Law French - Rare Book Room Open House

Stop by the Rare Book Room for November's open house!  We'll explore the curious hybrid language which was Law French, in use by English jurists and their publishers from the 15th century.  On view: a mid-15thc. manuscript of the Statuta Angliae nova; 17th-century manuscript reports from the King’s Bench and other courts; dual-language printed editions of Littleton’s Tenures; and more. 

Join us and our early modern English jurists as we mangle French in manuscript and print together.  Stay for a few minutes or settle in for the hour with a brief introduction and exercises on the history of this once influential and now extinct legal language.

Shown above: A decorated initial from the Statuta Angliae nova, England, ca. 1460-1480.  Call #: Rare36 11-0199.