Bibliotheca Legum, Or, A Compleat List of all the Common and Statute.

1738. The First Edition with the Contents Arranged by Subject Worrall, John [d. 1771], Compiler. Bibliotheca Legum: Or, A Compleat List of All the Common and Statute Law Books of this Realm; From Their First Publication, To the Year 1738, Under the Following Heads, viz. Abridgments. Conveyancing. Courts, and Court-Keeping. Entries, Declarations, &c. Maxims and Grounds of the Law. Miscellanies. Parliamentary Affairs. Reports. Sheriffs. Statutes. Tithes and Laws of the Clergy. Wills, Executors, &c. Giving an Account of Their Several Editions, Dates and Prices, And Wherein They Differ. To which is Now Added, An Alphabetical Index; Also a New Table of the Cotemporary [sic] Reporters. London: Printed for J. Worrall, 1738. 4, [2], 5-88, [14] pp. Lacking final leaf, a blank. Octavo (5-1/2" x 3-1/4"). Contemporary sheep, rebacked retaining existing spine with blind fillets, blind rules to boards, hinges mended. Moderate rubbing to boards, somewhat heavier rubbing to extremities with some wear to corners, front joint just starting at foot, near-contemporary shelfmark and nineteenth-century armorial bookplate (of John Richards, Jr.) to front pastedown. Moderate toning to interior, faint spotting to a few leaves, light edgewear to preliminaries and final few leaves of text. $650. * Fourth edition, the first with contents arranged by subject. The first annotated English legal bibliography, it remains an important reference due to its excellent annotations, many gathered from leading authorities of the time, and comparative bibliographical information. John Worrall, believed to be the first law bookseller, issued the first edition in 1731, and published numerous editions during his lifetime. The 1738 edition is scarce. OCLC locates 3 copies in North America (Case Western Reserve, University of Cincinnati Law School, Yale Law School); the ESTC adds 1 more (Library of Congress). Friend, Anglo-American Legal Bibliographies 138. English Short-Title Catalogue (ESTC) T118356.