La Nouvelle Natura Breviu[m] du Iudge Tresreverende Monsieur Anthony.

1567. London: In Aedibus Richardi Tottelli, 1567. London: In Aedibus Richardi Tottelli, 1567. A Work Highly Esteemed by Coke and Blackstone in a Handsome Contemporary Binding [Fitzherbert, Sir Anthony (1470-1538)]. [Rastell, William (1508?-1565), Table of Contents]. La Nouvelle Natura Breviu[m] du Iudge Tresreverende Monsieur Anthony Fitzherbert, Denierement Renue &. Corrige per Laucteur, Avecques un Table Perfecte des Choses Notables Contenus en Ycell, Novelment Compose per Guiliaulme Rastell, & Iammais per Cydeuaunt Imprimee. London: In Aedibus Richardi Tottelli, 1567. (Colophon begins: Imprinted at London by Rycharde Tottill.) [xxxii], 271, [1] ff. Octavo (6-1/2" x 4-1/2"). Contemporary calf, blind frames with corner fleurons, large central arabesques and initials "IW" to boards, raised bands to spine, recent repairs to spine ends and corners, three of four early ties present. A few minor nicks and wormholes to boards, moderate rubbing to extremities, a few chips to board edges, pastedowns loose, later armorial bookplate to verso of front board. Light toning to interior, underlining and brief annotations to several leaves. $1,850. * First published in 1534, the Nouvelle Natura Brevium is a procedure manual written by a judge of the Common Pleas during the reign of Henry VIII. Winfield notes that "Coke put it among the books which he considered most necessary and of greatest authority and excellency"; Blackstone considered it an authority as well. Compiled from the earlier Natura Brevia and the Registrum Brevium, it includes several original observations on the form and function of writs. Rastell's revisions include the addition of a table. A popular work, it went through numerous editions in Law French and English, the final appearing in 1794. It remains significant to this day for its descriptions of writs that were becoming obsolete in the early sixteenth century. With few exceptions, the annotations in our copy are references to cases and statutes. The others are glosses or interpretive remarks. Winfield, Chief Sources of English Legal History 303. Beale, Bibliography of Early English Law Books T347. English Short-Title Catalogue S4100.