Dutch scholar Heineccius (1681-1741) drew on the established and thriving theories of modern natural law of his time, as part of his distinctive system of natural jurisprudence, set out most fully in this 1738 tome. Turnbull"s translation of the Latin into English was printed in 1741 and 1763, making the treatise influential among scholars in England and Scotland. Ahnert (history, classics, and archeology; U. of Edinburgh) and Schröder (history, U. College, London) present the 1741 edition with an introduction, copious footnotes, and an index. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)