appears also to have been reprinted, without any material alterations, in 1704 or 1705, and 1712; and latterly, without the PRECEDENT, by Mr. Van Heythuysen, in 1813 and 1822. The plan or design of SHEPPARD, as expressed in his first edition, "To contrive and make up one great Prece"dent for common Assurances by Deed, in a new and "untrodden way and method, and, at the same time, very "full, short, and easy, and serving almost to all purposes "and cases," was certainly a very bold but useful one; and although in the execution thereof his method is not the most clear and perspicuous, yet it is capable of considerable improvement. 1 With this impression as to the utility of that book, the Editor has had it in contemplation for some years past, to revise the whole, and reduce it to better order, as an EXERCISE BOOK for the young Student, and a general Formulary in the Conveyancer's office. Bila sam To publish it without THE GENERAL PRECEDENT would, however, be absurd, and utterly destructive of the original and main design of the Author; and the present Editor has therefore retained this PRECEDENT in a modernized form, and arranged all the Principles, which govern every species of Assurance by Deed, under distinct heads and in proper chapters, respectively applica-, ble to each instrument; whereby the theory of Convey fancing, and the practical branches thereof, will be found to be brought into immediate view, and familiarly and clearly shewn to the Student and the Conveyancer; who with some little attention thereto, may be enabled to prepare the draft of any kind of Deed with accuracy, and without recourse to other books. The edition which the Editor has made use of for this ✓ purpose is that of 1655; and he has very considerably enlarged Sheppard's outline, by collating the PRECEDENT with the last edition of the TOUCHSTONE, upon which it was originally founded; and adding many material additions thereto, as well from the TOUCHSTONE as other books of present authority and repute: the PRECEDENT itself has been framed from the drafts of Booth, Rivet, Holliday, Duane, and other eminent conveyancers of the present age. With this exposition of his own design, the Editor commits the following sheets, the whole of which have been printed from manuscript copy, carefully prepared, to the candid attention of a liberal Profession. 143, note †, last line, instead of the latter read mortgagor. her the curtesy 162, note †, |