"THIS LIMITATION OF ESTATE OF THIS PRINCIPALITY MAY SEEM STRANGE TO OUR MODERN LAWYERS…": 1630 FIRST EDITION OF DODDRIDGE'S POLITICAL AND FISCAL HISTORY OF WALES

(WALES) DODDRIDGE, John. The History of the Ancient and Moderne Estate of the Principality of Wales, Duchy of Cornewall, and Earldome of Chester… London: Printed by Tho. Harper, for Godfrey Emondson, and Thomas Alchorne, 1630. Small quarto, modern three-quarter brown calf, raised bands, gilt spine, marbled boards. $1500.

First edition of this posthumously published political and fiscal history of Wales, Cornwall and Chester, derived from records held at the Tower of London, handsomely bound.

Sir John Doddridge (1555-1628) was a member of the Society of Antiquaries and justice of the king's bench. "In this treatise Sir John, with a great deal of industry and exactness, calculates the ancient and present revenues of the palatinate" (Lowndes, 655). "As a lawyer Doddridge was—rightly—immensely well respected. He was known as the Sleeping Judge, not because of any shortcoming on his part, but because of his habit of concentrating on legal argument with eyes firmly closed… Doddridge got to the heart of matters very quickly, and his arguments—as advocate, as judge, and as parliamentarian—had a compelling lucidity. His writings show the same quality… Nor was his learning limited to the law. He was a member of the fledgling Society of Antiquaries—tradition has him as one of its founders—and he is known to have given papers to it on a variety of subjects… He wrote a history of Wales, Cornwall, and Chester, published in 1630" (ODNB). STC 6982. Not in Goldsmiths or Kress. Contemporary ink owner signature to title page, dated the year of publication. Occasional early ink underscoring, some light marginal pencil marks.

Mild embrowning to a few leaves only. Binding handsome and fine.