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From Pirates to Poisoning: Over 5,000 Pages of Crime Drama.

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:350.00 USD Estimated At:700.00 - 1,100.00 USD
From Pirates to Poisoning: Over 5,000 Pages of Crime Drama.
Complete set of 6 volumes, A Complete Collection of State-Trials, and Proceedings upon High-Treason, and Other Crimes and Misdemeanours; From The Reign of King Richard II, To The End of the Reign of King George I..., London: 1730. Second ed., "with great Additions." A massive ensemble, in original full calf, 9 x 14, double gilt rules and blind-tooled ornamentation on covers, hubbed spine with elaborate gilt filigree, decorated fore-edges of boards, all edges scarlet. 998, 1,038, 1,027, 862, 858, and 308 + 60 pp. Appendix + unpaginated but extensive integral index to all six volumes, respectively. With an astonishing array of case law in the branch of English law which informed the American prerequisites for impeachment. Heading include Allegiance, Assassination, Habeas Corpus, Marriage ("Marrying a second Wife the first being alive, Felony"), Naturalization, Pardon, Prisoners and Imprisonment (including Sir Thomas More), Sir Walter Raleigh, Riots and Routs ("Lawful for private Persons to arm themselves to oppose Riots, Rebellions, or common Enemies"), Mary Queen of Scots, Treason ("It is the Imagination that is the Treason, the Overt Acts are but the Evidence of it"), Thomas Whitebread's plot to poison the King, Witchcraft, and many others. Content includes the controversial Judge Jeffreys trial of Titus Oates, "The Hand-writing of a Criminal prov'd by comparing it with other Writing of his," trial of the "German Princess" for bigamy, "The same Certainty is not requisite in an Impeachment as is required in an Indictment," vast number of entries for Capt. William Kidd's indictments for murder and piracy, with names of co-defendants and fellow pirates (including the aptly monikered Hugh Parrot), in the first recitation of otherwise-unknown pirates by name we have encountered; "Publishing any News-Books without License punishable." "...If a Servant go voluntarily with a Pirate, and accepts his share of the Booty, he was to be accounted a Pirate." "Musick, Dancing, Church-Ceremonies, and Men and Women's Hair offends Mr. Prynn; and he insinuates that we are returning to Paganism, and persuades People to fly their Country. Prynn affirms that he would rather die than put on his Maid's Clothes...." Thousands of other entries. With extensive trial transcripts, the combination of their antiquity and typography rendering them utterly absorbing: "...Gamble the Coachman swears, That the Night Dr. Clenche was killed, he took up three Men in Cheapside, set one of them down at Gray's Inn, and drove on to Dr. Clenche's House; the Doctor was not at Home, then the third Man came in again to the Coach, and he drove to the Blue-Boar's-Head, an Alehouse...and twas then about Eight of the Clock..."--Vol. 4, p. 505 (the prisoner was found not guilty). Both boards of Vols. 1, 2 and 6 detached but present, front boards of 4 and 5 loose, all boards and spines heavily worn, with varied scuffing, tip rounding, and defects; some spine labels present. Two endleaves and title page of Vol. 3 shaken but present; foxing of last two leaves of last volume, else text with very minor, occasional faults, but remarkably fresh, clean, and about very fine to excellent. Complete sets are scarce. (6 vol. set)