What Jacques saw

Among the academic jurists of the past there are many who have given little or no information about the legal practice of their day. Jacques de Revigny (_ 1296), who taught Roman Law at Orleans, is one of the exceptions. The reports of his lectures contain many references to the doings and dealings of his contemporaries. Taken as a whole, these personal observations and comments present a vivid image of the world he lived in. In this book Revigny's remarks are incorporated in small chapters each representing a particular class of people, both from the clerical and secular orders. Starting with the pope, we meet bishops, priests and students, the King of France and many others. It will come as no surprise that special attention is paid to those engaged in the administration of justice, like judges, lawyers and notaries public. To complete Revigny's tour d'horizon of thirteenth-century France three chapters are added in which his views on Roman, canon, customary and divine law are discussed. The Italian jurist and poet Cino da Pistoia (_ 1336) recounted that Revigny was a man with a very acute mind. That is what the emperor Justinian said of the famous classical jurist Papinian (_ 212). Do we need more of a recommendation?