xxvi Introduction. 



The most important are the Grand Abridgment of the 

 Common Law (15 14, folio), Office of Justices of the Peace 

 (1538), Diversity of Courts (1539), and the New Natura 

 Brevium, of which the ninth edition, with a commentary by 

 Lord Hale, appeared in 1794. The first edition of the Grand 

 Abridgment was printed by Pynson, who was also the printer 

 of the first edition of the Book of Husbandry. The New 

 Natura Brevium was printed in 1534 by Berthelet, who re- 

 printed the Book of Husbandry in the same year. In a 

 bookseller's catalogue, March, 1880, I chanced to see the 

 following. " Early English Printing ; Black Letter ; Law 

 Books in Latin and Norman-French (1543-51), Natura 

 Brevium ; newely and most trewely corrected with diverse 

 additio?^s of statutes bokes cases plees in abatements, etc. ; 

 London, Wyllyam Powel, 1551. — Articuli ad Narrationes 

 novas ; London, W. Powel, 1547. — Diuersite de courtz et lour 

 jurisdiccions, et alia necessaria et utilia, London, W. Myd- 

 dylton, 1543. The three works in i vol., sm. 8vo., old calf 

 neat, quite perfect and very rare, 2ii-." 



The present volume contains a careful reprint of Berthelet's 

 edition of 1534, which is a fairly good one. I have collated 

 it throughout with the curious edition of 1598, which abounds 

 with " corrections," some of them no improvements, and with 

 additional articles. It is a very curious book, and I have 

 given all the more interesting variations in the notes, with 

 a description of the additions. The author, who only gives 

 his initials " I. R." (by which initials I have been often obliged 

 to quote him^) has the effrontery to tell us that he has reduced 

 Fitzherbert's work " into a more pleasing forme of English 

 then before ;" and says that he has " labored to purge the 

 same fro;;^ the barbarisme of the former times." Again he 

 addresses the reader, saying — " Gentle Reader, being vrged 



* Possibly James Roberts ; see p. xxiv, note i. 



