De Termino Michaelis Anno XXII. Henrici Sexti, London, 1575

1575. London: Richard Tottell, 1575. 60 ff.. London: Richard Tottell, 1575. 60 ff. Year 22, Michaelmas Term, Of Henry VI, Beale R23 [Year Book]. Henry VI [Reigned 1422-1461, 1470-1471]. De Termino Michaelis Anno XXII. Henrici Sexti [Drop Head Title]. London: Imprinted...in Fletestrete Within Temple Barre, At the Signe of the Hande and Starre, By Rychard Tottell the 18. Day of October in the Yere of Our Lord, 1585. 60 ff. Folio (11-1/2" x 8"). Recent quarter calf over marbled boards, gilt title to spine, endpapers renewed. Negligible light rubbing to extremities, faint scratch to front board. Light toning to interior, worm hole through first six leaves with negligible loss to text. A handsome copy. $1,000. * It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Year Books. As a series of notes on debates and points of pleadings in Norman England they are of crucial primary sources for our knowledge of medieval common law. They also provide a richly detailed portrait of contemporary English life, customs and manners. The origin of the Year Books is unknown. Some scholars believe they were notes compiled by law students for study while others maintain they were made by lawyers for use in pleading. Though it is not known when the first manuscript volumes were compiled, extant examples date from the 1270s to 1535. Printed editions of the Year Books were first issued by William de Machlinia between 1481 and 1482. The present volume belongs to the so-called "Quarto Edition." Not a set or edition in the conventional sense, these volumes were issued separately with various dates and impressions between 1522 and 1619. English Short-Title Catalogue S101448. Beale, Bibliography of Early English Law Books R159.