"THE BASIS OF THE ESSENTIAL RIGHTS OF PROPERTY IN ALL ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES" (PMM): 1616 EDITION OF LITTLETON'S TENURES

(LITTLETON, Thomas). Littletons Tenures in English. London: Printed for the Companie of Stationers, 1616. 12mo, contemporary full calf rebacked and recornered, raised bands, red morocco spine label. $2800.

Early 17th-century edition in English of what has been deservedly called by Holdsworth one of the five great works in the history of English law, and by Coke "the most perfect and absolute work that ever was written in any human science."

"Littleton's Tenures was written in the professional law French of the day. It summed up the results of the professional development of the most important branch of the common law during the 14th and 15th centuries. It showed that the common law was not merely a collection of rules of procedure and pleading which could be compendiously strung together in the short tracts which for the last century and a half had been the only law books… It showed that [the common law] possessed principles and doctrines of its own which were scientifically exact and yet eminently practical, because they were founded upon the actual problems of daily life… It is the pioneer of a long series of text-books upon various branches of the common law in its completed form" (Holdsworth, 56-57). "Littleton's Tenures remained the basic English lawbook and when Coke came to publish his commentary upon it [1628] he called it 'the most perfect and absolute work that ever was written in any human science.' 'Coke upon Littleton' went on being published until the 19th century, and thus the work of an obscure 15th-century judge became the basis of the essential rights of property in all English-speaking countries" (PMM). First printed in 1481 or 1482 (being not only one of the first books printed in London, but the earliest treatise on English law printed anywhere), the Tenures went through 70 editions by 1628, being from the time of its appearance one of the basic books for lawyers and judges. See PMM 23. HLC I, 1185. S & M I:293. Marvin, 467. NYU, 37. Owner ink signature dated 1715 and ink annotation to title page; old ink owner signature to front flyleaf.

Faint dampstain and minor spotting to text. Very good in contemporary calf covers.