The Third Part of the Institutes [Bound with] The Fourth Part of the.

1680. Early Editions of Coke's Third and Fourth Institutes Coke, Sir Edward [1552-1643]. The Third Part of the Institutes of the Laws of England: Concerning High Treason, And Other Pleas of the Crown, And Criminal Causes. London: Printed by W. Rawlins, For Thomas Basset, 1680. [vi], 243, [20] pp. Lacking portrait frontispiece. [Bound with] Coke, Sir Edward. The Fourth Part of the Institutes of the Laws of England: Concerning the Jurisdiction of Courts. London: Printed by W. Rawlins, 1681. [x], 364, [36] pp. Copperplate portrait frontispiece. Folio (12-1/4" x 7-3/4"). Contemporary calf, blind rules to boards, later tiny label (reading "62") to foot of front board, blind fillets along joints, gilt tooling to board edges, raised bands and gilt lettering piece to spine. Light rubbing and some gouges and scuffs to boards, which are beginning to separate but secure, gilding mostly rubbed away from board edges, moderate rubbing to extremities with wear to spine ends, corners bumped and somewhat worn. Moderate toning to interior, faint dampstaining and minor worming to foot of text block in a few places, later owner signature (Joseph White, Hereford) to verso of front free endpaper, earlier owner signature (Howard Allen, 1745) to head of title page. $1,500. * Sixth editions. "Coke's Third Institutes gives us a Treatise of great learning, and not unworthy the hand that produced it;... Having run over all criminal matters, and their legal punishments, he concludes with the nature of pardons and restitutions; showing how far, in each of these, our Kings can process alone, and where they want the assistance and joint power of the Parliaments" (Marvin). Some of its more interesting topics are "Of Felony by Conjuration, Witchcraft, Sorcery, or Inchantment," "Felony for Carrying Away a Woman Against Her Will," and "Of Felony for Having a Plague Sore Upon Him, Contrary to Commandment, Goeth Abroad, &c." The Fourth Institutes outlines the authority and jurisdictions of the courts, including Star-Chamber, Kings Court, Chancery, the Court of Common Pleas, Ecclesiastical Courts, Courts of Exchequer, Augmentations, Admiralty, the Justices Assize, university courts, the Eighteen Courts of the City of London and the ecclesiastical courts. Marvin, Legal Bibliograph.