Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-05-18

We have received from Me>srs. DTinker y
Morris Lighthouses Law Dictionary"
When future chief justice begins 10 receive
his legal pass from The hands 81 Judge Black
stone, he knows lilte what lies before him; MS
notions OF 'the lands that he must rapel through,
ere he can slammer his first gentlemen Of The
Jury" are indeed imperfect. lie is soon 10 leave
those gravel walks and level lawns, with their
lows Of neat shTubbery and clipl box, Tor viii
derness tangled, dark and dreary. He must b.,
plunged into an element which will seem 10 him
like nj lions chaos, "neilhrr sea nor good dry
land, where length, and breadth, and heighih,
and time and place, are lest" And many weary
week must he tread The crude consistence, wan
dering that darksome deser," before he iaay reach
The realms of light and day. Cruise and Coke
will addle his brains and exhaust his patience,
until he will often feel disposed 10 turn back, like
certain other travellers,
49,, ..--- .h- hour aud cure ih- Iuckirss Gav.
that he tn,ercd those lhorny paths.
One OF the many difficulties which the student
has TO encounter is that VI not understanding The
language in which The law books are which,
He continually meets words which he never 81 ~
any where else, and OF The meaning Of which the
context gives him but n vague idea. Then there
are other words we'll known 10 him IN their vnl-
car signifcalion but which are used in differ
ept sense by his authors He sees there is dill
ference, and may have an imperfect notion Of
what il is, and yet be unable 10 define i, 10 his
own satisfaction or to that OF uhers. Hence, The
ideas he derives from The sentences Of Law book
have a want OF precision and completeness, and,
while reading il, ne feels himself like one crop
inc in the twilight and upon uncertain ground.
Thus minds sufficiently acute TO understand The
most subtle and absIruse distinctions OF the SCI
ence, il presented 10 them in phraseolngy which
they perfectly comprehend, are more puzzled by
an elementary legal author, than ever they would
be by Locke or Berkeley and unless they read
with full blown lawyer al their elbow, find The
study jnlolerably tedious and disgusting
To help The student through this technical
slough ofdespond which lies between Blackstone
and the bar, various humane individuals have
cumpilod dictionaries of The law language. Of
these, Jacobs is STILL we believe, lha, most gene.
rally in iavor; and although SO old, is probably
sill The best Tor one who is somewhat advanced
in his studies; but TO beginner il has some OBJ
iections II is a youminous work-and great
book is certainly great evil 10 one who has 10
turn TO il every minute. II is full OF legal hiso-
nv, which is very desirable 10 one who begins To
have some acquaintance with The lawiself, but
which renders its titles rather cumbrous 10 one
who wants only an Ineligible explanation OF
word which is new TO him. To one who is ma
king his first excursion into The law, book is
needed simpler in its language smaller in size,
and loaded With less learning-a sort OF small
lexicon, or hand book of The law, in which ne
may find what he wants in few minutes
Such is the design Of The work before Us. We
have not given il a very close examination, but
with those titles which We read VIZ were well
pleased. We have no donht but that law students
and general readers will find il very convenient
book. The style seems sufficiently clear and
plain 10 be understood BY those who have no &C.
ouainlance with the law, and each title contains
references which will enable those who desire
further information 10 find it with little trouble
II forms very neat close pressed IL mo. OF 800
pages, and is well printed.