Two Dialogues in English Between a Doctour of Divinity, And a.

St. German [Germain], Sir Christopher

Publication Date: 1673

About this Item

A Work that Profoundly Influenced Blackstone and English Jurisprudence [C] [St. German (Germain), Christopher]. Two Dialogues in English Between a Doctour of Divinity, And a Student in the Laws of England, Of the Grounds of the Said Laws, And of Conscience. Newly Revised and Reprinted. London: Printed by John Streeter, Eliz. Flesher, And Henry Twyford, Assigns of Richard Atkyns and Edward Atkyns, Esquires, 1673. [ii], 366, [8] pp. Octavo. (5-1/2" x 3-1/2"; 14 x 8.9 cm). Contemporary sheep, blind rules to boards, blind fillets to spine. Light rubbing and shallow scuffing to boards, some loss to head of spine, minor chipping to foot of spine, corners bumped and somewhat worn, pastedowns loose. Light toning to interior, somewhat heavier in places, light soiling to title page. $500. * This is a notable 1673 edition of Christopher St. German's landmark work, featuring both the first and second dialogues. Originally composed in Latin in 1523 and structured as a dialectic exchange, Doctor and Student holds a monumental place in legal history as the first systematic study of the role of equity within the English common law. It is widely considered the earliest true work of English jurisprudence. The text goes far beyond mere legal mechanics, exploring the relative merits and boundaries of common, canon, and civil law, the fundamental nature, objective, and moral/religious standards of law, and the underlying pillars of common law and the early legal jurisdictions of Parliament. Doctor and Student remained a primary authority well into the eighteenth century. It served as a foundational text for generations of English lawyers and heavily influenced major legal writers, most notably Sir William Blackstone in the drafting of his seminal Commentaries on the Laws of England. This 1673 printing, produced during the Restoration period by the prominent assigns of Richard and Edward Atkyns, represents a vital link in the evolution of Anglo-American equity and legal theory. Dauchy [et al.], Eds., The Formation and Transmission of Western Legal Culture: 150 Books that Made the Law in the Age of Printing 16. English Short-Title Catalogue R32072.

Seller Inventory # 78637

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Two Dialogues in English Between a Doctour of Divinity, And a.
• Publication Date: 1673
• Binding: Hardcover
• Seller catalogs:
  • Antiquarian & Scholarly