Doctor And Student

by Christopher Saint German

St German's first published work was the treatise commonly known as Doctor and Student, surely the most remarkable book relating to English law published in the Tudor period, and quite unlike any book to have come from the pen of an English lawyer before. Although it is stated in many works of reference that the first edition appeared in 1523, this is an error. The first known version appeared in 1528 under the imprint of John Rastell. The whole text was in Latin, with the title Dialogus de fundamentis legum Anglie et de conscientia. The title corresponds with the avowed object stated in the prologue (omitted from later editions), which was to explore the relationship between the principles of English law and conscience. There are twenty-four chapters, cast in the form of a dialogue between a doctor of divinity and a ‘student’ of the laws of England (that is, a barrister), and at the end a promise to pursue the discussion further. The promise was fulfilled in 1530 with the appearance of The Second Dialogue.

Bibliographic Information

Author: Christopher Saint German, (c. 1460-1540/41)

Title: Doctor And Student, Or, Dialogues Between A Doctor Of Divinity And A Student In The Laws Of England: Containing The Grounds Of Those Laws, Together With Questions And Cases Concerning The Equity And Conscience Thereof: Also Comparing The Civil, Canon, Common And Statute Laws, And Shewing Wherein They Vary From One Another

Published: London: Printed by S. Richardson and C. Lintot, 1761.

Edition:

Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy

Bound in recent period-style quarter calf over marbled boards with raised bands and lettering piece to the spine and endpapers renewed. Contains early owner signatures to the head of the title page and Table of Contents. Purchased from the Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.