The New Instructor Clericalis, Stating the Authority, Jurisdiction..

1786. Early Edition of the First Systematic Account of the Court of Common Pleas Impey, John [d. 1829]. The New Instructor Clericalis, Stating the Authority, Jurisdiction, And Modern Practice of the Court of Common Pleas. With Directions for Commencing and Defending Actions, Entering up Judgments, Suing Out Executions, And Proceeding in Error. To Which are Added, The Rules of the Court, Modern Precedents, And Several Other Matters Necessary to be Known by Attornies and Their Clerks, in Town and Country. The Whole illustrated by Useful Notes and Observations from the Best Authorities; With Additions, And a Copious Index. London: Printed for the Author, By His Majesty's Law Printers, 1786. [vi], 617, [59] pp. Octavo (8-1/4" x 5"). Contemporary calf, rebacked in period style, blind fillets to boards, raised bands, blind ornaments and retained contemporary lettering piece to spine, blind tooling to board edges, hinges mended. Light rubbing and minor scuffing to boards, moderate rubbing to extremities with some wear to corners. Light toning to text, light foxing to a few laves, light soiling to title page. $500. * Second edition, corrected, one of two issues from 1786. First published in 1784, this book offered the first systematic account of the practice of this court. Its tenth and final edition was published in 1826. "Before Mr. Impey's meritorious labours, the attorney must have had to rely upon information delivered on tradition only; and such information, sometimes diversely given, even by officers of the Courts; the books of that gentleman first embodied much of the general practice" (Marvin). Impey also published a similar guide to the court of King's Bench in 1782, which was equally successful. Despite their popularity, early editions of both works are scarce. Marvin, Legal Bibliography 408. English Short-Title Catalogue T107638.