The laws of liberty and property; or, a concise treatise of all the laws, statutes and ordinances, made for the benefit and protection of the subjects of England and the Preservation of their lives, estates, lands, and tenements, goods, chattels, rights,

Though certainly interested in boosting sales by attracting the widest audience possible, Jacob [1686-1744] was an idealist who believed that widespread knowledge of the law would promote the general welfare of society. This is a theme that ran through his many books, most notably Every Man His Own Lawyer (1736), The Common Law Common-Placed (1726) and, to some extent, his great New Law-Dictionary (1729). The Laws of Liberty and Property (first published in 1724) outlines the laws "made and enacted for the Preservation of it" from Magna Carta onward. Topics include "crimes against the King and the Subject," "Civil Rights and Liberties," Forfeitures," "Pardons," and "Laws infringing upon Public Liberty." It is an excellent statement of the Whig principles that would later animate the American Revolution.