In black letter type.

Spaces left for initial capitals to be supplied in manuscript.

First edition of the earliest printed treatise on English law not printed in Latin. Littleton's work 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.

Collation: a-h⁸ i⁶ [$4 signed; printing a2-a4 as a1-a3]

Date of imprint from STC (2nd ed.)

Title and imprint from colophon, i6 verso: Expliciu[n]t Tenores nouelli imp[re]ssi p[er] nos Ioh[an]es Lettou [et] Will[e]s de Machlinia i[n] citate Londonia[rum] ecc[lesi]a[m] o[mn]i[u]m s[an]c[t]or[um]

Leaf a1 recto blank; table of contents on a1 verso.

STC (2nd ed.) 15719

Beale, J.H. Engl. law T3

Duff 273

Goff L232

Hain-Copinger 10126

Walsh, J.E. 15th cent. printed books 4002

Purchased 1986.

In Law French.

Ex libris John West -- Edward Combe.

Bound in contemporary calf over wooden boards, covers decorated in blind with fillets and diaper pattern and border of animal tools. Identified as work of the 'Indulgence binder', i.e. John Lettou or William de Machlinia --cf. G. D. Hobson. Blind stamped panels in the English book trade. All edges sprinkled red. Rebacked. Manuscript initials capitals at the beginning of the books are filled in in red and blue; other initial capitals in red. On recto of 1st leaf are names in contemporary or early 16th century hands, including 'John West thelder', 'Pulley[n]' and 'Smyth'; 2 Latin mottoes. On verso is the signature of Edwarde Combes in a 16th century hand. At head of 1st leaf of text is a price in an early 17th century hand. With some contemporary marginal annotations.