Colophon: Imprinted at London in Fletestrete within Temple Barre, at the signe of the Hand and Starre, by Rycharde Tottle, the first of Aprill 1584.

"Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum." --foot of title page and colophon.

Collation: A-Z⁸ [$4 signed; misprinting S2 as D2]

Error in foliation: leaf 74 not numbered.

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

Index at end.

The Natura brevium is a selection of writs, with commentary, based on the Registrum brevium or Register of writs, dating from the reign of Edward III. The first printed edition of Natura brevium was published in 1494 by Richard Pynson. After Sir Anthony Fitzherbert published his New Natura brevium in 1534, it was referred to as the Old Natura brevium.

STC (2nd ed) 18402

Beale, J.H. Engl. law T97

Received March 24, 1897; gift of James Barr Ames.

Gift of the Roscoe Pound Foundation, 1992.

Text in Law French and Latin.

Bequest of Henry N. Ess, 2000.

Ex libris Sir Thomas Barrington --James Barr Ames.

Ex libris George Dunn -- Roscoe Pound -- Roscoe Pound Foundation.

Trimmed to 12 cm. and bound in 19th century sprinkled calf, covers decorated in gilt with fillets and corner ornaments; spine decorated in gilt; inside covers with gilt rules. Marbled paper pastedowns and endpapers, all edges stained red. Signed by binder W. Pratt. Early former owner's signature washed from title page. With this is bound STC 9603, Tabula libri assisarum [1502?]. Signature of former owner on title page of that work is partially lost due to close cropping.

Bound in very worn 18th or early 19th sheepskin decorated with blind and gilt fillets; rebacked. Edge-mark: "Na: Br:". Signature of James Barr Ames on flyleaf. At head of title page is the price of the book in an early (17th cent.?) hand; a few marginal annotations in the same hand. Also on title page, signature 'Thomas Jas. Barrington', dated 1624.

Bound in worn contemporary calf decorated in blind with fillets and center medallion stamp; paper guards of printed waste. Label of Richard Amer, law bookseller, Lincolns Inn Gate. Carey Street. London. Bookplate of George Dunn, who purchased it in July 1886. Signature of Roscoe Pound, dated 20 November 1913. A few early marginal annotations.