How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X

An Exact Abridgement of all the Statutes in Force and Use, From Magna Charta, 9 H. 3. to the Beginning of the Reign of King George
London: Printed by his Majesty's Printers. And by the Assigns of Edward Sayer, Sold by R. Gosling, 1725-32. In eight volumes. From the library of John Jay, with his signature on title-page of each volume, and dated by him 1771. Additionally from the law library of his uncle, New York lawyer John Chambers, and signed by him on each title-page as well. 8vo. With one folding table, in Vol. I. Full tan library-style buckram, red and black morocco spine labels, stamped in gilt, light to moderate soiling, labels for Vols. VII and VIII applied on incorrect volumes; all edges trimmed; New York Law Institute Library ink stamp on each title-page (partially affecting some of Jay and Chambers’s signatures); repaired closed tear on title-page of Vol. I, tear in lower gutter of I1 in same volume; Jay's signature partially covered with paper remnant in Vol. II; Jay’s signature partially covered by ink stamp in Vol. III; Jay’s signature covered by ink stamp in Vol. VIII but still legible; scattered spotting; scattered faint dampstaining throughout. ESTC N31274

A significant copy with fine provenance of this set of English laws, from the library of Founding Father and First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Jay (1745-1829). Bequeathed to Jay by his uncle, New York lawyer John Chambers, whose successful defense of printer and journalist John Peter Zenger at his famous 1735 libel trial marked the first major victory for freedom of the press in the English colonies in North America.

At the time of Chambers's death in April 1764, it is believed that he owned the largest law library in New York province, half of which he left in his will to Jay, son of his brother-in-law, Peter Jay. In May 1764, the younger Jay graduated from King's College (now Columbia University) and began his legal studies as a law clerk in the office of Benjamin Kissam, a prominent New York City attorney. It was the beginning of an ascendant legal career that would help define early American jurisprudence, from the Revolution through to the Federal period.

Admitted to the bar in 1768, Jay established his own private law firm in 1771, the same year he signed the present volumes. At 26, he cultivated a reputation as a rising and gifted member of the New York bar, utilizing his legal expertise to build a popular and profitable practice which he would parlay into his public career in politics and diplomacy. His entrance into public life in 1773 coincided with the escalating tensions between the colonies and Great Britain, during which he would later play a critical role. Elected to both the First and Second Continental Congresses, he initially advocated a moderate stance seeking reconciliation with the Crown, and helped draft several of Congress's early messages that helped define its voice to the states and the world at large. With the failure of his Olive Branch petition, his views evolved toward supporting independence, although he did not vote or sign the Declaration of Independence, as he remained in New York working with the state legislature.

The following year in New York, Jay played a pivotal role in drafting the state's first constitution, serving as its primary author. He was subsequently appointed as the first Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, a post he held until 1779. He later returned to the Continental Congress, where he was elected President in 1778. In 1779, he was appointed Minister to Spain to lobby for financial support for the Revolutionary War. Later, in 1783, as one of three peace commissioners alongside John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, Jay helped negotiate the treaty that ended the war (he was doggedly insistent that Britain accept independence as the starting condition for the negotiations). Following the conflict, he served as the second Secretary of Foreign Affairs under the Articles of Confederation, until 1789. He then accepted the appointment as the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court under the newly ratified Constitution, a document he had vigorously supported, and defended in essays written for The Federalist Papers alongside Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. Jay served as Chief Justice until 1795, and in the process helped develop the nascent federal judicial system. That same year, he negotiated the eponymous "Jay Treaty" with Great Britain to resolve lingering post-war disputes. After resigning from the Court, he was elected Governor of New York, serving two three-year terms. During his governorship, he signed legislation that initiated the abolition of slavery in the state and implemented significant reforms to the judicial system.