Leges Henrici Primi (Hn)
This treatise identifies itself as a record of the laws from the time of Henry I, and is made up of original descriptions of contemporary law, edited selections from pre-conquest legal texts, and additional source materials. It seems probable that this treatise, composed early in the twelfth century, was the work of the translator responsible for the Quadripartitus. The translator of that collection promised to produce a further book on contemporary law, and a significant portion of the material in the Quadripartitus is deployed in the Leges. However, the Leges also drew on the author’s personal knowledge of the law’s operations. The second longest legal treatise or code produced before 1154, the Leges’ contents treat almost all matters of law and its administration.
Contents
Print editions
- Felix Liebermann, ed., Die Gesetze der Angelsachsen, 3 vols (Halle, 1903–1916), vol. 1, pp. 547–611.
- L. J. Downer, ed., Leges Henrici Primi (Oxford, 1972).
- An edition is being prepared for Early English Laws by Dr. Nicholas Karn.
Manuscripts
- Rb: London, The National Archives, MS E 164/2, fos. 36r-50v
description & facsimiles - Rs: Manchester, John Rylands University Library, MS Lat. 155, fos. 76v-127v
description & facsimiles