The Enigma of Samuel Parsons Scott

Samuel Parsons Scott 18461929 singlehandedly 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\u27s 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 catalog of Scott\u27s personal library to describe his life and the details of his work It proposes an explanation for why he went from being a successful smalltown business man who wrote about history and his travels as an avocation to a being a recluse who devoted his last years to translating ancient laws The article\u27s analysis of Scott and his library also suggests some possible explanations for the flaws in his translation of the Justinianic Corpu