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THE

HISTORY

OF THE

Common Law of England.

BY

SIR MATTHEW HALE.

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Of Law no less can be acknowledged, than that her seat is the bosom of God; her
voice the harmony of the world; all things in heaven and earth do her homage;
the very least, as feeling her care, and the greatest, as not exempted from her
HOOKER.

power.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR HENRY BUTTERWORTH, LAW-BOOKSELLER,

7, FLEET-STREET,

BETWEEN THE TEMPLE GATES.

Rogers, Red-Lion-Street, Clerkenwell, London.

PREFACE.

THOUGH the approbation of Sir MATTHEW HALE, was of itself, sufficient to insure success to any production, yet this History was dismissed from the closet, without soliciting indulgence by a prefatory discourse, or claiming respect from the authority of his name (a). It were needless to mention the rapid success which attended, or the generous applause which was bestowed on its publication; in truth it has ever been justly held in the highest estimation; and, like the virtue of its author, been universally admired. Here the student finds a valuable guide ;--the advocate a learned assistant ;--the court an indisputable authority. The impossibility of adding to

(a) The title-page to the first edition was-" The History of the Common "Law of England.-Divided into Twelve Chapters.-Written by a learned "hand."-Published in 1713.

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