Capt. Arthur Spicer of Richmond County, who died in 1699, leaving a considerable number of legal works. He was well supplied with form books, and owned Herne's " Con veyances," West's " Precedents," Herne's "Precedents," West's " Symbolographia," "A Book of Entries, by J. H.," the " Attor ney's Academy," Browton's " Collections of Orders in Chancery," Home's " Mirrors, Dec larations and Pleadings," " The Mysteries of Clerkship," " The Clerk's Tutor," " The Con veyancer's Light," and "The Practical Reg ister." Among his other text-books were Dalton's " Justice," " Terms of the Law," Kitchin's "Jurisdictions of Courts," "The Office of Executor," "The Layman Law yer," Finch's "Law," "The Law concerning Justices," William Noys' " Compleat Law yer," Judge Jinkin's Works, " The Office of a Justice," by William Lambert, " A Prepar ative to Pleading," " Fines and Recoveries," Perkins's "Treatise," Flectwood's" Office of a Justice," Keble's " Justices." How they are all forgotten! Who knows or cares what was the subject of Perkins's learned treatise, or what was discussed by Judge Jinkins in his judicious works! It is noticeable how the Virginians for tified themselves in justice's practice, by having at their elbow Flectwood, Keble and others whose very names are gone. Captain Spicer was wide in his legal tastes, owning Bacon's " Elements," Wingate's " Body of the Common Law," " A Dispute between a Ci vilian and a Common Lawyer," " Index of Sentences," " Life of Sir Matthew Hale," "Practical Part of the Law," Noys's " Max ims," " Magna Charta," Wingate's " Abridge ments," " Directions for the Study of the Law," " The Office of Executor." In stat utes, he possessed Rastall's " Collection," "Pulton's " " Statutes," and the Statutes at Large from 1640 to 1675. Tottle's "Re ports," Croke's " Reports," and a " Table to Cook's Reports," were also to be found on his shelves, and are the earliest reports we have noted in Virginia.
Captain Spicer had evidently used his books thoroughly and not always with the greatest care, while he had not kept up with the newer works, so that his whole law library was only valued at ¿5. The appraisers note that most of the books were " old, broken and damnified." Col. Ralph Wormeley of Rosegill, in Middlesex County, died two years later, in 1701. He was one of the chief of the colo nial gentry, a member of the Council, and secretary of Virginia. From the prominence of his family, he had received the best edu cation England could give and had studied at Oriel College, Oxford. His library was a marvelous collection for that day and gen eration and was rich in all sorts of works. In legal works, however, we do not find the variety we noticed in Captain Spicer's li brary, and the carelessness of the appraisers in referring to " an old Law Book," without mentioning its title, and in giving us such enigmatical titles as " The rule for granting passes," or the "Jurisdiction of Lawful Au thority," makes it difficult for us to ascertain exactly what books he owned. Of course he owned the inevitable books on the office of justice of the peace, and the form books, such as the " Clerk's Guide," and the " Eng lish Secretary." It was natural, too, to expect Coke's " Institutes," Shepherd's " Abridge ment," "Lex Murkatoria" (sic), "Jure Mauritamo " (sic), the Virginia "Law Books," and the English " Statutes at Large." His official position and wide ex perience in public life make it not surpris ing to find in his inventory " The Office and Authority of Sheriffs," two " Treaties (sic) of Government," "The Foundations of Monarchy," and the " Laws of New England," as well as " Privileges of the Bar onage of England." He was clearly some what of a jurist and, as church and State were nearly allied in Virginia, he had occa sion to refer to "An Abridgment of the Ecclesiastical Laws," and " The History of Tithes." Among more miscellaneous works
