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BLACKSTONE, Sir William.
Commentaries on the Laws of England.
Publisher: Printed at the Clarendon Press, 1765
Stock code: 68285
Price: £15,000 Currency Conversion
First edition. "Blackstone's great work on the laws of England is the extreme example of justification of an existing state of affairs by virtue of its history … Until the Commentaries, the ordinary Englishman had viewed the law as a vast, unintelligible and unfriendly machine... Blackstone's great achievement was to popularize the law and the traditions which had influenced its formation... He takes a delight in describing and defending as the essence of the constitution the often anomalous complexities which had grown into the laws of England over the centuries. But he achieves the astonishing feat of communicating this delight, and this is due to a style which is itself always lucid and graceful" (PMM).
4 volumes, quarto (269 × 209 mm). Contemporary tan calf, skilfully rebacked and relined to style, red and green morocco labels, boards with gilt rope-roll border, sprinkled edges. 2 engraved tables (one folding) in vol. II. Small inkstamp (initials J. Q. [=John Quick?] and demi antelope crest) at foot of first title page, no other marks of ownership. A little light sporadic foxing to a few gatherings, but generally clean and fresh, an excellent set.
