Lex Mercatoria: or, The Merchant's Companion. Containing all the..

1729. With A "Merchant's Dictionary of Words and Terms" [Jacob, Giles (1686-1744)]. Lex Mercatoria: Or, The Merchant's Companion. Containing all the Laws and Statutes Relating to Merchandize. Wherein Our Trade with Foreign Nations, and Trade in General Amongst Our Selves, With What Belongs to Particular Companies, and all Maritime Affairs, in the way of Traffick, are illustrated and Concisely Treated of; Under the Heads of Merchants, and Owners of Ships, Masters, Mariners, Pilots, Freight, and Charter-Parties of Affreightment, Insurance, Bottomry, Customs, Wrecks, Factors, Planters and Plantations, Letters of Marque and Reprisal, Privateers, Piracy, Treaties of Commerce, Exchange, &c. With an Introduction, Setting forth the Laws of Nature and of Nations, Dominion of the Sea, &c. Some Curious and Useful History, and Variety of Special Cases and Determinations Interspers'd Thro' the Whole. To which are Added, in Proper Places, The Best Adapted Precedents of Instruments and Writings Made Use of in All Cases Relating to Trade. [London]: Printed by E. and R. Nutt, 1729. [xii], 404, [12] pp. Octavo (7-3/4" x 4-3/4"). Contemporary calf, rebacked in period style, blind rules to boards, blind fillets along joints, lettering piece, gilt-edged raised bands and gilt publication date to spine, hinges mended. Light rubbing and a few nicks and scuffs to boards, moderate rubbing to board edges, corners bumped and somewhat worn, small faint stain to foot of spine, front hinge cracked, minor, gradually diminishing worming at foot of gutter of first quarter of text block. Moderate toning to interior, light soiling to title page. $1,150. * Second, and final, edition, "Corrected, with the Addition of Three Entire New Chapters. And Also A Merchant's Dictionary, of Words and Terms, &c." Both a treatise and a handbook, it provides information ranging from a form for "An Assignment of Negroes" (pp. 170-171) to a discussion of the South Sea Company (pp. 288-295). Its first edition was published in 1718. Known for his New Law-Dictionary, Jacob was the most prolific English legal writer of the eighteenth century. Although he was interested in boosting sales by attracting the widest audience possible, Jacob was also an idealist who believed that widespread knowledge of the law would help create a more just society. This is the goal of Lex Mercatoria.