The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-05-19
A RsMAKKABLE o

a Book.
Man years ago Sir Edward Sugden wrote
for an English law journal aseries of /" Let.
tiers 10 a Man of Property y These letters were
written in an attractive and popular style,
and embraced such legal subjects as would
be of greatest interest and use to a country
gentleman remote from town, who had
often To act, from want ofadvice, on his own
judgment. The journal in which they were
published was much sought for. both in
England and in this country. So well did
they cover the ground. and so popular did
they become, that they were subsequently,
collected and published in book form. The
book met with an extensive circulation and
after Sir Edward became. Lord Saint Leon
ard, was rewritten and a new edition given
to the public, called, l think, Lord Saint
Leonard's Laws of Property" which became
still more popular with the legal profession,
and with business men.
A few years later Theophilus Parsons, Ii.
D., of the Law School of Harvard Univer-
sity, then in the zenith of his power as 4
lawyer, commenced the preparation Of a
work on The Laws of Business" modelled
after Lord st. Leonard's book. The work
became exceedingly popular, and thousands
of the cl~earest-headed business men in the
country pronounced it to be a book they
could not afford to get along without. The
author had, however, given to it only such
leisure as the duties of Dane Professor left
him, and compiled it mainly from the law
books he had already made for the profess
sion. He determined, therefore, at some fu-
ture day, to retire and make a new edition
of the work. To make the boob Us useful as
it might be, sup~erfluoGs matter was to be
eliminated, plain English sentences we're to
take the place of technical terms, and many
chapters on new topics, and very many
more forms inserted. He entered upon
the contemplated new edition but be-
came satisfied it would not suffice, and
that nothing would suffice but a ns,V
copgright, and under it a aeC book, which
should cover l. the ground Intelligent pur-
chasers had a right TO expect a book of its
kind would occupy. This new book he has
brought TO perfection, retaining a part
of she former title, but calling it an En-
larged and Improved Edition to distin-
guish 1t from the old. This remarka-
bic volume not only supersedes the
one modelled after Lord Saint Leonard's, but
is The only book of its kind which has ever
been endorsed by the Chief Justice of the
United States, the Associate Justices of the
anu lawyers ofthe country, 1t not only
coversthcse lt gal questions which constantly
arise in connection with property, and the
everyday transactions of the community,
drawn from the most recent decisions ofthe
courts.
As to the forms, they have been so largely
multiplied as to embrace every legal instru-
ment in common use. The author well
He must be a bold lawyer who
would undertake to prefer forms of his own
make to those which the courts and com |
mon use have sanctioned This Professor
Parsons has not done, but has embraced
only those forms which nave stood the test
of judicial criticism, and been sanctioned BIZ
of law. A critical examination of
them satisfies the writer that they comprise
the most useful. and only safe collection OF
kind he has ever seen. The book is
made as well indispensable to the law
yer. the business man and the farmer, as to
every man who buys. sells or makes bar
gains. In nothing the author has publish
ed has he labored more s%trenuously to make
his work satisfy the just requirements and
reasonable expectations of thinking and
men.
Who Theophilis Parsons is, is known TO
every lawyer, as he isthe learned author of
, number of standard works which
nave become classical in the pro-
fession. He was q long time en- the
as Chief Justice of his native
State, which position be resigned TO accept
he Professorship of Law in Harvard Uni
In every position in which he has
.cted. whether as lawyer, judge, lecturer or
he has distinguished himself-From
. Writer on Jurisprudence.