The first English translation of De Jure Belli et Pacis Libre Tres (by Clement Barksdale). In this momentous work Grotius describes situations in which war is a valid tool of law enforcement and outlines principles for the use of force. Though based on Christian natural law, Grotius advances the novel argument that his system would still be valid if it lacked a divine basis. In this regard he points to the future by moving international law in a secular direction.
This 1655 edition is the first English translation of De Jure Belli et Pacis Libre Tres (1625). Barksdales edition "is perceived...