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SCOTLAND. LAWS & STATUTES.. The Actis And Constitutiounis of the Realme of Scotland maid in Parliamentis haldin be the rycht excellent, hie and mychtie princeis Kingis Iames the First, Secund, thrid, Feird, Fyft, and in tyme of Marie now Quene of Scottis, viseit, correctit, and extractit furth of the registers be the Lordis depute be hir Maiesteis speciall commissioun thairto. Anno Do. 1566.

folio. ff. [14], ii-cxxii, cxxiiii-cxlv, [1], cxlvi-clviii, [2], clix-clxviii, [2], clxix-clxxxii. lacking initial blank & blank c4. woodcut title. woodcut initials. black letter. 19th century russia, gilt centre ornaments, gilt inside dentelles (joints repaired, head & foot of spine chipped, some of first few leaves apparently supplied from another copy, title cropped & repaired at corners with part of lower outer corner supplied in facsimile, marginal repairs to other prelims, occasional light soiling, light dampstaining in second part). a few old marginal notes. First Edition, variant issue, of the earliest collection of Scottish acts and statutes, compiled by James Balfour and others, and edited by Edward Henryson. The commission to compile and publish the laws, known as the 'Black Acts', was appointed by Queen Mary largely through the advice of John Leslie, Bishop of Ross. The work, covering the period from the accession of James I in 1424, to the current reign of Mary, 1564, is an important source for the political history of the period. Also of interest here are the early printed references to the game of golf. This copy corresponds to STC 21876, which combines elements of STC 21875 and 21876A, with cancels for folios 113, 118, 132, and 145, the latter followed by an unnumbered leaf; 2 unnumbered leaves following 158 and 168; 181 replaced by 2 leaves, including the new colophon dated 28 November; and 133 cancelled and not replaced, but with the earlier state of the title-page, line 3 ending with the word 'the'. Aldis 51. STC 21876.

$7493 USD