Manuscripta juridica

Ius proprium Scotiae - Practicks (general digest of law, alphabetical) 'Actiones' - 'Woods' (= Spottiswoode rearranged) .

Comprises vast passages of text in Latin. The titles in the printed edition are re-arranged into strict alphabetical order of the main keyword's first letter, but the alphabetisation often disregards further letters in the keyword.

Arranged under alphabetised keywords. Their wording corresponds in most cases to Edinburgh, NL Scotland, Adv.MSS.24.6.4, 7 and 8, but diverges often from Adv.MS.24.6.5 in which the keyword titles are not alphabetised. It thus appears that the last mentioned MS contains the oldest version of the text. Some keywords were already suppressed in the rearrangement which occurred from Adv.MS.24.6.5 to Adv.MSS.24.3.4 and 7 (barratrie, de contrahenda emptione et venditione, de iure dotium, instruments and notars, de investitione feudi, de migrandis, pecunia constituta, purprestura, quae in fraudem creditorum, sealles, sentence). Contents of keywords which appeared in two places or even three places in Adv.MS.24.6.5 were united, and many new keywords formed. Thereafter, only very few keywords were suppressed in the further rearrangement for the printed edition (De appretiationibus, because there is a keyword Comprysings; Consent, because there is a keyword Contracts). Two new keywords were introduced in Adv.MS.24.6.7 and taken over into the printed edition (Litiscontestation; Negotiorum gestores).

The following quotations from Jus Commune caught my eye during a quick browsing in the printed edition and in Edinburgh, NL Scotland, Adv.MS.24.6.8: much reference to Corpus iuris civilis. Furthermore Cuiacius, Commentaries to the Digest. Often Cuiacius, Observationes (also in Adv.MS.24.6.8). Bartolus (pag. 307 'Servitudes'). Papon, Arresta. Guido Papa, Quaestiones (pag. 237 'De praescriptione' = Adv.MS.24.6.8 fol. 202r). Boerius, Decisiones (ibidem = Adv.MS.24.6.8 fol. 202r). Practica Papiensis, Practica Jac. Pet. (pag. 241 'Probation'). Jo. Baptist. Nicol., Reg. Jur. (pag. 194 'Kirk-men' in fine = Adv.MS.24.6.8 fol. 167: Jo. Bapt. Nicol. Regul. jur. l. ii. verb. 'delictum' ). Annaeus Robertus, Praxis rerum judicatarum (pag. 212 'Minors and Pupils', 249 'Promise' = Adv.MS.24.6.8 fol. 209v). Mynsinger, Commentarius ad Institutiones (pag. 241 'Probation').

Reference to Scottish legal literature: very often long text passages from Craig are taken over verbatim. The text refers to Skene on pag. 274 'Regres' - obviously Skene's work De verborum significatione is meant. I did not find this reference in Adv.MS.24.6.8. Many references to Balfour's Practicks (for titles only their numbering is quoted, together with the pertinent item number, so the collector used a copy with numbered titles). Judicial precedent is quoted with parties' names and date, without mentioning a source.

Reference to English legal literature: V. Cow(el), Instit. (pag. 309 'Servitudes'). Bracton (often cited)

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Author(s):

• Robert Spottiswoode

No. of pages: Pag. 1-359

Rubric: Practicks of the Laws of Scotland

Incipit:

• De actionibus. Actio est jus persequendi in judicio quod sibi debetur. Propria significatione solae personales actiones (quae alio vocabulo magis proprie 'condictio' vocantur) actionis verbo accipiuntur: Illae vero actiones, quibus res nostras repetimus 'rei vindicationis' et 'petitionis' verbo comprehenduntur.

  Actio est ordinaria vel extraordinaria. Ordinaria est cujus forma in petendo ex causa debita legibus comprehensa est, ut judici ab ea recedere non liceat. ... [{i}corresponds to the alphabetised versions in MSS{/i}].

  [{i}Last keywords:{/i}] Ususfructus. Ward. Warrandice. Woods. Writs and evidents

Explicit:

• to the Lords Compositors to present any but them that are so marked. Ult. July 1618