"THE MOST USEFUL BOOK EVER PUBLISHED ON THE LAW RELATING TO JUSTICES OF THE PEACE": 1776 EDITION OF BURN'S CLASSIC MANUAL, THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE

BURN, Richard. The Justice of the Peace, and Parish Officer. London: Printed by W. Strahan and M. Woodfall… for T. Cadell, 1776. Four volumes. Octavo, contemporary full tan calf, raised bands, red morocco spine label. $2000.

Later edition of this "classic" manual for Justices of the Peace, "immediately recognized as authoritative," with an appendix concerning Justices of the Peace in Scotland.

"Burn's publications reveal a man fascinated by the structures within which he lived and worked. His first book, The Justice of the Peace and Parish Officer… became a classic because it fulfilled the promise of its title. Before Burn, justices' manuals had arbitrarily subdivided the myriad matters with which justices dealt, and then simply listed the laws uniquely concerned with each arbitrarily defined topic. Burn instead constructed coherent categories for the discussion of the matters subject to the powers of justices and parish officers; and within each category he presented, in the order in which they arose in the performance of the justice's or officer's duty, the steps a justice or officer would take in dealing with each matter, and the law relevant to each step… The manual was immediately recognized as authoritative. Sir William Blackstone added a note to his Commentaries on the Laws of England declaring that Burn's Justice contained 'every thing relative to this subject, both in ancient and modern practice, collected with great care and accuracy, and disposed in a most clear and judicious method'" (ODNB). "The popularity and value of this treatise have been long and well known, and in England it is regarded as the most useful book ever published on the law relating to Justices of the Peace'' (Marvin). Stated "Thirteenth Edition." First published in 1755 in two octavo volumes; the 30th and last edition of The Justice was published in 1869. With two leaves of publisher's advertisements at rear of Volume III. Marvin, 163. Sweet & Maxwell, 2nd ed., I: 225-26. NYU, 198. Owner ink initials.

Text generally clean; light wear and scuffing to boards, corners gently bumped. Very good in sound and attractive contemporary calf.