Medieval Notary Manuscripts & Law Books

SEGUSIO, HENRICUS DE (HOSTIENSIS). Henrici de Segusio cardinalis Hostiensis, Summa aurea, ad vetustissimos codices summa fide diligentiaque nunc primum collata. Cum antiquis Nic. Superantii, atque eruditis recens ex Summa F. Martini abbatis, ... Azonis & Accursii ... adnotationibus. Basileae, apud Thomam Guarinum, 1573.

Folio, contemporary limp vellum with handwritten title at spine, ff. [6],1554 col., ff. [13].

A scarce edition of a masterpiece of a founding text of Canon Law in Middle Ages.

Henricus de Segusio —also called Hostiensis— was the most important and brilliant canonist of the thirteenth century. His works had great influence on the development of canonical jurisprudence and was used extensively by later jurists.After have studied law at Bologna with celebrated teachers like Jacobus Balduinus, Homobonus and Johannes Andrea, he became, in a relatively short time , the most prolific and creative canonist of his age. Apart from a short period in Paris teaching canon law, he did not follow properly an academic career, pursuing contrarily an advancement in the ecclesiastical hierarchy.The Summa is Hostiensis's first systematic work; finished around 1253 while he was archbishop of Embrun, is mainly an exposition of the titles of the Decretals, even if Hostiensis added many titles, some fifty in all, to those of the Liber extravagans of Gregory IX. The primary models for Hostiensis were the Goffredo de Trano's and Azo’s Summae; as his referring sources, he cites in many glosses, famous French theologians as Hugues of St. Cher, William of Paris and Phillip of Aix.

References: Worldcat locates 10 copies worldwide and 2 in Italy (IT\ICCU\TO0E\038105).

THE LAWS OF ROME COMPARED WITH THOSE OF THE ANCIENT ITALIAN PEOPLE

Sigonio, Carlo. De antiquo iure civium Romanorum Libri duo. Eiusdem de Antiquo Iure Italico Libri Tres. Ab ipso auctore multis in locis aucti. Index rerum, & verborum copiosissimus. Cum privilegiis. Venice: Ex officina Iordani Zileti, 1563.
[bound with:]
Sigonio, Carlo. Caroli Sigonii De Antiquo Iure Italiae Libri Tres. Ad Senatum, Populumq. Romanum. Secunda Editio. Venetiis, Apud Iordanum Zilettum, 1562.

4to, 19th century half green morocco with gilt titles and decorations at spine.

Fine collection of two very interesting Sigonius’ works regarding the Italian ancient populations and their juridical regulations.

The first work regards the ancient Roman Law at the time of its foundation (before Justinian) and the structure of the traditional Roman classes (senators, cavaliers, merchants, scribes, tribuns etc.); the second one regards the law of the other people living in Italy before the Roman conquest.

References: CNCE 41001 (for both works). OCLC, 52687090 for both works.

FINE LYON EDITION OF A RENOWNED COMMENTARY OF THE LAWS AND ROYAL CONSTITUTIONS OF FRENCH KINGDOM IN THE RENAISSANCE

Rebuffi, Pierre. Commentaria in constitutiones, seu ordinationes regias: Non solùm iuris studiosis, verum etiam pragmaticis vtilissima, in quibus facilis ad praxim Curiarum Franciæ via, & iurium intellectus explicantur Lugduni (Lyon): Apud Hæredes Gulielmi Rouillii, M.D. XCIX (1599).

3 volumes bound together in a volume in-folio, late 17th century full calf with gilt coat of arms at covers, six raised bands spine (restored) with gilt decorations, pp. [2], 3-952, [62].
Title-page in red and black, engraved headletters, engraved head and tail pieces.

Fine Lyon edition of Rebuffi's commentary on the Constitutions of French kingdom.

Questions arising from royal legislative acts drew from Rebuffi these Commentaria which he dedicated in 1549 to the Chancellor Francois Oliver. Few of his contemporaries could match the depth of this volume, and fewer still its scope, which encompassed some of the most vexed and sensitive legal questions of the day.

Pierre Rebuffi (1487-1557) was a French jurist from Montpellier.
He was professor of Canon Law at the universities of Montpellier, Tolouse, Cahors, Bourges and lastly Paris. Pope Paul III wanted him as auditor at the Roman Rote. Among his other works there are a Praxis beneficiorum, a commentary to the title of the Digestum (lib. 50, tit. 16) De verborum significatione, an Explicatio of the first four books of the Pandects and many monographies.
Quentin Skinner describes Rebuffi as «the outstanding legist of a generation, beginning to write in an almost unyielding style».

Provenance: 1. Nobiliary gilt coats of arms (not identified) at covers. 2. Near contemporary signature at the upper blank margin of title-page.

References: Not in Adams. OCLC 43054383 locates 3 copies in US libraries (University of Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Kansas).

THE FRENCH LAWS AFTER NAPOLEON

Sirey, Jean-Baptiste-Aimé-Auguste-Charles; Villeneuve, Jean Le Moine (de). Jurisprudence du XIXme siècle, ou table tricennale du recueil général des lois et des arrets, en matière civile, criminelle, commerciale et de droit public [...] Paris, A l'Administration du Recueil Général des Lois et des arrets, et du Bulletin Officiel de la Cour de Cassation, 1834.

Folio (297x230 mm), half calf binding (slightly worn) on hand colored paper, gilt titles on two red labels and gilt tooled decorations at spine sections, edges colored in yellow, but originally sprayed in red, pp. vij, [1], 1111, [1, blank], [54]. Text in French on three columns.

Complete and detailed collection of the French jurisprudence of the post-Napoleonic era, containing rules in the area of Civil, Criminal, Commercial and Public Law. The book is organized in the form of a dictionary, with a succession of lemmas in alphabetical order, addressing the reader to the most important juridical subjects. The text is rich of References to ancient and modern law authors and ancient sources.

Jean-Baptiste-Aimé-Auguste-Charles Sirey (1762-1845) was a French priest that, at the beginning of the revolution, dismissed the cassock and became a lawyer at first at the Court of Cassation then at the Council of State. He is famous for his collection of jurisprudence.

References: IT\ICCU\RMG\0126838 (2 copies). OCLC, 38469328.

THE "TREASURE OF THE SENTENCES": A COLLECTION OF COMMON LAW JUDGMENTS IN THE KINGDOM OF PORTUGAL

Soarez, Manuel De Ribeira. Thesaurus receptarum sententiarum, quas vulgus interpretum communes opiniones vocat, in alphabeti seriem digestarum post omnes omnium ea de re lucubrationes [...]. Venetiis, Apud Io. Baptistam Somascum, & fratres, 1569.

8vo, contemporary printer's wrappers, ff. [8], 252.
Several woodcut headletters, text in Latin with passages in Greek.

Rare collection of judgments and sentences, sorted alphabetically, that provide an apparatus of the common law of the kingdom of Portugal in the Renaissance.

Manuel De Soarez Ribeira was a Portuguese jurist of the sixteenth century. He trained at the University of Salamanca, where was professor of canon law. He also was an excellent scholar of Greek and Latin language.

References: CNCE 32789. OCLC 48598799.

RARE GIUNTINE EDITION OF SOCINI'S «RULES»

Soccini, Bartolomeo.Regul(a)e, cum suis ampliationibus et fallentiis, e toto jure delecte per perspicacissimum utriusque juris doctorem Do. Bartholomeum Socinum,... a Do. Benedicto Vado, forosempro, jampridem postillate et correcte, nuperrimeque et denuo emendate atque frequentibus... erroribus expurgate. Permutationum [sic] Federi. de Senis., R. l. apertissimi, L. de judi. specialissima pro judicatorio processu. Colophon: Impressum est denuo hoc opusculu[m] ... in inclyta vrbe Lugduni opera ... Martini Lescuyer, expe[n]sis vero ... D. Jacobi q. Francisci de Giuncta Flore[n]tini ac sociorum, anno Domini M.cccccxxxiij. die j. mensis Aprilis (Lyon, Giunta and Lescuyer, 1533).

8vo, 18th century stiff vellum with handwritten title at spine, ff. [16], 233.
Title-page printed in red and black, that includes a woodcut image of a lawyer (probably Bartolomeo Socini), here captioned Bar.
Fine woodcut head-letters. Gothic type.
On verso of last leaf, the two-lions device of Jacques Giunta (Baudrier VI:98, no. 1).
The edition was edited by Jean Gerlier (his name appears at leaf F8).

Rare Giuntine edition of Socini's collection of «Rules», as to say commonly accepted legal principles: each of the 445 alphabetized regulae, is followed by a list of exceptions (fallentiae) that may invalidate it.

Provenance: Handwritten baroque monogram at title-page.

References: Baudrier, VI, p. 149. OCLC 48083937 (the copy of Library of Congress).

VERY SCARCE SOCINI'S COMMENTARY TO JUSTINIAN DIGEST AND INFORTIATUM

Soccini, Bartolomeo.Bartholomei Socini Commentaria in primam partem Digesti veteris in secundam Digesti noui. Consummatissimi iuris vtriusque monarche ... Bartholomaei Socini Senensis ... commentaria in primam partem Digesti ueteris, nuperrime ... castigatiora reddita. ... Adiecto praeterea Repertorio nuper aucto ad studiosorum iuris utilitate.Lyon: Compagnie des libraires, 1534 (Excudebat Lugduni : Ioannes Crespin alias du Carre : sumptu ... Lucemburgi de Gabiano).

3 parts bound in a thick volume in-folio, later paperboards, ff. 61, [1, blank], 31, [1, blank], 220.
Woodcut architectural title-page printed in red and black.

Scarce and sumptuous Lyon edition of Socini's Commentaries on Justinan Digest and Infortiatum.

References: IT\ICCU\BVEE\063347. OCLC 311460099.

FIRST VENICE EDITION OF THIS TREATISE ON ECONOMICS AND STATECRAFT FOR A GOOD GOVERNANCE

Sonnenfels, Joseph von. La scienza del buon governo del signor di Sonnenfels tradotto dal tedesco in italiano. Edizione prima veneta diligentemente corretta. In Venezia: appresso Giovanni Vitto in calle lunga a S. Maria Formosa, 1785.

8vo (186x126 mm), contemporary paperboard binding; pp. [6], 208.

First edition published in Venice (the first Italian was published in Milan the year before) of the translation of this Sonnenfels' important treatise, the most important textbook of economics and statecraft in the Catholic German-speaking areas.

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\TO0E\006169. OCLC, 801179763 and 807796163 (one copy in Spain).

A VENETIAN EDITION OF SORDI'S FAMOUS TREATISE ON FAMILY LAW

Sordi, Giovanni Pietro.Tractatus de alimentis Do. Ioannis Petri Surdi Casalensis iurisconsulti, et senatoris praeclariss: titulis, seu partibus nouem distinctus, totam alimentorum materiam exactissimè complectens, omnibus tùm theoricis, tùm practicis apprimè vtilis, ac necessarius. Venetijs: Apud haeredes Damiani Zenarij, 1643.

Folio, contemporary paperboards with handwritten title at spine, ff. [66], 361, [1].

Title-page in red and black, woodcut device, woodcut headletters.

Famous and often reprinted work, first published in 1594, on family law and its aspects related to the right of the wives, the children and other relatives.

References: OCLC 714192873.

ORIGINAL DOCUMENT OF THE DIVISION OF PROPERTY OF THE QUEEN MARY OF SPAIN

In la villa de Madrid a quinze dias del mes de Febrero de mil y seyscientos y ocho años, ante el señor Don Francisco de Contreras del Consejo Real de Castilla de su Magestad, por ante mi Christoual Ferroce escrivano publico de la su Magestad en todos sus Reynos y señorios, los Testamentarios de la Magestad Cesarea de la Emperatriz Doña Maria, ya difunta, presentaron la peticion siguiente. Madrid, 15 February 1608.

Folio, contemporary limp vellum with handwritten title at front cover: Particion de la Haz.da de la M[agesta]d cess[area] de la Emp[eratriz] N. S. entre sus herederos, original silk ties preserved, ff. 117 (= pp. 234), [3 leaves containing a printed letter of the Queen of Spain].

Extremely scarce printed edition of the original inventory of the property of the Queen Mary of Spain.

At leaf 117r the signatures of Francisco de Contreras and Christobal Ferroce that this is the original testament of the Queen os Spain; at the final two leaves, a printed letter of the Queen followed by the signature of Ferroce that confirms that this document was faithfully transcribed.

Archduchess Maria of Austria (21 June 1528 – 26 February 1603) was the spouse of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia and Hungary. She was the daughter of Emperor Charles V and twice served as regent of Spain.

Francisco Contreras and Ribera (Segovia, 1543 - Madrid, 1630) was a Spanish statesman.
He began his career as ruler of Segovia: in 1576, he was appointed counselor at the Royal Council of Navarre. From 1599 he was a director of the Board of Castile and since 1603 he the directed the Council of Finance. In 1619 he was one of the judges who handled the case against Rodrigo Calderon.

References: Wilkinson, Iberian Books, 41921. OCLC records no copies in worldwide public libraries; but USTC 5034136 locates two copies, at Médiathèque municipale Jean Lévy of Lille (France), and at Banco de España (Madrid). Not in USA

EXTREMELY SCARCE THIRD EDITION OF AN IMPORTANT HUMANISTIC LAW DICTIONARY

Spiegel, Jakob.Lexicon Ivris Civilis, Per. C. V. D. Iacobvm Spiegel Selestadiensem ex uarijs probatorum Autorum Commentarijs congestum. Iterumq́[ue] ab ipso recognitum, ac locupletatum. Lugduni (Lyon): Gryphius, 1545.

Folio, contemporary stiff vellum with spine in colored paper, 814 columns, pp. [5].
Woodcut device, woodcut headletters.

Extremely scarce and almost unknown third edition, published in Lyon, of Spiegel's Lexicon Iuris Civilis, a dictionary of terms in Roman and canon law, first published in Strasbourg in 1538.

Jakob Spiegel (1483-1547) was a German lawyer, counselor to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and a notable humanist scholar who corresponded with Erasmus.

References: OCLC 257953039 locates no copies in US libraries and only two copies of this edition in worldwide public libraries, at University of Leiden (Netherlands) and at Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen (Germany).

FUNDAMENTAL STRUVE'S BIBLIOGRAPHY, BEING A SELECTED LIST OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS THAT A LAW LIBRARY MUST HAVE

Struve, Burkhard Gotthelf. Bibliotheca selectissima juris accedunt Hen. Contelmanni adnotatonesubi praestantiora jurisconsultorum opera ad nostra usque tempora referuntur. Lavsannae, Sumptibus Friderici Redelii, 1762.

4to (223x160 mm), stiff vellum binding, handwritten author name and the note Biblioth. Select. at spine, edges sprayed in red ink, ff. [2, last blank],vij, [1], 100. Red and black titlepage, xylographic headletters.

Scarce early bibliographic guide to a selected collection of law books.

The work was edited by Migliorotto Maccioni, who signed the annotation under the pseudonym of Enrico Contelmanno. Maccioni, law teacher, commented many classical work of jurisprudence, and, among them, the present edition that was reissued five time before 1765, alone or as an appendix to work by Thomasinus or Heinecke. In the introduction he summarizes the Italian dispute on Pandettes between two important jurists of that time, B. Tanucci and G. Grandi, lining up with the first.

Burkhard Gotthelf Struve (1671-1738) was a German jurist, born in Weimar. He obtained theprofessorship in Jena where he was appointed librarian of the local University. All his publications are related to juridical bibliography.

Henricus Coltemannus, real name Migliorotto Maccioni (1732-1811) was a jurist, teacher of Civil Law in Pavia and, at the end of his career he became deputy director at the Pisa University . He organized the famous Averani’s library, base of the current Pisa university library.

References: IT\ICCU\RMGE\000091. OCLC locates only two copies in USA of this edition (Harvard Law School Library and University of Michigan).