PREFACE

TO THE

FOURTH EDITION.

THE Manuscript Cases which have been collected by the industry of the Editor, and inserted in the present Edition, reach no further than September Session, 1807: For the remainder of the Cases he is obliged to the kindness of professional friends, whose favours have enabled him to extend the Work, at certain intervals, to the end of the year 1814. He has, however, closely compared all the printed Cases of the former editions with the manuscripts from which they were taken, and has been thereby enabled to make many corrections which had escaped his former researches. The anxieties indeed, which he has always felt, to render this Work as perfect as possible, have been particularly excited upon the present occasion, not only by the very liberal reception it has hitherto met with from the Profession, but particularly by the kind commendations which have been so handsomely bestowed upon it, in the Preface to Mr. EAST's most excellent and authentic Work intitled A TREATISE OF THE PLEAS OF THE CROWN.' "If," says the learned author," my intention had been merely "confined to publish a collection of Crown

viii PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION.

"Cases, it is probable that Mr. LEACH'S Book "would have made me refrain, from a consi

66

deration, since justified by the event, that "whatever inaccuracies first appeared in that "Volume, the principal, at least, would be soon "corrected in the subsequent editions:" an observation so flattering to the feelings of the Editor could not fail of stimulating his industry, and inducing him to make every possible effort in the hope of deserving it. He has, therefore, carefully compared all the Cases in the present Work, with those which have been published by that Gentleman, from the notes and documents of THE JUDGES, with which he was furnished for the purpose of his publication, and has noted the variations at the end of each Case. Besides these Notes, there are inserted in the Work Seventy-eight additional Cases, the names of which are mentioned at the end of this sheet, and which, he trusts, will be found not only correctly reported, but professionally important as to the subjects to which they respectively relate. To" The Table of the Names of the Cases" he has added the Subject of each Case; and "The Summary of Contents" has been considerably augmented, and, he hopes, to a certain degree, improved. With these additions and alterations, he again submits the Work to the candour of the Profession, not without great apprehension of censure, and with but little expectation of praise.