John Rastell

Rastell's A Hundred Merry Tales was the first English jest book, and would set a pattern for succeeding generations, who came to see it as a window on a lost 'Merry England.'Originally published in 1524-5, this charming collection of amusing (sometimes scurrilous) anecdotes was celebrated by contemporaries among the defining books of the Tudor era, and is even name-checked by Shakespeare. This new edition of A Hundred Merry Tales presents these comic stories in modern spelling with comprehensive notes. It is the first edition to draw on all four available source editions, and the first to bring together all 103 tales published under this title by John Rastell, including rediscovered 'lost' passages. Although authorship of A Hundred Merry Tales has been contested in the past, the present editor carefully considers this question, drawing the conclusion that 'it makes sense for us now to recognise John Rastell as effective author of the body of tales as a whole.'

The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars. This collection reveals the history of English common law and Empire law in a vastly changing world of British expansion. Dominating the legal field is the Commentaries of the Law of England by Sir William Blackstone, which first appeared in 1765. Reference works such as almanacs and catalogues continue to educate us by revealing the day-to-day workings of society.++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++Harvard University Law LibraryN013514Attributed to John Rastell and to his son, William Rastell; the latter is usually considered the editor or translator. With an initial advertisement leaf for J. Worrall. Parallel Law French and English texts. First published in Law French in 1527 with the Latin title, 'Expositiones terminorum legum anglorum'. London]: In the Savoy: printed by H. Lintot (assignee of Edward Sayer, Esq;) and are to be sold by J. Worrall, 1742. 6],592p.; 8

Rastell's A Hundred Merry Tales was the first English jest book, and would set a pattern for succeeding generations, who came to see it as a window on a lost 'Merry England.'Originally published in 1524-5, this charming collection of amusing (sometimes scurrilous) anecdotes was celebrated by contemporaries among the defining books of the Tudor era, and is even name-checked by Shakespeare. This new edition of A Hundred Merry Tales presents these comic stories in modern spelling with comprehensive notes. It is the first edition to draw on all four available source editions, and the first to bring together all 103 tales published under this title by John Rastell, including rediscovered 'lost' passages. Although authorship of A Hundred Merry Tales has been contested in the past, the present editor carefully considers this question, drawing the conclusion that 'it makes sense for us now to recognise John Rastell as effective author of the body of tales as a whole.'

The first edition of Rastell's law dictionary precedes in point of time the publication of the first general English dictionary, and is the most important English dictionary before Cowell's controversial Interpreter (1607). John Rastell d.1536] was a successful lawyer and printer. He published his dictionary around 1523 with the title Expositiones Terminorum Legum Anglorum. (Later editions are titled Termes de la Ley or An Exposition of Certain Difficult and Obscure Words). Immediately successful, it went through at least twenty-nine editions, the last appearing in 1819. Hicks praised its value and described it as useful for its insights into the state of the common law at the close of the year-book period. This early edition is especially significant because it was printed by Richard Tottel fl. 1553-1594]. Tottel was an important London printer who owned the patent for many common law books. Originally published: London]: Richard Tottel, 1579].