Fortescue, Sir John; Amos, Andrew

De Laudibus Legum Angliae. Written Originally in Latin by Sir John

      Fortescue, Sir John [1394? - -1476?]. Amos, Andrew [1791-1860], Editor. De Laudibus Legum Angliae. The Translation into English Published A.D. MDCCLXXV and the Original Latin Text. With Notes. Cambridge: Printed by J. Smith for Joseph Butterworth, 1825. xvi, 280 pp. Octavo (8-1/2" x 5-1/2"). Contemporary calf, gilt rules to boards, lettering piece, gilt ornaments and raised bands to spines, marbled edges and endpapers, blind inside dentelles. Some rubbing to extremities, chip to head of spine carefully repaired, front hinge partially cracked. Early owner annotation and signature (of G.W. Bennett), internally clean. Ex-library. Bookplate to front pastedown, serial number in fine hand to title page. A handsome copy. * De Laudibus Legum Angliae was written for the instruction of Edward, the young Prince of Wales. Cast in dialogue form, it demonstrates that the common law is the oldest and most reasonable legal system in Europe. It also compares the common and Roman systems and extols the superiority of a constitutionally limited monarch to a absolute monarch. De Laudibus was written around 1470 and first printed in 1567. "Fortescue was a favorite among the old lawyers, and will be read with profit in modern times by those who are interested in the origin and progress of the Common Law.": Marvin, Legal Bibliography (1847) 321. Sweet & Maxwell, A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth 1:22-23 (16). [Attributes: Hard Cover]