Quotes:Selden, John

Zirkoff, Boris

Selden (Seldenus), John. English jurist, legal antiquary and orientalist, b. at Salvington, Sussex, Dec. 16, 1584, on his father’s farm; d. at Friary House in Whitefriars, Nov. 30, 1654. Ed. at Chichester grammar school and Hart Hall, Oxford; entered Cliffor’s Inn, 1603, and the Inner Temple, 1604; was called to the bar, 1612. Among his early works are: Titles of Honour, 1614, still the most comprehensive work on the subject, and *De diis Syriis (De Dis Syris Syntagmata II, etc.). London: G. Stansleius, 1617. 8-vo; also 1619, 1629, and Amsterdam, 1680. It was transl. by W. A. Hauser as *The Fabulous Gods denounced in the Bible (Philad.: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1880). His History of Tithes, 1618, was suppressed. For instigating the memorable protestation on the rights and privileges of the House, he was committed to the Tower, 1621, where he occupied himself in preparing an ed. of Eadmer’s History. Returned to the House of Commons, 1623; was in both the second and third parliaments, 1626 and 1628. Sent once more to the Tower, 1629, for resolut. against the illegal levy of tonnage. After being released, he managed to secure the personal favor of the king, and dedicated to him his Mareclausum, 1635. Joined in the protestation of the Commons for the maintenance of the Protestant religion acc. to the doctrines of the Church of England, the authority of the Crown, and the liberty of the subject. App. keeper of the records in the Tower, 1643. Subscribed, 1646, the Solemn League and Covenant, and was voted, 1647, £ 5,000 by the parliament for his sufferings under the monarchy. Of his later works should be mentioned: Privileges of the Baronage of England, 1642.—Uxor Ebraica, 1646.—Earliest printed ed. of the old English law-book Fleta, 1647.—De synedriis et prefecturis iuridices veterum Ebraeorum, 1650, 1653, 1655, in three parts.

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 7, p. 393