Transcriber’s Note:
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The Author, from the commencement of his study ofthe law, and more especially during his course of readingfor the intermediate and final examinations, became convincedof the very great advantage to be reaped from aknowledge of the leading Latin Maxims, now so frequentlyquoted in all legal works; those given hereafter willbe found to comprise all that occur in the recognisedexamination text-books, having been collected from suchworks.
It will be remembered that a maxim is a generalprinciple and universally approved leading truth; therefore,even the most elementary student cannot do betterthan store away in his memory some of the moreimportant of these rules as a foundation for future study.At every law examination questions are to be foundthat bear directly on some one or other of the principlescontained in these maxims, and they are often quoted,the student being required to translate and explaintheir meaning and application—they are, in fact, equallyimportant with Leading Cases.
viThose maxims only have been selected which areconstantly met with by the student, and which he woulddo well to commit to memory; leading cases are alsoreferred to. The explanations have been made asbrief as possible, and for deeper research the studentis referred to Broom’s Legal Maxims.
Walsall, 1881.
After a busy and practical experience of many yearsthe writer can now in all earnestness—as during thedays of studentship he did in all distrust and doubtfulness—emulatethe writer of old who said—
Our greatest writers of more recent years have alsorecognised the intricate and ever-changing study of theLaw. The late Lord Tennyson, in that most beautifulpoem, “Aylmer’s Field,”