I saw from #DataIsPlural that millions of historical legal texts are now downloadable via https://case.law/. The first ruling I look at (from NC in 1795) begins
"All writers agree, that the northern nations Of Europe, who spread themselves over the southern and western parts of it, were an illiterate people, who despised all arts but those of war."
It goes on to explain how written promises came to be legally binding (or something like that).