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

1704. 1st edition, London, 1704.. 1st edition, London, 1704. From the Library of the Earls of Macclesfield [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. London: Printed by W.B. for Richard Sare, 1704. [iv], xvii, [7], 361, [9] pp. With a half-title. Lacking final advertisement leaf, text complete. Octavo (7-1/2" x 4-3/4"). Contemporary paneled speckled calf with blind fillets and corner fleurons, raised bands, lettering piece and gilt tooling to spine, small paper shelf label to its head, gilt tooling to board edges, edges of text block speckled. A few faint stains to front board, tiny nick to rear board, moderate rubbing to extremities, chipping to head of spine, joints starting at head, corners bumped and worn (upper corner of rear board lacking), hinges cracked. Light (mostly very light) toning to interior, negligible light foxing in a few places, two small faint stains to p. 175. Armorial bookplate of the Earls of Macclesfield to front pastedown, pencil shelfmark to front free endpaper, small embossed Macclesfield crest to preliminaries, brief early annotations to a few leaves. A handsome copy. $950. * First edition. Wood's New Institute was a standard Anglo-American treatise during 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, such as Joseph Story. As the title suggests, it is not only a summary adapted to the needs of students, but also a pioneering essay in comparative law. 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). Our copy of this title belonged to the library of the Earls of Macclesfield. Housed in Shirburn Castle, near Watlington, Oxfordshire, it was one of the finest private libraries in Great Britain. English Short-Title Catalogue T112596.