away the garland. But where Mr. Fitzherbert is better understood, he profiteth more, and his abridgment hath more sinews, though the other hath more veins; but I am loath to make them countermates, and therefore leave the judgment thereof to others.

In Mr. Parkin's book be many commendable things, delivered by a ready conceit, and pleasant method: many excellent cases which savour of great reading, and good experience: his treatise is to young students, acceptable and precious, to whom his very faults and errors be delightful, but it might be wished, that he had written with less sharpness of wit, so he had discoursed with more depth of judgment. For he breaketh the force of weighty points with the shivers of nice diversities, yet many things are to be allowed in him, many to be praised, so that the reader be careful in his choice, wherein he was too careless.

In Mr. Stamford there is force and weight, and no common kind of stile; in matter none hath gone beyond him, in method, none hath overtaken him; in the or

der of his writing he is smooth, but yet sharp, pleasant, but yet grave; famous both for judgment in matters of his profession, and for his great skill in foreign learning. And surely his method may be a law to the writers of the law which shall succeed him.

Mr. Rastall for his long and laborious travel in collecting matters of weight and moment, which lay dispersed, and reducing them to a convenient form, hath deserved never to be forgotten. And I know not whether I may more justly commend him for his greatness of knowledge, or for the largeness of his books and labours, or for his special care of doing things exactly.

In Mr. Theloall's Digest of Writs, diligence and desire to profit is eminent. He endeavoured to be like Mr. Stamford; but he is so far distant from the delightful progress of his style, and method, that he may seem to have lived in some other age a long time before Mr. Stamford. But as his strength was less, so his labour was equal, For in handling one title of the law, he hath dealt so painfully, that no point can

H

be named concerning that title, which he hath not discussed, nay to give him right, hath not fully discussed.

Mr. Lambard's pains, learning, and law, appear by his books, which are conducted by so curious a method, and beautified by such flowers of learning, that he may well be sorted amongst them to whom the law is most beholden. His style runneth like a temperate stream, his excellent knowledge and use of antiquities argueth no small reading, and a singular conceit: he hath been so universally beneficial to the whole realm, that whosoever despiseth his works, bewrayeth himself.

Mr. Crompton hath taken great pains in this study, and his books are in every man's hands, which proveth their general allowance, his cases are very profitable, and apt for the title to which they are applied, and so compendiously collected, that a man may by them in a few hours gain great knowledge.

CHAP. IV.

CERTAIN RULES TO BE OBSERVED OF THE STUDENT IN THE READING OF HIS BOOKS.

NO actions have good success, which be rashly and ex abrupto undertaken without direction; for where advice faileth, there fortune is blind, and not in other cases, and it is far greater travel to atchieve any matter of difficulty by self-labour, than by the prescription and instruction of others: wherefore it shall not be inconvenient to propose certain rules, by which the student may hold an even course in the study of the law.

In the understanding of the law the student must not vary or depart from the proper sense and signification of the words,

unless thereby some absurdity, inconve nience, or unjustice may appear; for otherwise the property of words is strictly to be maintained, and retained. Therefore let him be diligent to search out the proper sense of words; for as Celsus saith, Scire leges non est verba earum tenere, sed vim & proprietatem *. To know the law is not to know the words of the law, but the force and property of the words; for words are as it were servants to things, because they were first invented for the plain and perfect description of things; for though nature do make sounds, yet industry doth coin words, without which our understanding might be contemplative, but not practical; for without them the understanding is in manner bound or maimed, because without freeness of speech and plenty of words, it cannot display itself, nor extend its force to the opening and discovery of any mean matter. And as art maketh the mind to speak, so the mind or understanding maketh art to write. Certain it is, that without

Celsus lib. 9. digestor. Plo. Com. 28. P. Saunders.