The Law of Warre and Peace (1654)

Hugo Grotius (1583–1645) first published De Jure Belli et Pacis in 1625. It represented a turning point in international relations and the beginning of modern international law. Summarizing the history of law between nations, Grotius managed to divorce the subject from theological ties and to propose ways in which these laws could be improved. This copy of the first England edition includes the armorial bookplate of Samuel Vaughan on the front pastedown and the 1704 signature of Reynald Tetlaw, an English clergyman.

Grotius, Hugo. The Illustrious Hugo Grotius of the Law of Warre and Peace with Annotations, III Parts and Memorials of the Author's Life and Death. 1st English ed. London: Printed by T. Warren for William Lee, 1654.

Front pastedown and endpaper, in Hugo Grotius' The Illustrious Hugo Grotius of the Law of Warre and Peace, 1654.

Frontispiece, Hugo Grotius, The Illustrious Hugo Grotius of the Law of Warre and Peace, 1654.

Mare Clausum (1663)

A decidedly partisan view of maritime dominion, Mare Clausum was originally composed in 1618, but the monarchy delayed its publication until 1635. By that time, John Selden (1584–1654) had incorporated a response to the 1625 publication of De Jure Belli ac Pacis by Hugo Grotius (1582–1645). Expressing the prevailing English claim to dominion over an extensive portion of the sea, the work displays Selden's voluminous knowledge and his skill in international law. His ability to fortify his arguments with substantial documentation from primary sources belies his roots as a common lawyer.

This copy, the second English edition, includes extensive notes by Thomas Freke (c.1638–1701), a Dorset politician who voted for the Exclusion Bill to remove James, Duke of York from the line of succession.

Selden, John. Mare Clausum; The Right and Dominion of the Sea in Two Books. London: Printed for Andrew Kembe and Edward Thomas, 1663.

Bookplate of Colonel Barrington Price (1758–1839), front pastedown of John Selden's Mare Clausum, 1663.

Bookplate of Robert J. Hayhurst, first front free endpaper of John Selden's Mare Clausum, 1663.

Frontispiece, John Selden, Mare Clausum, 1663.

Verso of title page, John Selden, Mare Clausum, 1663.

Map of Anglia, page 366, John Selden, Mare Clausum, 1663.