A New Institute of the Imperial or Civil Law, With Notes Shewing..

1730. 4th & final edition, Folio, 1730.. 4th & final edition, Folio, 1730. Civil Law for "Persons of Quality" Wood, Thomas [1661-1722]. A New Institute of the Imperial or Civil Law. With Notes Shewing in Some Principal Cases Amongst Other Observations, How the Canon Law, The Laws of England, And the Laws and Customs of Other Nations Differ From It. In Four Books. Composed For the Use of Some Persons of Quality. Corrected. To Which is Prefix'd, As an Introduction, A Treatise of the First Principles of Laws in General; Of Their Nature and Design, And of the Interpretation of Them. London: Printed for J. and J. Knapton, D. Midwinter [et al.], 1730. [viii], 342, [6] pp. Folio (13" x 8-1/2"). Contemporary calf, blind rules to boards, blind fillets along joints, raised bands and lettering piece to spine, blind tooling to board edges. Light rubbing and scuffing to boards, which are beginning to separate but quite secure, somewhat heavier rubbing to extremities, title rubbed away from lettering piece, corners bumped and moderately worn, early library shelf marks to front free endpaper (in pencil) and rear pastedown (in ink). Notably light toning to interior, slightly heavy toning and light foxing in places, light soiling to a few leaves, offsetting to margins of endleaves. $950. * Fourth and final edition. Wood's New Institute was first published in 1704, with subsequent editions in 1712, 1721 and 1730. It was the standard Anglo-American treatise of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and a well-thumbed reference for jurists who wished to apply an element of "civilian" learning to their work. Wood pays some attention as well to Roman law's influence on the historical development of English law. Indeed, he observes that "Fleta and Bracton would look very naked if every Roman lawyer should pluck away his feathers" (ix). It is also a pioneering essay in comparative law. This copy was owned by "persons of quality," namely members, over several generations, of the old aristocratic Sandys family. It was sold at the 2024 auction of the library of their Worcestershire country house, Ombersley Court. English Short-Title Catalogue T102257.