The Dialogue in English, Betweene a Doctor of Divinitie, And a.

A Classic English Work on Equity and the Philosophy of Law that Influenced Blackstone [Saint German (Germain), Christopher]. The Dialogue in English, Betweene a Doctor of Divinitie, And a Student in the Lawes of England. Newly Corrected and Imprinted with New Additions. [London]: Printed by the Assignes of John More, Esquire, 1638. 176, [4] ff. Octavo (5-1/2" x 3-1/2"). Contemporary speckled sheep, blind rules to boards, blind fillets to spine, edges of text block rouged. Light rubbing and a few small nicks and scratches to boards, which are bowed, moderate rubbing to extremities, chipping to spine and foot of front joint, light wear to board edges, corners lightly bumped, pastedowns loose with faint offsetting to their edges, struck-through early owner signature and brief annotation to verso of front pastedown, additional early owner signature (Tho: Fairfax) to head of title page. Light toning to interior, occasional non-obtrusive faint dampstaining to corners, small clean tear to foot of leaf K1 (pp. 73-74) just touching text without loss. $400. * Later edition. With the second dialogue. Written originally in Latin in 1523 and cast in dialogic form, this was the first work to study the role of equity in common law and, by its nature, was the first jurisprudential work written in England. It also considers the relative merits of common, canon and civil law, the nature and object of law, the religious and moral standards of law, the foundations of the common law and issues regarding the jurisdiction of Parliament. Doctor and Student appeared in numerous editions. An authority well into the eighteenth century, it influenced several writers, including Blackstone. The Thomas Fairfax who owned our copy may have been the 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron [1657-1710], an English politician and peer, or Thomas Fairfax D.D. [1656-1716], a Jesuit priest appointed to a fellowship at Oxford by James II. (It is most likely not the 3rd or 6th Lord Fairfaxes of Cameron.) English Short-Title Catalogue S116404.