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BLA The American reprints of the Commentaries are 1st American ed. " re- printed from the British copy page for page," 4 vols., 8vo., Philadelphia, 1771-72; Williams' ed. 4 vols., 12mo., Boston, 1799; Christian's ed. 4 vols., 8vo., Portland, 1807, and Boston, 1818 ; Archbold's ed. 4 vols., 8vo., Philadelphia, 1825. The stereotyped New York ed. 2 vols., 8vo., 1832, is in the most general use in the U. States. It contains, in part, the notes of the English editions previous to 1832, as well as the notes of Hovenden, sulhxed by way of an appendix to each volume, with refer- ences to American cases by a member of the New York bar. This reprint is neither remarkable for accuracy nor mechanical execution. A good American edition of the Commentaries is yet a desideratum. Besides the above there are two Americanized editions of the Com- mentaries, viz : Blackstone's Commentaries, with notes of reference to the constitution and laws of the federal government of the United States, and of the commonwealth of Virginia ; with an appendix to each volume, containing short tracts upon such subjects as appeared necessary to form a connected view of the laws of Virginia, as a member of the Federal Union. By St. George Tucker, 5 vols., 8vo., Philadelphia, 1803. Mr. Tucker's edition contains the most of Christian's notes, and many learned and judicious remarks upon the laws of the Federal Government and those of Virginia. His edition, when first published, was in great repute in Virginia, but twenty-three years of legislation and decisions have ren- dered the additions nearly obsolete. The Pennsylvania Blackstone, being a modification of the Commen- taries of Sir William Blackstone, with numerous alterations and addi- tions, designed to present an elementary exposition of the entire laws of Pennsylvania, by John Reed. 3 vols. 8vo. Carlisle. 1831. The compiler of this work, in his preface, says : "I do not present it in its new dress as the Commentaries of Sir William Blackstone on the laws of England ; for if viewed in that li^ht it would be found to be sadly mutilated and deformed. My design was to transform the whole from a Commentary on the laws of England, to a dissertation upon the laws of Pennsylvania, and to make it here what it was there, a key to the great temple of the laws." Where the author has used the text of Blackstone, he has, for the most part, omitted the references to authori- ties, and the work is a medley of English, federal, and local law, that never received much approbation from the profession in Pennsylvania, and is probably not known out of the state. For the abridgments, supplements of, and critiques upon Blackstone's Commentaries, see Anlhon, Ayres, Bentham, Curry, Field, Furneux, Priestley, Letters to Blackstone, Rowe, Sedgwick, and Warren. Translations — The Commentaries were translated into French, 6 vols., 8vo., Bruxelles, 1774, by M. D. G Gomicourt, "qui traduction n'est ni exacte ni frangaise;" and by M. Chompre, avec des notes de M. Christian, G vols., Bvo., Paris, 1821-22 ; and into German, by Colditz. 123