"Blue laws", 1767; perhaps 1757?

[Fred Shapiro]

On Wed, 10 Jan 2007, Joel S. Berson wrote:

> There appears to be "blue laws" from 1767, in an edition of William
> Smith's _History of New York_.  If this is also in the 1757 first
> edition of Smith, it will antedate the ADS-L 1762 (the best I can
> find in the archives, snippet attached below).  If there is interest,
> I can access a copy of the 1757 edition.

I don't find the phrase _blue laws_ searching online versions of the first
(1757) nor second (1792) editions of this book.  I don't think there is an
English-language 1767 edition.  So I think the 1762 citation I have posted
previously still stands as the earliest known occurrence.

Fred


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