Canon Law. In Three Parts. I. The Common Law of England . . . II. Of the Civil Law . . . III. The Canon Law . . . The Whole
adapted to the Use of Students, and Practisers of the Law; Students of the Universities; Civilians, Proctors, Ecclesiasticks,
and all young Gentlemen. By Giles Jacob. Gent.
London: Printed for
T. Woodward, and
J. Peele,
mdccxxi
. [1721.]
Law 259
First Edition. 8vo. 280 leaves only, should be 282, in eights, lacks the first leaf, possibly blank, and the first leaf of dedication.
Marvin, page 418.
Sweet & Maxwell II, 8, 24.
Rebound in calf. Initialled by Jefferson at sig. I and T. The autograph signature
Phill Ludwell on the title-page.
[1804]
?J. 40
Jacob’s Law-grammar.
12
mo.
1815 Catalogue, page 77. no. 18, as above.
JACOB,
Giles.
A Law Grammar; or Rudiments of the Law . . . By Giles Jacob, Gent. Author of the New Law-Dictionary . . . The
second edition carefully revised, with additions.
[
London] In the Savoy: Printed by
Henry Lintot, Law-Printer to the King’s Most Excellent Majesty; for
John Ward,
mdccxlix
. [1749]
Law
12mo. 60 leaves: B-F
12.
Sweet & Maxwel II, 8, 21.
It is not certain that this was the copy sold to Congress in 1815. The book is not checked in the working copy of the 1815
catalogue, is included in the list of missing books made at a later date, and the entry dropped from the subsequent catalogues.
The copy described is in contemporary calf binding, gilt back, but is not initialled by Jefferson.
[1805]
J. 41
Blackstone’s commentaries.
4. v.
4
to.
1815 Catalogue, page 74. no. 166, as above.
BLACKSTONE,
Sir William.
Commentaries on the Laws of England. In four books. By William Blackstone, Esq. Solicitor General to Her Majesty. The
fourth edition.
Oxford: Printed at the
Clarendon Press,
m. dcc. lxx
. [1770]
Law 153
4 vol. 4to. Vol. I, 249 leaves; vol. II, 274 leaves, 2 engraved tables, 1 folded; vol. III, 246 leaves; vol. IV, 246 leaves;
in fours in 24 letter alphabets.
Sweet & Maxwell II, 5, 6.
Eller, page 3, no. 5.
Calf, rebacked and repaired; some leaves foxed, m.e. Initialled at sig. I and T in each volume by Jefferson and with numerous
manuscript notes by him in vol. II and IV.
Jefferson frequently expressed an opinion on Blackstone in his correspondence. In a letter to Governor John Tyler, dated from
Monticello May 26, 1810, he wrote: “
. . . I have long lamented with you the depreciation of law science. the opinion seems to be that Blackstone is to us what
the Alcoran is to the Mahometans, that every thing which is necessary is in him, & what is not in him is not necessary. I
still lend my counsel & books to such young students as will fix themselves in the neighborhood. Coke’s institutes, all, &
reports are their first, & Blackstone the last book, after an intermediate course of 2. or 3. years. it is nothing more than
an elegant digest of what they will then have acquired from the real fountains of the law. now men are born scholars, lawyers,
Doctors; in our day this was confined to poets . . .
”
Two years later, on June 17, 1812, in answer to a letter from the same correspondent on the application of the common law
to the present situation, Jefferson wrote: “
. . . the exclusion from the courts of the malign influence of all authorities after the Georgium sidus be- ”
