The First Part of the Institutes of the Lawes of England (1628)

Creator

Sir Edward Coke

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Identifier

KD 833 .C6 1628

Creation Date

1628

Description

Coke, Sir Edward. The First Part of the Institutes of the Lawes of England, Or, a Commentarie upon Littleton. 1st ed. London: Printed for the Societie of Stationers, 1628.

Perhaps the most influential legal treatise of the seventeenth century, Sir Edward Coke's First Institute, or Coke on Littleton, became the de facto textbook for aspiring lawyers in both England and the colonies. Written with the intent to explain and embellish Sir Thomas Littleton's (c.1407–1481) Tenures, Coke's masterwork moved beyond Littleton's topic of property law, managing to touch upon issues such as mercantile law, negligence, pleading, and felonies. Through this work and others, Coke (1552–1634) made a profound impact on developing colonial sensibilities regarding liberty and the inherent rights of the people.

Proemium, Sir Edward Coke, The First Part of the Institutes of the Lawes of England, 1628, available as an additional file below.

Rights

Digital exhibit content is made available under CC BY-NC-SA.