Page:Marvin, Legal Bibliography, 1847.djvu/283

 DOM DOM AT, JEAN. The Civil Law, in its natural order ; together with the Public Law, Translated into English, by AV. Strahan ; with Additional Remarks on some material differences between the Civil Law and the Law of England. 2d ed. 2 vols. fol. London. 1737. " The Civil Law in its natural order, considering the age and the cir- cumstances in which it was written, is a truly wonderful performance. His method is excellent, and his matter clear, exact, and comprehensive. Pothier, and other continental jurists, have drawn largely upon him to assist their own labors." Later writers, with accumulated facilities for investigation, have written more fully upon most of the subjects em- braced by Domat, but his works were the first successful attempt to reduce to order the Civil Law of France ; and their authority is still invoked throughout the whole civilized world. Pref. to Story's Bail.; HolF. Leg. Stu. 535. DOMESDAY-BOOK. Sen Liber Censualis Willelmi Primi, Regis AnglifP, inter Archivos Regni in Dorao Capitulari Westmonasterii asservatus. 2 torn. fol. London. 1783. Domesday-Book is a general survey of all the lands in England, except the four northern counties, specifying whether it was arable land, pasture, or meadow ; with the names of the owners, and an account of mills, fisheries, villeins, and personal property, with their value. This survey was commenced by order of William the Conqueror, in 1080 or 81, and finished in 1086. "To reimburse the King his expenses, in framing this great Roll of the kingdom, six shillings was laid upon every plowland, which made the design of it less agreeable to the peo- ple, though every man's right thereby received a new evidence, and no injustice was complained of in the digestion of so difficult a work, and of so various a nature." A similar work is said to have been composed by King Alfred, about the year 900, of which this is in part a copy, though its existence is not now known. The above volumes were printed from a transcript of the original made by Abraham Farley, "a gentleman of long as well as of great experience in records, and who had had almost daily recourse to the original for more than forty years." It was more than ten years passing through the press, and is printed with remarkable correctness, preserving every interlineation and correc- tion of the original, being, in short, an exact fac simile. It is resorted to, to determine what lands are ancient demesnes of the crown, parcels of manors, the pedigrees of families, the sites of ancient mills, the Abbe}'' lands belonging to religious houses, and a variety of other circum- stances incident to the proof of immemorial right? and obligations. " It has always been esteemed of the highest authority in questions of 271