A happy sestercentennial (250th anniversary) to the publication by Sir William Blackstone of the first volume of his legal treatise, Commentaries on the Laws of England. He aimed to benefit his students most immediately, but his four-volume work would soon become the most influential legal treatise in the English language and go on to serve as a touchstone for all thoughtful men during the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, he is more cited than studied, which, The Scrapbook says, is our great loss.
As the election season gets underway, we suggest pulling your copy out of storage (or from under your toddler’s highchair), refreshing yourself on some black-letter law, and, while you’re at it, taking a peek at what it would have taken your favorite candidate to pass Blackstone’s political exam:
