Difference between revisions of "Treatise of Laws"
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| − | }} | + | }}http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giles_Jacob Giles Jacob] (1686-1744) was a British legal writer and literary critic. A prominent compiler of law in the early eighteenth century, Jacob published several influential texts on local courts and officers; conveyances; and constitutional, military, commercial and criminal law; and political and poetical work.<ref>Julia Rudolph, “That ‘Blunderbuss’ of Law: Giles Jacob, Abridgment, and Print Culture,” ''Studies in Eighteenth Century Culture'' 37 (2008): 197-215. [http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/studies_in_eighteenth_century_culture/v037/37.rudolph.pdf Abstract] accessed October 10, 2013, on Project Muse.</ref> Jacob was heavily influenced by philosophers [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Locke John Locke] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hobbes Thomas Hobbes], both of whom believed that "a general agreement on the definition of words was necessary" to eliminate confusion about the meaning of law and the legal rights of people.<ref>''Law Dictionary Collection'', s.v. "[http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/exhibits/dictionaries/common_law/jacob.html Giles Jacob: 1686-1744]," The University of Texas School of Law, accessed October 10, 2013.</ref><br /> |
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| − | + | Jacob did not intend ''A Treatise of Laws: or, A General Introduction to the Common, Civil, and Canon Law'' to be an all encompassing tome of legal doctrine, but rather a condensed and abridged treatise accessible to individuals not intimately familiar with law. "By [a]briding and [m]ethodizing, the Study of Law may be brought into a much narrower compass than is commonly suppos'd."<ref>Giles Jacob, ''[https://catalog.swem.wm.edu/Record/3039424 A Treatise of Laws: Or, A General Introduction to the Common, Civil, and Canon Law]'' (London: Printed by Eliz. Nutt and R. Goffing for T. Woodward, 1721), x.</ref> The book is broken into three sections based on the main topics of discussion. These are the Common Law, Civil Law, and Canon Law. Each section begins with explanation on the general type of law (common, civil or canon) and then proceeds, in alphabetical order, to cover all of the individual legal issues. Each issue describes the doctrine of the particular law and in some cases describes the reasoning behind those doctrines. <ref>Ibid.</ref><br /> | |
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Jacob dedicated this treatise to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pratt_(judge) Honourable Sir John Pratt], a prominent legal and judicial figure whose career included membership in the House of Commons as well as receiving a Knighthood.<ref>Stuart Handley, "[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/22701 Pratt, Sir John (1657–1725)]," ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed January 19, 2013.</ref><br /> | Jacob dedicated this treatise to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pratt_(judge) Honourable Sir John Pratt], a prominent legal and judicial figure whose career included membership in the House of Commons as well as receiving a Knighthood.<ref>Stuart Handley, "[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/22701 Pratt, Sir John (1657–1725)]," ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed January 19, 2013.</ref><br /> | ||
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| − | A precursor to Jacob's better known works, including [http://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/index.php/New_Law-Dictionary A New Law-Dictionary], ''A Treatise of Laws'' was still thought of as an important treatise that could be found in the collections of prominent legal practitioners and scholars such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Purton_Cooper Charles Purton Cooper].<ref>Charles Purton Cooper, ''[http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112105138319;view=1up;seq=1 Bibliotheca Cooperiana: Catalogue of a Further Portion of the Library of Charles Purton Cooper]'' (London: J. Davy and Sons, 1856).</ref> Jacob's work | + | A precursor to Jacob's better known works, including [http://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/index.php/New_Law-Dictionary A New Law-Dictionary], ''A Treatise of Laws'' was still thought of as an important treatise that could be found in the collections of prominent legal practitioners and scholars such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Purton_Cooper Charles Purton Cooper].<ref>Charles Purton Cooper, ''[http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112105138319;view=1up;seq=1 Bibliotheca Cooperiana: Catalogue of a Further Portion of the Library of Charles Purton Cooper]'' (London: J. Davy and Sons, 1856).</ref> Jacob's work continues to have relevance and has been cited in recent legal scholarly books.<ref>Philip Hamburger, ''Law and Judicial Duty'' (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2008), 116.</ref> |
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==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library== | ==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library== | ||
| + | Listed in the [[Jefferson Inventory]] of [[Wythe's Library]] as ''Jacob’s introdn to the Common, civil & canon laws. 8vo.'' and given by [[Thomas Jefferson]] to [[Dabney Carr]]. Both [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe George Wythe's Library]<ref>''LibraryThing'', s. v. "[http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe Member: George Wythe]," accessed on April 21, 2013.</ref> on LibraryThing and the [https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433 Brown Bibliography]<ref> Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012, rev. May, 2014) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433</ref> list the 1721 edition published in London. | ||
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| + | As yet, the Wolf Law Library has been unable to procure a copy of Jacob's ''A Treatise of Laws''. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
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==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
Read this book in [https://books.google.com/books?id=los2AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover Google Books] | Read this book in [https://books.google.com/books?id=los2AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover Google Books] | ||
Revision as of 15:33, 5 March 2015
A Treatise of Laws or, A General Introduction to the Common, Civil, and Canon Law.
by Giles Jacob
| A Treatise of Laws | ||
 at the College of William & Mary. |
||
| Author | Giles Jacob | |
| Published | London: Printed by Eliz. Nutt and R. Goffing for T. Woodward | |
| Date | 1721 | |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giles_Jacob Giles Jacob] (1686-1744) was a British legal writer and literary critic. A prominent compiler of law in the early eighteenth century, Jacob published several influential texts on local courts and officers; conveyances; and constitutional, military, commercial and criminal law; and political and poetical work.[1] Jacob was heavily influenced by philosophers John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, both of whom believed that "a general agreement on the definition of words was necessary" to eliminate confusion about the meaning of law and the legal rights of people.[2]
Jacob did not intend A Treatise of Laws: or, A General Introduction to the Common, Civil, and Canon Law to be an all encompassing tome of legal doctrine, but rather a condensed and abridged treatise accessible to individuals not intimately familiar with law. "By [a]briding and [m]ethodizing, the Study of Law may be brought into a much narrower compass than is commonly suppos'd."[3] The book is broken into three sections based on the main topics of discussion. These are the Common Law, Civil Law, and Canon Law. Each section begins with explanation on the general type of law (common, civil or canon) and then proceeds, in alphabetical order, to cover all of the individual legal issues. Each issue describes the doctrine of the particular law and in some cases describes the reasoning behind those doctrines. [4]
Jacob dedicated this treatise to the Honourable Sir John Pratt, a prominent legal and judicial figure whose career included membership in the House of Commons as well as receiving a Knighthood.[5]
A precursor to Jacob's better known works, including A New Law-Dictionary, A Treatise of Laws was still thought of as an important treatise that could be found in the collections of prominent legal practitioners and scholars such as Charles Purton Cooper.[6] Jacob's work continues to have relevance and has been cited in recent legal scholarly books.[7]
Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library
Listed in the Jefferson Inventory of Wythe's Library as Jacob’s introdn to the Common, civil & canon laws. 8vo. and given by Thomas Jefferson to Dabney Carr. Both George Wythe's Library[8] on LibraryThing and the Brown Bibliography[9] list the 1721 edition published in London.
As yet, the Wolf Law Library has been unable to procure a copy of Jacob's A Treatise of Laws.
References
- ↑ Julia Rudolph, “That ‘Blunderbuss’ of Law: Giles Jacob, Abridgment, and Print Culture,” Studies in Eighteenth Century Culture 37 (2008): 197-215. Abstract accessed October 10, 2013, on Project Muse.
- ↑ Law Dictionary Collection, s.v. "Giles Jacob: 1686-1744," The University of Texas School of Law, accessed October 10, 2013.
- ↑ Giles Jacob, A Treatise of Laws: Or, A General Introduction to the Common, Civil, and Canon Law (London: Printed by Eliz. Nutt and R. Goffing for T. Woodward, 1721), x.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Stuart Handley, "Pratt, Sir John (1657–1725)," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed January 19, 2013.
- ↑ Charles Purton Cooper, Bibliotheca Cooperiana: Catalogue of a Further Portion of the Library of Charles Purton Cooper (London: J. Davy and Sons, 1856).
- ↑ Philip Hamburger, Law and Judicial Duty (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2008), 116.
- ↑ LibraryThing, s. v. "Member: George Wythe," accessed on April 21, 2013.
- ↑ Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012, rev. May, 2014) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433
External Links
Read this book in Google Books
