De servo communi.

TITULUS VIGESSIMUS.

DE INUTILIBUS STIPULATIONIBUS.

C. viii. T. 39.

De his, quæ sunt in commercio.

OMNIS res, quæ dominio nostro subjicitur, in stipulationem deduci potest, sivè ea mobilis sit, sivè soli.

Every thing, of which we have the property, may be brought into stipulation, whether it be moveable or immoveable.

De his, quæ non existunt.

I. At si quis rem, quae in rerum naturâ non est, aut esse non potest, dari stipulatus fuerit, veluti Stichum, qui mortuus sit, quem vivere credebat, aut Hippocentaurum, qui esse non possit, inutilis erit stipulatio.

1. But, if a man hath stipulated that a thing shall be given, which does not, or cannot exist, as that Stichus, the slave, who is dead, but is thought to be living, or that a Centaur, who cannot exist, should be given to him, the stipulation is of no force.

De his, quæ non sunt in commercio. II. Idem juris est, si rem sacram aut religiosam, quam humani juris esse credebat, vel publicam, quæ usibus populi perpetuò exposita sit, ut forum, vel theatrum, vel liberum hominem, quem servum esse credebat, vel cujus commercium non habuerit, vel rem suam dari, quis stipuletur: nec in pendenti erit stipulatio ob id, quod publica res in privatam deduci, et ex libero servus fieri potest, et commercium adipisci stipulator potest; sed protinùs inutilis est. Item contrà, licèt initio utilitèr res in stipulatum deducta sit, si tamen postea in aliquam eorum causam, de qui

2. And the law is the same, if a thing sacred, which was deemed otherwise, is brought into stipulation; or some thing of constant public use, as a forum or a theatre; or a free person, thought to be bond or what cannot be acquired; or some thing which is already his own: nor shall any such stipulation continue in suspense, because a thing public may become private, a freeman may turn slave, a stipulator may become capable of acquiring, or because what now belongs to the stipulator may cease to be his; but every such stipulation shall be instantly void. And, on the contrary,

bus supra dictum est, sinè facto prommissoris devenerit, extinguitur stipulatio. At nec statim ab initio talis stipulatio valebit, Lucium Titium, cum servus erit, dare spondes? et similia: quæ enim natura sui dominio nostro exempta sunt, in obligationem deduci nullo modo pos

sunt.

although a thing may properly be brought into stipulation at first, yet, if it afterwards fall under the class of any of the things before mentioned without the fault of the obligor, the stipulation is extinguished. And such a stipulation as the following shall never be valid: do you promise to give me Lucius Titius when he shall become a slave? for those things, which in their natures are exempt from our dominion, are by no means to be brought into obligation.

De facto vel datione alterius.

III. Si quis alium datarum facturumve quid promiserit, non obligabitur; veluti si spondeat, Titium quinque aureos datarum; quod si effecturum se, ut Titius daret, spoponderit, obligatur.

De eo, in quem confertur

IV. Si quis alii, quam ei, cujus juri subjectus est, stipuletur, nihil agit. Planè solutio etiam in extraneam personam conferri potest; veluti, si quis ita stipuletur, mihi aut Seio dare spondes? ut obligatio quidem stipulatori acquiratur, solvi tamen Seio, etiam invito eo, rectè possit, ut liberatio ipso jure contingat; sed ille adversus Seium habeat mandati actionem. Quod si quis sibi et alii, cujus juri subjectus non sit, dari decem aureos stipulatus est, valet quidem stipulatio. Sed, utrum totum de

3. If a man promise, that another shall give or do something, such promissor shall not be bound; as if a man should promise, that Titius shall pay five aurei: but, if he promise, that he will cause Titius to pay five aurei, his promise shall be binding.

obligatio, vel solutio.

§ 4. If a man stipulate for any other, than for him, to whom he is subject, it is void: yet a payment of a thing promised may be made to a stranger; as if a man should stipulate, do you promise to make payment to me, or to Seius? for, when the obligation is to the stipulator, the payment may well be made to Seius, though against his will; and this is allowed in favor of the debtor, that he may be legally freed from his debt: and the stipulator, if there be occasion, may have an action of mandate against Seius. If a man should

ve

beatur stipulatori, quod in stipulationem deductum est, an ro pars dimidia, dubitatum est. Sed, placuit, non plus, quam dimidiam partem, ei acquiri. Ei verò, qui juri tuo subjectus est, si stipulatus sis, tibi acquiris; quia vox tua tanquam filii intelligitur in his rebus, quæ tibi acquiri possunt.

stipulate, that ten aurei shall be paid to him and to another, not under his power, the stipulation would be good: yet it hath been a doubt, whether in this case, the whole sum would be due to the stipulator, or only a moiety; and it hath been resolved, a moiety only. But, if you stipulate for another, who is subject to your power, you acquire for youself: for your own words are reputed your son's, and your son's words are reputed yours, as so to all those things, which you may acquire.

De interrogatione et responsione. V. Prætereà inutilis est stipulatio, si quis ad ea, quæ interrogatus fuerit, non respondeat; veluti si quis decem aureos à te dari sibi stipuletur, tu quinque promittas, vel contra: aut si ille purè stipuletur, tu sub conditione promittas, vel contrà si modo scilicèt id exprimas; id est, si cui sub conditione vel in diem stipulanti tu respondeas, præsenti die spondeo: nam, si hoc solùm respondeas, Promitto, brevitèr videris in eandem diem vel conditionem spopondisse: neque enim necesse est in respondendo, eadem omnia repeti, quæ stipulator expresserit.

De his, qui sunt, vel § VI. Item inutilis est stipulatio, si vel ab eo stipuleris, qui tuo juri subjectus est, vel si is à te stipuletur. Sed servus quidem non

§ 5. A stipulation is void, if the party interrogated do not answer pertinently to the demand made; as when a person stipulates, that ten aurei shall be paid him, and you answer five; or, vice versa, if he stipulate for five, and you answer, I promise ten. A stipulation is also void, if a man stipulates simply, and you promise conditionally; or the contrary; that is, if, when a man is stipulating conditionally or at a day certain, you answer him thus; I promise you payment on this present day. But, if you answer only, I promise, you seem briefly to agree to his day or condition. For it is not necessary, that in the answer every word should be repeated, which the stipulator expressed. habent, in potestate.

6. A stipulation is also void, if made with one who is under your power, or if he stipulate with you. For a slave is incapable not only of