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Robert Treat Paine Papers

Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 2

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To Benjamin Johnson

22 December 1760

From Abel Willard

13 January 1761
To Eliphalet Dyer
RTP Dyer, Eliphalet
Boston Decr. 24th. 1760 Sr.,

After my Compliments to you & yr. Lady I inform you that by close watching I got the first Volumns of Bacon's abridgments1 from Mr. Skinners2 Library who is lately dead.B 3 They are out of Print & so esteemed as to fetch £8.10.0 Ster. in London.C A The method they took to sell his Law book was to get them priz'd by a Stationer who prized 'em all at the Sterling Cost.B C These are as good as new, 'tis a shocking price for three small folios but I gave it, & so did a brother Lawyer for a set not long since & I refused 40 dollars for these because I expected you chose to have 'em which if you do you are welcome to 'em at £11.6.8. Law, Money which they come to from selling? sterling, but tho I have laid out the money for them yet if you think it too much they will sell as it happens, & so it will be no damage equall to the safisfaction of giving you the Refusal of 'em. I shall reserve 'em till I hear from you & pray it may be soon. The 4th Volume is out & may be had at a much cheeper rate. Give me leave to add a word relating to my Land. I wish a chap could be found for it even tho on credit & good security. I flatter my self you Will not be wanting if any thing should offer.

LbC ; addressed: "To Eliphalet Dyer Esqr. at Windham."

1.

Matthew Bacon, A new abridgement of the law (London, 1736, and later editions).

 2.

William Skinner (1707/8–1760) was a Boston lawyer (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 9:98–99). RTP 202noted in his cashbook that he purchased the following volumes on Nov. 2, 1760, from Mrs. Lydia Skinner: Bacon's Abridgt. 3 Vols. (Matthew Bacon, A new abridgement of the law, 5 vols. London, 1759–1766, 1762–1766), 32s.; Boothe on Real Actions (G. Booth, Nature and Practice of Real Actions in their Writs and Processes. 1701, 1704), 3s.; New Nata. Brevium (Anthony Fitzherbert, The new Natura brevium of the most revered judge, Mr. Anthony Fitz-herbert. Many edns. London, 1652–1755), 6s.10d.; Doctor & Student (Christopher Saint German, Doctor and student: or Dialogues between a doctor of divinity, and a student in the laws of England. 15th ed. London, 1751; copy now at Mass. Hist. Soc.), 5s.1d.; Molloy de Jure Maritimo (C. Molloy, De Jure Maritimo et Navali; or Treatise of Affaires Maritime and of Commerce. many edns.), 5s.4d.; Naval Trade & Commerce 2 Vols. (General Treatise of Naval Trade and Commerce as Founded on the Laws and Statutes of this Realm. 1753), 10s.8d.; and Worrals Law Catalogue (John Worrall, Bibliotheca legum. London, published annually beginning 1732), 11s.3d.

 3.

The superscript letters probably indicate changes in the organization of the letter by RTP before he sent the fair copy to Dyer.