A Treatise of Laws: Or, A General Introduction to the Common, Civil..

1721. Scarce Treatise by Jacob on Common, Civil and Canon Law Jacob, Giles [1686-1744]. A Treatise of Laws: Or, A General Introduction to the Common, Civil, and Canon Law. In Three Parts. I. The Common Law of England: Illustrated in Great Variety of Maxims &c. Also the Use of this Law; With References to Statutes, in All Cases. II. Of the Civil Law, Intermix'd With the Law of Nations, and Its Use Here in England; and a Parallell Between Civil Law and Common Law. III. The Canon Law, and Laws Ecclesiastical; Containing the Authority, and Rights of the English Clergy; Of Patrons and Churches; Courts Ecclesiastical, Trials, &c. The Whole Adapted to the Use of Students, and Practicers of the Law; Students of the Universities; Civilians, Proctors, Ecclesiasticks, and All Young Gentlemen. London: Printed for T. Woodward and J. Peele, 1721. [ii], vi, [6], 533, [15] pp. Octavo (8" x 5"). Contemporary calf, rebacked retaining existing spine with raised bands and lettering piece, blind rules to boards, blind fillets along joints, front hinge mended. A few minor nicks and scuffs to boards, some rubbing to extremities, corners bumped, joints just starting at ends, rear hinge cracked. Moderate toning to text, somewhat heavier in places, brief early annotations to a few passages. A nice copy of a scarce title. $950. * First edition, one of two issues from 1721. This title is unique in Jacob's prolific output because it discusses civil and canon law at length. The mention of "civilians, proctors, clergy, and gentlemen" in the subtitle is significant. Jacob, though certainly interested in boosting sales by attracting the widest audience possible, was an idealist who believed that widespread knowledge of the law would help create a more just society. Counting both issues, OCLC locates 9 copies in North American law libraries. Jefferson owned a copy of this edition: Sowerby, Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson 1804. English Short-Title Catalogue N13977.