Medieval Notary Manuscripts & Law Books

Pothier, Robert Joseph. Le pandette di Giustiniano. In Venezia, Co’ tipi di Antonio Bazzarini eC.°, 1833-1836.

7 out of 8 volumes (232x150 mm), quarter vellum on marbled paper, sepia ink handwritten titles at spine, edges sprayed in brown ink, pp. CXXXIX, 708 for first volume, pp. 989 for second, pp. 950 for third, pp. 992 for fourth, pp. 973 for fifth, pp. 1119 for sixth, pp. 768 for last.

XVIII century edition of the Pandectae, the compilations of Roman Law, edited by ancient jurisconsults on Justinian’s order, forming the second part of his Corpus Iuris Civilis. After an overall review and having adapted them to the current rules, they acquired the status of laws.

Robert Joseph Pothier (1699-1772) was a French jurist, descendant from a dynasty of magistrates, working in the court of Orleans and teacher in the local University. His works rapidly became fundamental in the study of the Roman Law.

References: IT\ICCU\FER\0112328.

THE RELATIONS CHURCH-STATE IN EUROPE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE

Pufendorf, Samuel. Introductio ad historiam Europaeam, Latine reddita a Jo. Frid. Cramero. Editio tertia, a multis erroribus emendata, et Compendio historiae Sueciae, aucta. Ultrajecti, ex officina Guilielmi van de Water, 1702.

8vo (166x95 mm), contemporary brown morocco binding, three gilt borders and fleurons at covers, pp. [40], 673, [27].
Full-page engraved portrait of the author at frontispiece; headletters head and tail pieces, finely engraved.

Notable legal-philosophical account of the history of Europe, with a special attention on the relations between Church and States and on the importance of intellectual and religious toleration.

Because of the clarity and comprehensiveness of Pufendorf's works, their intellectual acuity and their polemical edge and consequent notoriety, the work was translated into many European languages.

References: OCLC 7675721.

THE DEBATE ON NATURAL LAW: PUFENDORF'S THEORIES

1. Pufendorf, Samuel. De Jure Naturae et Gentium, Libri octo. Cum integris Commentariis Virorum Clarissimorum Jo. Nicolai Hertii atque Joannis Barbeyraci [...]. Francofurti & Lipsiae, Ex Officina Knochiana, 1744.

[bound with:]

2. Pufendorf, Samuel. Eris Scandica, qua adversus libros de iure naturali et gentium obiecta diluntur. [s.l., s.t.], 1743.

3 works bound in 2 volumes, 4to (245x194 mm), full stiff vellum, sepia ink handwritten title and volume number at spine, edges sprayed in red ink, cloth bookmark, pp. [6], XXXIX, [1], 854, [2, blank] at first volume, pp. [2], 500, [28], 372, [4] at second. Red and black titlepages, portrait of the author engraved at frontispiece, chalcographic vignette at titlepage.

Very rare edition of Pufendorf's theories on Natural Law.

In State and Nature Laws , Pufendorf presents his theory on natural sociability of men, that, in opposition to Hobbes theory, guides them to accept a set of rules given by God, leading to Constitutions written by men. According to that, the treatise seems to be a kind of justification of absolutism.

Samuel Von Pufendorf (Dorfchemnits, 1632-Berlin, 1694), German philosopher and theologian, follower of the doctrine of natural law by Ugo Grozio, focused on harmonizing the first enlightenment thinking to the Cristian theology.

References: 1. OCLC 730119604. 2. OCLC 83159965: only two copies in USA (Yale and University of Michigan Law Library).

A CORNERSTONE OF NATURAL LAW

Pufendorf, Samuel. De officio hominis, et civis secundum legem naturalem libri duo, cum Joannis Barbeyracii notis, & examine. Censurae Leibnitianae in calce operis subjunctae. Ex Gallico in Latinum sermonem transtulit Sebastianus Masson. Editio sexta emendata, et locupletata a Christoph. Frid. Ayrmanno. Francofurti, & Lipsiae, 1775.

4to (190x125 mm), contemporary stiff vellum, gilt title on green label at spine, pp. XXXII, 398, [2, the final is blank].

A cornerstone in Natural Law's thinking, in a particularly sought after edition, enriched with the annotations of Jean Barbeyrac and the observationes (Censurae Leibnitianae) by the renowned German philosopher Gottfried Leibnitz.

References: OCLC 13532675.

FIRST EDITION OF A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF CIVIL LAW PROCEDURE

Panciroli, Guido. Ciuilium iudiciorum praxis sive ordo ivdiciarivs avctore d. Gvido Pancirolo ... Cui accesserunt notae, & additiones Avgvstini FavstiniiVenetiis, apud Marcum Antonium Brugiolum, 1627.

8vo, near contemporary paperboards, pp. ff. [8], pp. 325, [58].

Title vignette, woodcut initials, woodcut head and tail-pieces.

Uncommon first edition of Panciroli's civil law procedure, published posthumously, with the additions of Agostino Faustini.

Guido Panciròli (Reggio Emilia 1523 - Padova or Venice 1599), was an Italian jurist that taught at the University of Padua and Turin.
The most part of his works were published after his death and also this Praxis, a short and practical procedure handbook, that became popular being very useful during the trials.

References: OCLC 80037408 locates only a copy in US libraries, at Harvard Law Library. No copies on the market or appeared in auction in recent times.

TWO ALMANACS ON THE STATE ORGANIZATION OF THE REIGN OF ITALY:
[1.]: CALENDAR ALMANAC FOR THE YEAR 1864, THIRD OF THE REIGN OF ITALY
[2.]: A SIGNIFICANT DOSSIER OF DOCUMENTS FOR THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CITY OF PADUA FOR THE YEAR 1862

[1.]: 1864. Calendario generale del Regno d'Italia compilato per cura del Ministero dell'Interno. Anno terzo. Torino: Stamperia dell'Unione tip. editrice torinese, 1864.
[together with:]
[2.]: Il Raccoglitore - Pubblicazione annuale della società d'incoraggiamento in Padova. Anno XI. Padova: Prem. Tip. di Pietro Prosperini, 1862.

[1.]: 8vo (238x156 mm), editorial paper binding; pp. XL, 1298.
[2.]: 8vo (164x128 mm), editorial paper binding; pp. 446.

The Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946) (Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state founded in 1861 when King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy. The state was founded as a result of the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which can be considered its legal predecessor state. It existed until 1946 when the Italians opted for a republican constitution.

Provenance: Private library of a Verona noble family, whose roots are in Mantua and in which there were distinguished lawyers and jurists.

References:
[1.]: This edition is not registered in ICCU.
[2.]: ICCU registers the collection of this booklet, which was issued from 1852 to 1871 (IT\ICCU\CFI\0615414 - only 3 copies of the booklet published just in the year 1862).

UNCOMMON ROYAL DECREE ON GENERAL JUDICIARY REGULATION FOR THE EXECUTION OF BOTH CODES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE AND OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, AND OF THE LAW ON THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM

Regio decreto col quale è approvato il regolamento generale giudiziario per l'esecuzione del codice di procedura civile, di quello di procedura penale, e della legge sull'ordinamento giudiziario [14 dicembre 1865 n. 2641]. Milano: Stamperia reale, in esercizio di A. Molina e Socj, 1865.

8vo (230x156 mm), editorial paper binding; pp. 132.

The Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946) (Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state founded in 1861 when King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy. The state was founded as a result of the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which can be considered its legal predecessor state. It existed until 1946 when the Italians opted for a republican constitution.

Provenance: Private library of a Verona noble family, whose roots are in Mantua and in which there were distinguished lawyers and jurists.

References: IT\ICCU\TO0\1897687 (2 copies). OCLC, 601622214 and 849470009.

[1.]: SCARCE FIRST EDITION OF THE LAW OF EXPROPRIATION IN THE PUBLIC UTILITY OF JUNE 25, 1865, N. 2359
[2.]: UNCOMMON TEXT AND COMMENTS BY ARONNE RABBENO OF THE REGULATION TO THE LAW ON LAND PROPERTY EQUALIZATION

[1.]: Legge di espropriazione per causa di pubblica utilità del 25 giugno 1865, n. 2359. Milano: Pirola, 1865.
[together with:]
[2.]: Rabbeno, Aronne. Regolamento 2 agosto 1887, n 4871 alla legge sulla perequazione fondiaria e note per ciascun capo, compilato a cura dell'avv. prof. Aronne Rabbeno. Verona - Padova: Drucker & Tedeschi, 1887.

[1.]: 8vo (240x162 mm), editorial paper binding; pp. 26.
[2.]: 8vo (234x156 mm), editorial paper binding; pp. VIII, 76. Cover dated 1888.

The Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946) (Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state founded in 1861 when King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy. The state was founded as a result of the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which can be considered its legal predecessor state. It existed until 1946 when the Italians opted for a republican constitution.

Provenance: Private library of a Verona noble family, whose roots are in Mantua and in which there were distinguished lawyers and jurists.

References:
[1.]: IT\ICCU\LO1\0426422 (3 copies). OCLC, 878327943. Apparently no copy out of Italy.
[2.]: IT\ICCU\CUB\0540872 (2 copies).OCLC, 11617663 (1 copy in USA at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign).

[1. - 2. - 3.]: COLLECTIONS OF LAWS AND DECREES ON TAXES AND ON MUNICIPAL AND PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION IN THE KINGDOM OF ITALY
[4.]: OFFICIAL COMPENDIUM OF LAWS AND DECREES OF THE KINGDOM OF ITALY - YEAR 1873

[1.]: Collezione delle leggi, dei regolamenti e delle decisioni sul registro, bollo e sopra altri rami dell'amministrazione demaniale. Pubblicazione fatta per cura del Ministero delle Finanze (Direzione Generale delle Tasse e del Demanio). Volume VII. (-VIII). Milano: Stamperia Reale, 1866.
[together with:]
[2.]: Decreti reali sulle tasse di registro in data 14 luglio e 18 agosto 1866 con indice alfabetico analitico delle disposizioni in essi contenute. Milano: Stamp. Reale, 1866.
[together with:]
[3.]: Astolfi, Ferdinando. Raccolta illustrata delle leggi sulle tasse di registro e bollo del Regno ossia codice del registro e bollo contenente tutte le leggi vigenti sulla materia con analoghe annotazioni e riferimenti ed a cui va premesso un indice o prontuario alfabetico estesissimo con tutte le voci comprese dalle leggi e per mezzo del quale a colpo d'occhio si rileva la tassa di registro e bollo cui va soggetto l'atto chiamato dalla voce per Astolfi Ferdinando. Seconda edizione corretta ed aumentata. Venezia: Tipografia Emiliana, 1871.
[together with:]
[4.]: Raccolta ufficiale delle leggi e dei decreti del Regno d'Italia. Anno 1873 (serie 2°) dal numero 1211 al 1766bis. Volume trentesimottavo. Firenze: Stamperia Reale, [1873].

[1.]: 8vo (199x132 mm), half cloth binding, marbled paper at boards, gilt title at spine, blue sprinkled edges; 2 vols; pp. 779; 500.
[2.]: 8vo (226x160 mm), editorial paper binding; pp. 140.
[3.]: 8vo (226x156 mm), editorial paper binding; pp. XCVI, 224.
[4.]: 8vo (220x148 mm), half leather binding with marbled paper at boards, blue sprinkled edges; pp. LXIII, [1], 1296, [1] leaf of folded table.

The Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946) (Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state founded in 1861 when King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy. The state was founded as a result of the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which can be considered its legal predecessor state. It existed until 1946 when the Italians opted for a republican constitution.

Provenance: Private library of a Verona noble family, whose roots are in Mantua and in which there were distinguished lawyers and jurists.

References:
[1.]: IT\ICCU\TES\0018479 (vol. VII; 3 copies) and IT\ICCU\NAP\0203085 (vol. VIII; 3 copies). No copy out of Italy.
[2.]: IT\ICCU\NAP\0212326 (3 copies). Not in OCLC. Apparently no copy out of Italy.
[3.]: IT\ICCU\CFI\0563754 (2 copies and 1 electronic copy). Apparently no copy out of Italy.
[4.]: ICCU registers the whole collection of the Raccolta ufficiale delle leggi e dei decreti del Regno d'Italia from 1861 to 1947 (IT\ICCU\RMG\0012713). OCLC, 55414625. No copy in USA.

EXCESSIVELY RARE EDITION OF THE COMMERCIAL CODE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

(Chateigner, Jean). Recueil de lois, réglemens et arrêtés pour les tribunaux de commerce, imprimeé par ordre du Directoire exécutif. Paris, Imprimerie de la République, An VII [i. e. 1799].

Half vellum over marbled boards.
Engraved head-piece with the revolutionary bonnet rouge (a Phrygian cap).

Extremely scarce edition of the Commercial Code of the French Revolution considered the first absolute French Commercial Code, also preceding the official French Code de Commerce of 1807. In this edition it is still described as «a collection of laws rules and judgments fro the commerce courts»: the name Code du Commerce will be added in the Bruxelles edition of this same year (see the link below).

The printing date is indicated according to the French Republican Calendar, also commonly called the French Revolutionary Calendar. It was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805. Years appear in writing as Roman numerals (usually), with epoch 22 September 1792, the beginning of the "Republican Era" (the day the French First Republic was proclaimed, one day after the Convention abolished the monarchy). As a result, Roman Numeral I indicates the first year of the republic, that is, the year before the calendar actually came into use.

References: No copy of this Parisian edition in OCLC, that locates only the edition printed in Bruxelles in the same year.

Code du Commerce, Bruxelles, An VII

A COMPLETE SET OF RICHERI'S INSTITUTIONS OF BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LAW

Richeri, Tommaso Maurizio.Universa civilis, et criminalis iurisprudentia: iuxta seriem institutionum ex naturali, et romano iure deprompta, et ad usum fori perpetuo accommodata. Tomus 1 [-13]. Placentiae: ex typographia Nicolai Orcesi, 1790-1795.

13 volumes bound in 7 folio volumes, contemporary half calf with labels and gilt-lettered title at spine (the spine of first and the second volumes, bound together, was renewed a century after), pp. XII, 440; 420; 416; 432; 443, [1]; 417, [3]; 416; 441, [3]; 457, [3]; 437, [3]; 456; 380; 328.
Title-page vignettes, woodcut headpieces, tailpieces.

Uncommon second edition, printed in Piacenza, of the Institutions by Tommaso Richeri.

This work is considered of fundamental importance for the knowledge of the common law, which is a final sum in its final evolution, just before it was abolished with the introduction of the Napoleonic Code.

Tommaso Maurizio Richeri (La Morra di Cuneo, 1733 - Torino, 1797), was an Italian jurist that became famous with this very work, published in 12 volumes between 1774 and 1782 and reprinted until 1841.

References: Sapori, I, 2484. OCLC 649012647.

FIRST EDITION OF RINALDI'S COLLECTION OF LEGAL OPINIONS ON CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LAW

NO COMPLETE COPIES IN USA

Rinaldi, Giovanni Domenico.
[Vols 1-3:] Io. Dominici Raynaldi […] Observationum criminalium, civilium et mixtarum liber primus [secundus et tertius] […] Cum additionibus ac suppletionibus seorsim antea impressis […] necnon indicibus argumentorum ac materiarum accurate congestis. Venetiis (Venice): Apud Paulum Balleonium (Baglioni, Paolo), 1699.
[together with:]
[Vol. 4:] Io. Dominici Raynaldi [...] Obseruationum criminalium, ciuilium, et mixtarum supplementum. In quo discutiuntur quaestiones rariores in foris tum ecclesiasticis, tum saecularibus disceptari solitae, […] Sanctissimo Domino Nostro Innocentio XII, Pontifici Optimo Maximo dicatum. Romae (Rome): Sumptibus DD. Faeilicis Caesaretti, & Paribeni. Ex Officina Haeredum Corbelletti (Cesaretti, Felice & Paribeni, Domenico - eredi di Corbelletti, Francesco), 1698.

Four volumes in folio (350x240 mm vols. 1-3 and 330x230 mm vol. 4), contemporary full vellum (some neat repairs at spines), with five raised bands spine, handwritten titles and decorations at spine; pp. [32], 568, [72]; [24], 340, [64]; [28], 330, [62]; [24], 587, [89]; text in Latin, printed in two columns.

Title-pages in red and black types, with typographical woodcut devices (at the first three volumes) and with an engraved coat of arms of Pope Innocent XII (at the fourth one); engraved head and -tail pieces, engraved headletters.

First edition of this collection of observations on criminal and civil law.

References: ICCU\MILE\005232-UM1E\008077-008079-008080 and ICCU\RAVE\015553. No complete copy in USA: OCLC 23167177 and 799225132 locate two copies in USA of only the first 3 volumes and OCLC 81557456 locates in USA only the volume of Supplementum (at the Harvard Law School Library).