Page:Legal Bibliography, Numbers 1 to 12, 1881 to 1890.djvu/17

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SOULE & BUGBEE'S LEGAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. 3 topics included in a legal education, such as evidence, pleading, contracts, etc. There will probably be three volumes, of pocket size, but clearly printed, so as not to injure the eyesight. The first volume, to be ready in June, will comprise the essential parts of Blackstone's Commentaries. The whole volume will be given up to Blackstone, as Prof. Ewell has seen fit to give fuller extracts than any of his predecessors, and has included everything of Black- stone not now obsolete ; distinguishing between the more and less important portions by giving the latter in a smaller type. As this series comes from a compiler who has had great ex- perience and success in instructing students, we expect that it will be very useful, both as a preliminary in the study of the law, and also as an aid in reviewing a course of study. We cannot yet announce a definite price ; but if any reader of this paragraph, who desires further information, will write to us, we will send him, in a few weeks, a circular containing all particulars of publication. SOULE'S SYNONYMES, FOR OFFICE USE. Hon. James M. Smith, Judge of the Superior Court of Buffalo, N.Y., upon seeing our advertisement, wrote to us : "I have used Soule's Synonymes for years, and the book is now indispensable to me. It is far superior to its principal rival." This unsolicited and unexpected commendation pleased us more — and would probably have more weight with lawyers — than the opinions of reviewers in newspapers or magazines. To a lawyer who cares to be accurate and forcible in the language of his argument or his briefs, — no book can be more useful than the volume which Judge Smith commends. Its utility is well defined in the preface, as follows : — " The main design of this Dictionary of Synonymes is to pro- vide a ready means of assistance when one is at a loss for a word or an expression that best suits a particular turn of thought or mood of the mind, or that may obviate an ungraceful repetition. Even practised and skilful writers are sometimes embarrassed in the endeavor to make a sentence more clear, simple, terse, or rhythmical, by the substitution of one form of diction for another. It is presumed that they, as well as novices in composition, will find the present work useful in overcoming difficulties of this sort." The simplicity of the alphabetical arrangement of the typical words in each group, renders this manual as easy to use as a small dictionary. Indeed, a prominent publisher, in New York, keeps Soule's Synonymes in his desk instead of a dictionary, and says that it serves his purpose better, even when he wants to look up the meaning of a word. We could append a column of commendatory notices, but feel content to rest the case with the opinion of those who have used the book. The price, in cloth, is nominally $2.00, but as this was fixed some years ago, and since then it has become the custom to give discounts to lawyers on the older catalogue prices, we will sell the volume for 60. In half calf binding, suitable for per- manent use, or for a present, we can sell it for $2.80, — the nominal price being $3.50. STAR-CHAMBER CASES, This reprint from the very rare and costly edition of 1630, is one of the finest specimens of typography ever issued from the University press. The title-page reads ;" Star-Chamber Cases, showing what causes properly belong to the cognizance of that court. Collected for the most part out of Mr. Crompton, his book, entitled the Jurisdiction of divers Courts. London, printed for John Grove, at Furnival's Inne Gate, 1630." The reprint contains a scholarly and interesting historical sketch of the court, by F. F. Heard, Esq. The impression is upon Ger- man cartoon paper of the finest quality. The book is bound elegantly in full English law calf, at $5.00 net, or in boards at $3.00 net. We think we may affirm with confidence that no English law-book has ever been printed with equal elegance of typography, paper, and bind- ing. — John William Wallace, in Legal Intelligencer. The tract is in itself of great historical interest. This reprint has a judicious introduction by Mr. F. F. Heard, a gentleman peculiarly com- petent for such editing. . . . This little volume is the most beautiful specimen of American law-book printing and binding that we have ever seen, being in every point superior to the exquisite reprints issued a few years ago by Alessrs. Stevens, of London. — Albany Law Journal. Such members of the profession as are blessed with the opportunity and inclination to study the principles of their craft scientifically, will recognize at once the importance of a thorough familiarity with the sources of the law and the history of its developrnent. To such a reader, a reprint of this character cannot fail to be valuable and suggestive. . . . We have never seen a richer and more attractive dress bestowed upon a law-book. — Central Law Journal. A beautiful fac-simile reprint. — N. Y. Times. A VALUABLE AND INTERESTING LAW-BOOK. We have just published the fourth edition of The Report- ers, ARRANGED AND CHARACTERIZED WITH INCIDENTAL RE- MARKS BY John William Wallace, revised and enlarged by the author, and carried through the press under the superintend- ence of Franklin Fiske Heard. [Fi-ice, in full law sheep, or in half law calf, $5.50 net. Delivered by mail for $5.75.] This admirable work originated in an article written by Mr. Wallace for the American Law Magazine, and reprinted in pamphlet form (77 pages) in 1S44. A second edition (xxxvii and 103 pages) was published in 1845. The third edition ap- peared in 1855, enlarged to 434 pages. The author's occupation, as Reporter to the Supreme Court, prevented further revision, and the work soon passed out of print, and became so scarce that sec- ond-hand copies have long commanded a high price, both at auc- tion and at private sale. The assistance of Mr. Heard has now enabled Mr. Wallace to bring out this fourth edition, still fur- ther enlarged by valuable additions to the text and notes, and grown to 660 octavo pages. " The Reporters," as Mr. Wallace uses the term here, re- fers to the authors or editors of the older English reports, prior to the Revolution, when there was little system in law-report- ing, and the reports varied in excellence and authenticity with the merits or demerits of the reporters, whose personal qualifica- tions for the task became a more important subject of investiga- tion than in the later days of systematic and authorized reporting. In this book the old reports, from the Year Books down to Burrow and Cowper, are taken up and discussed, with a view to exhibiting their comparative value. A chronological list of the modern re- ports, to date, in the English, Irish, Scotch, and American courts, is appended, together with other valuable matter. The reputation won by this work is indicated by the following extracts from I'eviews of former editions : — "A highly valuable and interesting work." — Sir Edward Vaughn Williams, in Farrall v. HilditcA, 5 Common Bench Reports, N. S. (94 English Common Law), 855.