Law Books in the Reign of Elizabeth.
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which they were adjudged, is a union of imitate since the time of Bracton, Fleta, and labours which is necessary to form clear Britton. Fortescue's book, " Dc Laudibus," and the " Doctor and Student," were the conceptions of the law. Other treatises were published in the only pieces (unless Littleton may be thought latter part of this reign. In 1583, Cromp- worthy to be accepted) of authority upon legal subjects which were not put together ton printed in French " The Office and Au thority of a Justice of the Peace," principally with all the closeness and dryness of mere taken from Fitzherbert's works, enlarged by compilations. Mr. Crompton printed also, in 1594, a the same author. After this Mr. Lambard revised his " Eirenacha," or the " Office of a French treatise on the " Authority and Juris Justice of Peace," which had gone through diction of Courts," a book which left suffi two editions, one in 1579, the other in 1581; cient room for the additions and improve and, making great use of Mr. Crompton's ments made by writers who soon followed book which had been published in the mean him on the same subject. A spirit of in time, reprinted it in English, in 1599. This quiry had spread itself, which would not be work was much more full, complete and satisfied with the materials of modern knowl satisfactory than any of the former. The edge; it began to look higher, and to in office of these magistrates had become bur vestigate the antiquity and history of our densome, owing to the increase of laws and jurisprudence. To forward this was printed, the multitude of concerns they were to de in 1569, the valuable code of our ancient termine on. It was very necessary that some law written by Bracton; and to carry this pains should be taken to smooth the way pursuit still further, Mr. Lambard printed, towards the attainment of the requisite in 1568, his " Archaionomia," containing knowledge by some well-digested treatise. the Anglo-Saxon laws, those of William the The criminal law is treated by this author Conqueror, and of Henry I. Thus were the in a very different way from any who went old volumes of the law once more brought before him. It has none of the concise into observation. However, at this dis starchness discovered in the compilations of tance of time, they fell rather into the hands Staunforde and Fitzherbcrt, but discourses of the inquisitive and learned, than afforded more at large in the liberal style which few much assistance to the practiser. — Reeves' writers upon the law had condescended to History of the English Law.
