The Institutes of the Laws of England (1651)

<h1>The Institutes of the Laws of England (1651)</h1>

<p>Cowell, John. <em>The Institutes of the Laws of England, Digested into the Method of the Civill or Imperiall Institutions, Useful for all Gentlemen who are Studious and Desire to Understand the Customes of this Nation</em>. Translated by W. G. 1st English ed. London: Printed by Tho. Roycrofth for Jo. Ridley, 1651.</p>

<p>Composed to prepare for the union of the English and Scottish legal systems, <strong>John Cowell</strong> (1554–1611) crafted his work along the lines of Justinian's <em>Institutes</em>. He highlighted the similarities between common law and civil law and provided a general overview of the distinguishing features of each. While its combination of subjects foreshadowed what would become accepted practice for English legal education, the work suffered from its attempt to force English law into the model of the <em>Institutes</em> and it never enjoyed commercial success.</p>

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<p><a href="https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/context/british-colonial-antecedents/article/1049/type/native/viewcontent">Title page, Institutes of the Laws of England</a></p>