ORIGINAL 424-PAGE MANUSCRIPT BOOK IN A FINE 17TH-CENTURY ENGLISH SCRIPT: AN EPITOME OF THE WORKS OF LORD DURIE, SIR GIBSON, AND NISBET, LORD DIRLETON

(LAW) LINDESAY, H. Ane Epitome of Duries Practices… Containing the Mater and Substance of the Haill Practices Contanied in Both the Volumes of the Prin(cip)le Books by Sir John Nisbet. (Edinburgh?), circa 1700. Small quarto, modern full brown calf, raised bands, red morocco spine label; pp. (iv), 424, (96—all but eight pages blank). $1200.

Original 424-page manuscript book penned in a fine 17th-century script, neatly written with numbered pages and wide margins, consisting of an alphabetical digest from the works of Sir Alexander Gibson, Lord Durie and the celebrated Nisbet, Lord Dirleton, with a three-page index preceding the text. Handsomely bound.

Sir Alexander Gibson, Lord Durie (d. 1640) made a collection of Decisions of the Court of Session for 1621-42, the earliest collected decisions, but not pubilshed till 1690. He had been a great student of the law with a reputation for penetrating wit and clear judgment. He had been appointed a commissioner for reviewing the laws and collecting the customs of the country in 1633 and during 1642-43 was elected head of the court of Session. He had a son Alexander who died in 1656 who had been a judge as Lord Durie in 1646 and a grandson, Alexander (d. 1693) who was a Clerk of Session and edited the Decisions.

Nisbet, Lord Dirleton (1610-88) was Lord Advocate in 1664 and also a judge of the Court of Session being the last person to combine these offices. He was a distinguished pleader, was deemed learned and, besides his other legal writings, wrote a Collection of Decisions of the Lords of Council and Session in 1665-77.

Fine condition. A lovely legal manuscript book.