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Samuel Parsons Scott (1846-1929) single-handedly translated into English the Corpus Juris Civilis, the Visigothic Code, and the Siete Partidas. The latter was very well received, and not long ago was reprinted in a new edition; the first mentioned was criticized strongly but often has been used because, until recently, it contained the only published English translation of Justinian’s Code. However, almost nothing has been known about Scott, as he was an independent scholar who lived and worked in the small American town of Hillsboro, Ohio. This article uses information obtained from Hillsboro newspapers, local histories, probate court records, and the …

This presentation describes the creation and transmission of Justinian's Code and his Novels (Novellae Constitutiones) from the 6th century to their translation into English in the 20th and 21st centuries, and it pays specially attention to the role played by Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Fred Blume in the English translation.

This is an ill-advised attempt to extract humor from medieval legal literature.