John Selden

John Selden (1584–1654) was an English jurist, legal scholar, and antiquary whose learning ranged across common law, history, and the study of ancient institutions. Educated at Oxford and trained at the Inner Temple, he became a prominent figure in public life and scholarship. Selden served as a Member of Parliament and was repeatedly involved in major constitutional debates of the early Stuart period. His writings include *Mare Clausum* (a defense of English claims to sovereignty at sea) and the posthumously published *Table Talk*, a collection of sharp, wide-ranging observations on law, religion, and politics.