tatis. mortis tempore fuerit. Nam, si ideò irritum factum sit testamentum, quia civitatem vel etiam libertatem testator amissit, aut quia in adoptionem se dedit, et mortis tempore in adoptivi patris potestate sit, non potest scriptus hæres secundùm tabulas bonorum possessionem petere. power, at the time of his death: but if a testament became void, because the testator had lost the right of a citizen, or his liberty, or had given himself in adoption, and at the time of his death continued under power of his adoptive father, then the written heir could not demand possession under it. De nuda voluntate. VII. Ex eo autem solo non potest infirmari testamentum, quod postea testator id noluerit valere; usque adeò ut, si quis, post factum prius testamentum, posterius facere cœperit, et, aut mortalitate præventus, aut quia eum ejus rei pœnituit, id non perfecerit, Divi Pertinacis oratione cautum sit, ne aliâs tabulæ priores, jure factæ, irritæ fiant, nisi sequentes jure ordinatæ et perfectæ fuerint: nam imperfectum testamentum sinè dubio nullum est. $ 7. A testament cannot be invalidated solely, because the testator was afterwards unwilling, that it should subsist: so that if a man, after making one testament, should begin another, and by reason of death or change of mind, shonld not proceed to perfect that testament, it is provided by the oration of the emperor Pertinax, that the first testament shall not be revoked, unless the second is both legal and perfect; for an imperfect testament is undoubtedly null. Si princeps litis causa, vel in testamento imperfecto institutus fuerit. $ VIII. Eâdem oratione expressit, non admissurum se hæreditatem ejus, qui litis causâ principem reliquerit hæredem: neque tabulas non legitimè factas, in quibus ipse ob eam causam hæres institutus erat, probaturum; neque ex nudâ voce, hæredis nomen admissurum: neque ex ullâ scripturâ, cui juris auctoritas desit, aliquid adepturum. Secundùm hoc Divi Severus et Antoninus sæpissimè rescripserunt. Licet enim, inquiunt, $8. The emperor Pertinax hath declared by the same oration, that he would not take the inheritance of any testator, who left him his heir, because a law-suit was depending; that he would never establish a will legally deficient in form, if he was upon that account instituted the heir; that he would by no means suffer himself to be nominated heir by parol; and that he would never derive emolument from any writing not authorised by strict rules of law. legibus soluti simus, attamen legi- The emperors Severus and Antonibus vivimus. nus have also often issued rescripts to the same purpose: "for although, [say they,] we are not subject to the laws, yet we live in obedience to them." TITULUS DECIMUS-OCTAVUS. DE INOFFICIOSO TESTAMENTO. D. v. T. 2. C. iii. T. 28. Ratio hujus querelæ. QUIA plerumque parentes sine causa liberos suos exhæredant vel omittunt, indictum est, ut de inofficioso testamento agere possint liberi, qui queruntur, aut iniquè se exhæredatos, aut iniquè præteritos; hoc colore, quasi non sanæ mentis fuerint, cum testamentum ordinarent. Sed hoc dicetur, non quasi verè furiosus sit; sed rectè quidem testamentum fecerit, non autem ex officio pietatis. Nam, si verè furiosus sit, nullum testamentum est. Since parents often disinherit their children without cause, or omit to mention them in their testaments, it has therefore been introduced, that children, who have been unjustly disinherited, or omitted, may complain, that such testaments are inofficious, under colour, that their parents were not of sane mind, when they made them: not that the testator was really insane, for the testament may have been well made; but that it is not consistent with the duty of a parent. For, if a testator were really insane at the time, his testament is null. Qui de inofficioso agunt. $1. Non autem liberis tantùm permissum est testamentum parentum inofficiosum accusare, verùm etiam liberorum parentibus: soror autem et frater turpibus personis scriptis hæredibus, et sacris consti § 1. Not children only are allowed to complain, that testaments are inofficious; for parents are permitted to do the same. Also the brothers and sisters of a testator, by the imperial constitutions, are preferred tutionibus prælati sunt; non ergò contra omnes hæredes agere possunt. Ultra fratres igitur et sorores, cognati nullo modo aut agere possunt, aut agentes vincere. to infamous persons, if any such have been instituted heirs; but they are not therefore allowed to com. plain against any heir. Collaterals, beyond brothers and sisters, cannot sustain a complaint in this respect or succeed for themselves, (but though their right of complaining be not disputed, and the testament be annulled, yet those only can be benefited, who are the nearest in succession upon an intestacy.) Qui alio jure veniunt, de inofficioso non agunt. II. Tam autem naturales liberi, quam secundùm nostræ constitutionis divisionem adoptati, ita demùm de inofficioso testamento agere possunt, si nullo alio jure ad defuncti bona venire possint: nam, qui ad hæreditatem totam vel partem ejus, alio jure veniunt, de inofficioso agere non possunt. Posthumi quoque, qui nullo alio jure venire possunt, de inofficioso agere possunt. De eo, cui testator III. Sed hæc ita accipienda sunt, si nihil eis penitùs à testatoribus testamento relictum est: quod nostra constitutio ad verecundiam naturæ introduxit. Sin verò quantacunque pars hæreditatis, vel res, eis fuerit relicta, de inofficioso querelâ quiescente, id, quod eis deest, usque ad quartam legitimæ partis repleatur, licèt non fuerit adjectum, 2. Adopted as well as natural children, according to our constitution, are admitted to complain against a testament as inofficious, if they can obtain the effects of the deceased no other way; but if they can obtain the whole or a part of the inheritance by any other means, they cannot pursue this remedy, Posthumous children also, who are unable to recover their inheritance by any other method, are allowed to urge this complaint. aliquid reliquit. $3. All this must be understood to take place only, when nothing hath been left by the will of the deceased; and this hath been introduced by our constitution, out of respect to parental authority and the ties of nature: for, if a single thing, or the least part of an inheritance, hath been bequeathed, the suit de inofficioso testamento is boni viri arbitratu debere eam compleri. barred but their legal portion, or fourth part, though not added by the testator, may be completed according to the arbitration of some person of approved character. Si tutor, cui nihil a patre relictum, pupilli nomine IV. Si tutor nomine pupilli, cujus tutelam gerebat, ex testamento patris sui legatum acceperit, cum nihil erat ipsi tutori relictum à patre suo, nihilominùs poterit nomine suo de inofficioso patris testamento agere. 4. If a tutor should accept a legacy in the name of his pupil, in consequence of a bequest made in the testament of such tutor's father, who left nothing to his son; the tutor may nevertheless complain in his own name against the testament of his father, as inofficious (or contrary to parental duty.) Si de inofficioso nomine pupilli agens succubuerit. V. Sed, si è contrario pupilli nomine, cui nihil relictum fuerat, de insofficioso egerit et superatus est ipse tutor, quod sibi in testamento eodem relictum est, non amittit. $ 5. On the contrary, if a tutor should complain in the name of his pupil, against the testament of his pupil's father, who left nothing to his son as inofficious, and this testament should be confirmed, yet the tutor would not be barred, on account of this proceeding virtute officii, from claiming his own legacy under the same testament. De quarta legitimæ partis. VI. Igitur quartam quis debet habere, ut de inofficioso agere non possit, sive jure hæreditario, sive jure legati vel fidei-commissi, vel si mortis causâ ei quarta donata fuerit, vel inter vivos in iis tantum modo casibus, quorum mentionem nostra facit constitutio, vel aliis modis, qui in nostris constitutionibus continentur. Quod autem de quartâ diximus, ita intelligen $ 6. No person, entitled to a fourth can be barred from bringing a complaint (de inofficioso) of undutifulness, unless he hath received it either by being appointed heir, by having a legacy, or by means of a trust for his use; or unless his legal part hath been given him by donation mortis causâ or inter vivos, (in those cases,noticed by our constitution) or by any other means set forth in our 1. Necessarius hæres est servus hæres institutus ; ideòque sic ; appellatur, quia, sive velit, sive nolit, omninò post mortem testatoris protinùs liber et necessarius hæres fit. Undè, qui facultates suas suspectas habent, solent servum suum primo aut secundo aut etiam ulteriore gradu hæredem instituere; ut, si creditoribus satis non fiat, potius ejus hæredis bona, quam ipsius testatoris, à creditoribus possideantur, vel distrahantur, vel inter eos dividantur. Pro hoc tamen incommodo illud ei commodum præstatur, ut ea, quæ post mortem patroni sui si 1. A slave instituted by his master, is a necessary heir; and he is so called, because at the death of the testator he becomes instantly free and is compellable to take the heirship; he therefore who suspects his circumstances, commonly institutes his slave to be his heir in the first, second, or some other place; so that, if he does not leave a sum equal to his debts, the goods which are seized, sold, or divided among his creditors, may rather seem to be those of his heir, than his own. But a slave, in recompence of this inconvenience, is allowed whatever he hath acquired |