplate on front pastedown of Sir
R.W. Vaughn, early owner signature to title page (E.W.V. Salisbury).
Occasional light foxing, interior otherwise fresh. A very good copy.
$350.
* Second (stated) edition. Nicolson was the Bishop of Carlisle and a
keen antiquarian. First published in 1696, his Library is an important
work of antiquarian scholarship that was not superseded for many
years. The Dictionary of National Biography notes that although
"[Nicolson's] haste in speech and in print led him into many mistakes,
...[the Library] was of immense utility." (XIV:501). It is still a
useful source, especially for legal historians. Sweet & Maxwell, A
Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth of Nations I:4(38).
(Inventory # 20291)

6.                   Innovative Canon Law Digest
Pirhing, Ehrenreich (Ernrico, Ennricus) [1606-c.1681]. Jus Canonicum
in V. Libros Decretalium Distributum, Nova Methodo Explicatum, Omnibus
Capitulis Titulrum (Qui in Antiquis, et Novis Libris Decretalium
Continentur) Promiscue et Confuse Positis, in Ordinem Doctrinae
Digestis. Adjunctis Aliis Quaestionibus Connexis, Quae ad Plenam
Gujusque Tituli, Aut Materiae Cognitionem, et Expositionem Pertinent.
Additi Sunt Praeter Synopticum et Methodicum, Duo Alij Indices
Alphabetici, Unus Rerum Seu Quaestionum, Alter Titulorum a Pluribus
Desiderati. Venice: Ex Thipographia Remondiniana, 1759. Five books in
two volumes, each book with title page. Folio (9-1/4" x 15-1/4").
Contemporary three-quarter vellum over marbled boards, hand-lettered
titles to spines. Light rubbing to boards, some wear to board edges
and corners, minor chipping to heads, some soiling to spines. Front
joint of second volume just starting. Attractive large woodcut
vignettes to title page, Book I title page printed in red and black,
woodcut decorated initials and tail-pieces. Occasional light foxing,
interiors otherwise clean and bright. Ex-institutional library. Small
inkstamps to endleaves and title pages. A handsome set. $500.
* Third and final edition. First published between 1674 and 1677, the
innovative Jus Canonicum is a landmark in German canonical science.
Though Pirhing follows custom by preserving the classical divisions of
the Corpus Juris Canonici, he supplements each topic with a complete
and synthetic explanation of the relevant canonical legislation. A
resume of this work, the Synopsis Pirhingana, was published
anonymously in 1695 and reissued in 1711. Pirhing was a German Jesuit
scholar who taught canon law and scripture at the University of
Dillingen in Bavaria. Catholic Encyclopedia (online version).
Ferreira-Ibarra, The Canon Law Collection of the Library of Congress
829.
(Inventory # 40173)

7.                     Used to Justify Secession
Rawle, William [1759-1836]. A View of the Constitution of the United
States of America. Philadelphia: Philip H. Nicklin, Law Bookseller,
1829. viii, [9]-349 pp. Octavo (5-1/2" x 8-3/4"). Contemporary calf,
lettering piece, blind fillets to spine, blind frames to boards. Some
rubbing with wear to corners and joints, chipping to foot of spine,
front joint just starting. Front free endpaper and lower corner of
front endleaf lacking. Light foxing throughout, early owner signature
and stamp to front endleaf, early notes in pencil to two leaves. A
nice copy of an important work. $1,250.
* Second edition. Rawle's treatise is one of the earliest works on the
United States Constitution, and one of the most important. This text
is significant also because it suggests that states have a right to
secede from the Union. As Cohen observes, the popularity of this text,
which was used at West Point and other schools throughout the country,
"is generally considered to have influenced the leaders and supporters
of the Confederacy, although in fact Rawle opposed secession." Cohen,
Bibliography of Early American Law 2894. Catalogue of the Library of
the Harvard Law School (1909) II:426. Marvin, Legal Bibliography
(1847) 599.
(Inventory # 40230)

8.                Principal Roman-Dutch Law Treatise
Voet, Johannis [1647-1713]. Commentarius ad Pandectas, in quo Praeter
Romani Juris Principia ac Controversias Illustriores Jus Etiam
Hodiernum et Praecipuae Fori Quaestiones Excutiuntur. Continet Duos &
Viginti Libros Priores. Per Autorem Hac Editione Secunda Recognitos.
The Hague: Apud Abrahamum de Hondt, 1707. Two volumes. Folio (8" x
13"). Contemporary paneled vellum, large arabesques to centers of
boards, raised bands, hand-lettered titles to spines. Light soiling
and discoloration, wear to corners, front board of Volume I somewhat
bowed, its hinge starting at foot. Title pages with larger woodcut
printer devices in red and black, handsome woodcut head-pieces, tail-
pieces and decorated initials. Early signatures in miniscule hand to
title pages, interiors remarkably fresh. A very nice set. $750.
* Second edition. With indexes. First published in 1698-1704, This
exhaustive commentary of Justinian's Digest is one of the principal
works of Roman-Dutch law. A deeply influential work that was
translated into Italian, Dutch and English, it remains an authority in
South Africa. Voet discusses all of the titles then explains how they
were influenced by customary and local law. The second volume pays
special attention to current issues relevant to the Netherlands,
especially those relating to maritime law. Voet was Professor of Law
at the Universities of Utrecht and Leiden. Walker, The Oxford
Companion to Law 1280. Ahsmann and Feenstra, Bibliografie van
Hoogleraren in de Rechten aan de Leidse Universiteit tot 1811 1061.
(Inventory # 31278)

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Michael von der Linn
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and International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
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