Castejón, Gil de, fl.1677.

Castejón's Alphabetum : (Spanish Law, 1678)

Gil de Castejón was Consejero de Indias y de Castilla when he wrote his highly referenced, authoritative two-volume dictionary. It is written mostly in Latin, interspersed with a few random notes in Spanish. His work was unique because he, unlike several predecessors, included as many references to classic and ancient authors as he did to European and Spanish Canonists or to experts on Spanish law; in fact, the work is absolutely full of cited authorities. The work seldom offers its own lengthy definitions of words, more often simply leading the reader to another source. For example, his entry for "divorce" (divortium) immediately lists almost thirty full references to which one can go for general information about the legalities of divorce; then he subdivides his subject into divorces through ecclesiastical expedience, divorces for reasons of frigidity or impotence, divorces caused by adultery, and other legal issues surrounding the marriage contract, in each case listing up to a dozen primary sources to which readers can turn, but never offering his own explanation or review of the laws.

This is the first edition of this work; three later editions were published, including two in Lyon in 1683 and 1720, and the last, with revisions and additions, in Colonia in 1738.

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