FOUR CORNERS

four corners.The face of a written instrument. • The phrase derives from the ancient custom

of putting all instruments (such as contracts) on a single sheet of parchment, as opposed to

multiple pages, no matter how long the sheet might be. At common law, this custom prevented

people from fraudulently inserting materials into a fully signed agreement. The requirement was

that every contract could have only four corners. [Cases: Contracts 143(1), 147(2); Evidence

397, 448. C.J.S. Contracts §§ 302–303, 309–313; Evidence §§ 1159, 1165, 1189, 1214–1215,

1217, 1220–1221, 1228, 1286–1288, 1291.][Blacks Law 8th]