La somme rurale

Paris: Antoine Vérard or Pierre Levet, 1488. First Edition. Hardcover (rebound in leather). Very Good Condition. The first Parisian edition rebound in 19th century full leather. First published in 1479 and written around 1370. Scattered minor finger marks, first page worn and repaired on verso, first few pages modestly browned and stained, last leaves with minor staining; quite clean otherwise. Attractively rubricated copy lacking the 12 and 6 leaf indexes preceding the two parts, but otherwise complete. 208 (of 220) leaves; 86 (of 94) leaves. Light pencil notations figuring out the idiosyncratic date on the final leaf by colophon (which reads mil,cccc,iiii (truncated) v v.et huit.) Printed in two columns of 38 lines, ca. 11" x 7.5"

One of the most important of the coutumier, and the last great example of the form, La somme rurale details the customs and use of French law as it was imposed in the late middle ages. It merges Roman, customary, and feudal law and was cited by Montesquieu and well into the 18th century. The customary law scholar Louis Le Caron edited a much reprinted 17th century edition. Quite rare: six copies of this edition are listed in ISTC, one in the US.

Goff B1053, ISTC ib01053000, GW 4969 Size: Folio. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: 2-3 kilos. Category: Law & Criminal Studies; Antiquarian & Rare. Inventory No: 048664. (Inventory #: 048664)