Tractatus Foecundus, et Perutilis de Praescriptionibus

1564. A Renaissance Law Student's Manual: Balbo on the Law of Property Rights (Venice, 1564) Balbo, Giovanni Francesco [fl. 1510-1518]. [Henricus, de Segusio, Cardinal (Hostiensis) (c. 1200-1271)]. Tractatus Foecundus, et Perutilis de Praescriptionibus: Editus per Clarissimum Iurisconsultum do. Ioannem Franciscum Balbum Taurinensem. Cui Accedit Repetitio Singularis l. Celsus ff. de Usucap. Cum Multis Additionibus & Apostillis, Una cum Dictis Hostien. In Summa de Praescrip. & Usucap. & Cum Summariis & Repertorio Nuper Additis. Venice: [Apud Cominum de Tridino], 1564. [xxxii], 300 pp. Main text in parallel columns. Fol. 1 has woodcut of Balbo instructing a class of students. Octavo (6" x 4"). Contemporary limp vellum, early hand-lettered title to spine, ties lacking. Some soiling, especially to spine, minor wear to corners, some worming to pastedowns and endleaves, a few partial cracks to text block, boards slightly bowed. Some toning to text, light foxing in places. Early annotations and signatures to preliminaries and title page, other annotations and underlining to a few places in text, two inkstains to fol. 224 with minor damage to legibility. $750. * Later edition of a work first published in 1511. This work explores the foundational legal doctrine of 'Prescription'-the process by which long-term possession of land eventually becomes legal ownership-a concept that remains the bedrock of modern property law. This volume is particularly notable for its charming title-page woodcut depicting the author instructing a class of students, capturing the spirit of the Renaissance law school. It includes the influential commentary of Henricus de Segusio (Hostiensis), one of the most celebrated canonists of the Middle Ages. The preliminaries and title page feature early manuscript signatures and annotations, suggesting this copy was a prized tool for a contemporary legal professional. All editions are scarce in North America. OCLC locates 2 copies of the 1564 edition in North America (at Harvard Law School and the Library of Congress). Censimento Nazionale Delle Edizioni Italiane del XVI Secolo CNCE3948.