An Institute of the Laws of England, Or, The Laws of England in Their

1754. An Admired Forerunner to Blackstone's Commentaries Wood, Thomas [1661-1722]. An Institute of the Laws of England: Or, The Laws of England in Their Natural Order, According to Common Use. Published for the Direction of Young Beginners, Or Students in the Law; And of Others that Desire To Have a General Knowledge in Our Common and Statute Laws. In Four Books. With Great Additions from the New Reports and the Statutes, To the Present Time. [London]: Printed by Henry Lintot for Henry Lintot [et al.], 1754. [ii], x, 692, [36] pp. Folio (13-1/2" x 8-1/2"). Contemporary calf, blind rules and fillets to boards, raised bands and lettering piece to spine, gilt tooling to board edges. Light rubbing and some shallow scuffs, nicks and scratches to boards, moderate rubbing to extremities, front board starting at ends but secure, rear joint cracked, chipping to spine ends, corners bumped and worn, front hinge cracked, faint offsetting to endleaves, library bookplate and small circular sticker to front pastedown. Light toning to interior, occasional light soiling, slight vertical crease and early ownership signature (R. Hale) to title page. $300. * Eighth edition. First published in 1720, Wood's Institute was the only comprehensive treatise on English law until Blackstone's Commentaries. According to Holdsworth, Wood "anticipates Blackstone, just as, in some respects, he anticipates him in the design and execution of his book. In fact, as Blackstone recognized, the book had considerable merits. 'Upon the whole,' he said, 'his work is undoubtedly a valuable performance; and great are the obligations of the student to him, and his predecessor Finch, for their happy progress in reducing the elements of law from their former chaos to a regular methodical science.'" The tenth and final edition appeared in 1772. Holdsworth, A History of English Law XII:419. English Short-Title Catalogue T133277.