Natura Brevium in French

1566. London: Tottell, 1566.. London: Tottell, 1566. Copy of a Scarce Natura Brevium with a Notable Australian Association [Natura Brevium]. Natura Brevium in French.[London]: In Aedibus Richardi Tottell, 1566 [i.e. 21 January 1567]. 180, [4] ff. Octavo (5" x 3-1/4"). Contemporary paneled calf, blind central ornaments and gilt corner fleurons to inside panels, carefully rebacked, raised bands and later gilt title to spine, ties lacking. Light rubbing to boards, somewhat heavier rubbing to extremities, corners bumped, later armorial bookplate of John Hope, 1st Marquess of Linlithgow, 7th Earl of Hopetoun to front pastedown, a few cracks to text block. Moderate toning to text, faint dampstaining in places, occasional underlining and brief annotations to title page and elsewhere, more extensive annotations to front endleaves, all annotations in early hand. An appealing copy. $1,250. * With table. Text in Law-French and Latin. A cornerstone of the common law, the Natura Brevium is a selection of writs, with commentary, based on the Registrum Brevium dating from the reign of Edward III. The first printed edition of the Natura Brevium was published in 1494 by Richard Pynson. After Sir Anthony Fitzherbert published his New Natura Brevium in 1534 it was referred to as the Old Natura Brevium. The actual date for this imprint is stated in the colophon: "Imprinted...1567 Ianuarii vicesimo primo." Most of the annotations are citations to the Year Books. The notes on the front endleaves form a brief index of selected topics. Hope [1860-1908] was an English statesman who served as the first governor-general of Australia (1901-1902). Before that, he was Governor of Victoria (1889-1895). OCLC locates 4 copies. The English Short-Title Catalogue locates 5 copies in Great Britain and Ireland and 5 copies in North America. English Short-Title Catalogue S113105. Beale, A Bibliography of Early English Law Books T94.