YEA WYATT, JOHN. See Praclkctl Register. WYTHE, GEORGE. Decisions of Cases in Virginia, by the High Court of Chancery; with Remarlcs upon Decrees by the Court of Appeals, Reversing some of those Decisions, fol. Rich- mond. 1795. "In 1795," says the biographer of the Chancellor, "he published a work under the Title of Chancery Decisions, in order to review par- ticular sentences of the Court of Appeals, reversing some decisions made by himself. The book is written in a stiff and affected style ; but is very caustic, and animadverts, with great asperity, upon the judg- ments of the Court of Appeals." 4 Call's Rep. 14. YATES, JOHN V. N. A Collection of Pleadings and Practical Precedents ; with Notes thereon, and approved Forms of Bills o|" Costs, &c. 2d ed. ^ 8vo. Albany. 1837. YEAR-BOOKS. Les Reports des Cases argue and adjudge in le temps del' Roy Edward le Second, et auxy memoranda del' Ex- chequer en les Temps le Roy Edward le Primer. Solon ; les an- cient MSS. ore remanent en les maines de Sir Jehan Maynard. fol. London. 1678. This volume, or Part of the Year-Books, is known by the name of Maynardh Edward I. ^ II., by whom the Cases were selected out of several ancient MSS, and caused to be printed. It is the oldest collec- tion of Cases extant in print, though elder decisions still exist in MS., and others are mentioned. Lord Hale cites Cases in the time of King John, and Sir Edward Coke had seen Reports of the reign of Henry III. Chaucer, in describing a Serjeant-at-Law, says — In Terms had he Cases and domys all. That fro' the time of King Welyam was full. Sir John Davis assures us, that there are Reports, in years and terms, as ancient as the time of William the Conqueror, but fails to give us any proofs for this assertion. If there were any regular Reports anterior to Maynard's, it is a little remarkable that they are not cited in some of the printed Cases of the Year-Books. Richard de Winchedon, " a student of the law" of the time of Edward II., is supposed, by Mr. Selden, to have collected the Cases comprised in the above volume of the Year- Books. Mr. Selden was in possession of a more complete MS. copy of these Reports, (now unfortunately lost,) than the printed volume. The manner of reporting at that period was very circumstantial, not unlike modern newspaper reports of trials. " The action is first stated ; then comes the counsel for the plaintiff, who rehearses the declaration ; he is 752
