William Blackstone

A set of finely bound, fourth edition volumes of Commentaries on the Laws of England by William Blackstone.

• Sold as a set of 4 volumes.
• William Blackstone (English).
• Commentaries on the Laws of England. In Four Books.
• London: At The Clarendon Press, 1770.
• Square quarto.
• Bound fine in contemporary full tan calf over cords, gilt lettered red morocco spine labels, with the 2 tables in volume 2 one folding, neat contemporary ownership signature of "S. Blackall" to the front pastedown of each volume.

The most influential publication in the history of modern Anglo-American law. 'Since its first publication in 1765, Blackstone's Commentaries has exercised enormous influence over common law in England and elsewhere. 'Until the Commentaries, the ordinary Englishman had viewed the law as a vast, unintelligible and unfriendly machine. If the English constitution survived the troubles of the (nineteenth) century, it was because the law had gained a new popular respect, and this was due in part to the enormous success of Blackstone's work. He did for the English what the imperial publication of Roman law did for the people of Rome' (PMM).