A Treatise of the Nobilitie of the Realme. Collected Out of the Body

1642. of the Common Law, With Mention of Such Statutes. of the Common Law, With Mention of Such Statutes. "Nobilitie of the Realme" [Bird, William]. A Treatise of the Nobilitie of the Realme. Collected Out of the Body of the Common Law, With Mention of Such Statutes as are Incident Hereunto, Upon a Debate of the Barony of Aburgavenny. With a Table of the Heads Contained in this Treatise. London: Printed by A.N. for Mathew Walbanke and Richard Best, 1642. [iv], 157, [1] pp. Woodcut text illustrations of genealogical relationships. Octavo (5-3/4" x 3-1/2"). Contemporary sheep, blind rules to boards, blind fillets to spine. Light rubbing to extremities, tiny chip to head of spine, corners bumped. Title page and text printed within ruled borders. Light toning to text, somewhat heavier in places. An appealing, well-preserved copy. $450. * Only edition, one of two issues. The occasion for this treatise was a contemporary controversy regarding the legitimacy of Edward Nevill's claim to the title of Lord Bergavenny. His claim is the starting point for a general review of peerage law. Another edition, with additions by Sir John Doddridge, was published later in 1642 as The Magazine of Honour; Or, A Treatise of the Severall Degrees of the Nobility of this Kingdome. Counting both issues, OCLC locates 8 copies of Treatise in North American law libraries (Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Library of Congress, Ohio State, University of Minnesota, University of Pennsylvania, York University). English Short-Title Catalogue R18509.