Les tenures du monsieur Littleton
Subtitle: ouesque certein cases addes p[er] auters de puisne temps, queux cases vous troueres signes ouesque ce[st] signe [fleuron] al co[m]mencement [et] al fine de chescun deux, au fine que ne poies eux misprender pur les cases de monsieur Littleton: pur quel inconuenience, ils fuerent dernierment tolles de cest liuer. Et cy vn foits plus admotes al request des gentill homes studentes en le ley dengleterre
Series: Early English books online
Publisher: Richard Tottel
Published: 1581
Place of publication: London
Language: roa; lat; eng
Number of pages: 170
Subjects: Real property; Early works to 1800; Land tenure; Law and legislation
Work titles: Tenures
Notes: Edited by William West, whose note to the reader appears on final leaf.

Colophon: Imprinted at London in Fletestrete within Temple Barre, at the signe of the Hande and Starre by Rychard Tottel. 1581.

"Cum priuilegio." --foot of title page and colophon.

Collation: A-X⁸ Y⁴ ²A-²C⁸ [$4 (+Y3) signed]

Errors in foliation: leaves 104-108 and 110-111 printed 105-109 and 111-112.

In predominantly black letter type; some Roman and italic type.

Initials.

Includes index, signed W. West.

First published in 1482, Littleton's work was the earliest printed treatise on English law not printed in Latin. It incorporated some material from the Old tenures and "sums up the development of what was then the most important branch of the common law" --cf. Oxford companion to law.

ESTC S108628

STC (2nd ed.) 15745

Beale, J.H. Engl. law T30

Beale, J.H. Engl. law T62 (West's index only)

Text in Law French; note to the reader in Latin.

Bequest of Henry N. Ess, 2000.

Ex libris George Dunn (his sale, Sotheby, 11 Feb. 1913, no. 121)

Bound in contemporary calf, covers decorated with gilt fillets, corner and spine ornaments and center medallion stamp; vellum guards of rubricated manuscript waste, remains of green and black striped ties on inside of front cover. Edge-mark: "8 Z". On inside front cover, shelf mark label in a 20th (?) century hand: L.A.I. 1. Copy imperfect; lower half of final leaf cut away.

Trimmed to 11 cm. and bound in worn late 16th or early 17th century calf, decorated in blind with fillets; remains of brass clasps on back cover. Bookplate of George Dunn, who purchased it in July 1886. On verso of final leaf, the initials B. P. in an 18th century hand. With a few early marginal annotations, edges of some lost due to close cropping. Copy imperfect; lacking leaf 161 (X2).