the Fleet for two years. However, the element "fleet" (meaning both "swift" and "a watercourse") is also found in other place names in England; or the name might simply refer to the swiftness or brevity of the treatise itself. Editions The first printed edition of Fleta was published by John Selden in 1647. It included a dissertation written by Selden, the title of which is "Joannis Seldeni ad Fletam dissertatio". A second edition was published, with corrections, in 1685. A new edition of the first of the six books of Fleta was published in 1735, edited by Thomas Clarke, a future Master of the Rolls: however, he published no more. The next edition appeared in France in 1776, edited by David Hoüard: this was based on the previous printed editions, and was abridged in places. All these editions are regarded, for various reasons, as imperfect. The standard modern edition (with English translation) was edited by H. G. Richardson and G. O. Sayles, and published in three volumes, covering books 1-6, by the Selden Society between 1955 and 1984. A projected fourth volume, intended to include editorial apparatus (notes and indexes), never appeared: this would have been nominally volume 1, and so the three published volumes are numbered 2–4. Volume 4 does include a 17-page "Introduction" by Sayles, which represents the fullest synopsis of scholarly knowledge about the work to date. Derivative book The book known as Britton was based on this book. See also Books of authority Notes References Modern edition English law Works of unknown authorship Legal treatises