suggerente concessimus, ut, si quis, in servili constitutus consortio, liberum vel libercs habuerit, sivè ex liberâ sivè ex servilis conditionis muliere, vel contra, serva mulier ex libero vel servo habuerit liberos cujuscunque sexûs, et, ad libertatem his pervenientibus, ii, qui ex servili ventre nati sunt, libertatem meruerint, vel, dum mulieres liberæ erant, ipsi in servitute eos habuerint, et postea ad libertatem pervenerint, ut hi omnes ad successionem patris vel matris veniant, patronatûs jure in hac parte sopito. Hos etenim liberos non solùm in suorum parentum successionem, sed etiam alterum in alterius successionem mutuam, vocavimus; ex illá lege specialitèr eos vocantes, sivè soli inveniantur, qui in servitute nati et postea manumissi sunt; sivè unà cum aliis, qui post libertatem parentum concepti sunt; sivè ex eodem patre, sivè ex eadem matre, sivè ex aliis nuptiis; ad similitudinem corum, qui ex justis nuptiis procreati sunt. that, if a slave shall have a child, or children, either by a free-woman, or by a bond-woman, with whom he lives in contubernio, and, on the contrary, that, if a bond-woman shall have a child, or children, of either sex by a free-man, or by a slave, with whom she so lives, and such father and mother are afterwards enfranchised, the children shall succeed to their father or mother, without regarding the right of patronage. We have not only called these children to succeed to their parents, but also mutually to each other, whether they are sole in succession, as having all been born in servitude and afterwards manumitted, or whether they succeed with others, who were conceived after the infranchisement of their parents; and whether they are all by the same father and mother, or by a different father, or mother; and, that children born in slavery, but manumitted, should succeed in the same manner, as the issue of parents legally married. Collatio ordinum et graduum. I. Repetitis itaque omnibus, quæ jam tradidimus, apparet non semper eos, qui parem gradum cognationis obtinent, paritèr vocari: eoque amplius, ne eum quidem, qui proximiore sit cognatus, semper potiorem esse. Cum enim prima causa sit suorum hæredum, et eorum, quas inter suos hæredes enumeravimus, apparet, pronepotem vel abnepotem defuncti potio 1. From what hath been said, it appears that those, who are in an equal degree of cognation, are not always called equally to the succes, sion; and farther, that even the nearest of kin, is not constantly to be preferred. Cum enim pri- preferred. For, inasmuch as the first place is given to proper heirs, and to those who are numbered with proper heirs, it is apparent, that the great-grand-son, or great-great rem esse, quam fratrem, aut patrem, aut matrem defuncti : cum alioqui pater quidem et mater (ut supra quoque tradidimus) primum gradum cognationis obtineant, frater verò secundum, pronepos autem tertio gradu sit cognationis, et abnepos quarto: nec interest, in potestate morientis fuerit, an non, quod vel emancipatus, vel ex emancipato, aut fœmineo sexu, propagatus est. Amotis quoque suis hæredibus, et quos inter suos hæredes vocari diximus, agnatus, qui integrum jus habet agnationis, etiamsi longissimo gradu sit, plerumque potior habetur, quam proximior cognatus: nam patrui nepos vel pronepos avunculo vel materteræ præfertur. Toties igitùr dicimus, aut potiorem haberi eum, qui proximiorem gradum cognationis obtinet, aut paritèr vocari eos, qui cognati sunt; quoties neque suorum hæredùm, quique inter suos hæredes sunt, neque agnationis jure aliquis præferri debeat, secundùm ea, quæ tradidimus: exceptis fratre et sorore emancipatis, qui ad successionem fratrum vel sororum vocantur; qui, etsi capite diminuti sunt, tamen præferuntur cæteris ulterioris gradus agnatis. grand-son, is preferred to the brother or even the father or mother of the deceased: although a father and mother, (as we have before observed,) obtain the first degree of rela tion, a brother the second, a greatgrand-son the third, and a greatgreat grand-son the fourth; neither does it make any difference, whether such grand-children were under the power of the deceased, at the time of his death, or out of his power; either by being themselves emancipąted, or by being the children of those who were so; neither can it be abjected, that they are descended by the female line. But, when there are no proper heirs, nor any of those, who are permitted to rank with them, then an agnate, who hath the full right of agnation in him, although he be in the most distant degree, is generally preferred to a cognate, who is in the nearest degree; thus the grand-son or great-grand-son of a paternal uncle is preferred to a maternal uncle or aunt. Hence, when there are no proper heirs, nor any, who are numbered with them, nor any, who ought to be preferred by the right of agnation, (as we have before noted,) then the nearest in degree of cognation, is called to the succession; and if there be many in the same degree, they are all called equally. But a brother and sister, although emancipated, are yet called to the succession of brothers and sisters; for, although they have suffered diminution, they are nevertheless preferred to all agnates of « more remote degree. TITULUS OCTAVUS. DE SUCCESSIONE LIBERTORUM. D. xxxviii. T. 2. Qui succedunt. De lege duodecim tabularum. NUNC de libertorum bonis vi deamus. Olim itaque licebat liberto patronum suum impunè testamento præterire: nam ita demum lex duodecim tabularum ad hæreditatem liberti vocabat patronum, si intestatus mortuus esset libertus, hærede suo nullo relicto. Itaque, intestato mortuo liberto, si is suum hæredem reliquisset, patrono nihil in bonis ejus juris erat. Et, siquidèm ex naturalibus liberis aliquem suum hæredem reliquisset, nulla videbatur querela; si verò adoptivus filius fuisset, apertè iniquum erat, nihil juris patrono superesse. Let us now treat of the succession of freed-men. A freed-man might formerly, with impunity, omit in his testament any mention of his patron: for the law of the twelve tables called the patron to the inhe ritance, only when the freed-man died intestate without proper heirs ; therefore, though he had died intestate, yet, if he had left a proper heir, the patron would have receiv ed no benefit: and indeed, when the natural and legitimate children of the deceased became his heirs, there seemed no cause of complaint; but, when the freed-man left only an adopted son, it was manifestly injurious, that the patron should have no claim. De jure prætorio. 5.I. Qua de causâ, postea, prætoris edicto hæc juris iniquitas emendata est. Sivè enim faciebat testamentum libertus, jubebatur ita testari, ut patrono partem dimidiam bonorum suorum relinqueret ; et, si aut nihil aut minus parte dimidiâ reliquerat, dabatur patrono, contra tabulas testamenti, partis dimidiæ bonorum possessio: sivè intestatus moriebatur, suo hærede relicto filio adoptivo, dabatur æquè patrono 1. The law was therefore afterwards amended by the edict of the prætor: for every freed-man, who made his testament, was commanded so to dispose of his effects, as to leave a moiety to his patron: and, if the testator left nothing, or less than a moiety, then the possession of half was given to the patron contra tabulas, i. e. contrary to the disposition of the testement. And, if a freedman died intestate, leaving an adoptG G ed son his heir, the possession of a moiety was given to the patron notwithstanding: yet, not only the natural and lawful children of a freed contra hunc suum hæredem partis dimidiæ bonorum possessio. Prodesse autem liberto solebant, ad excludendum patronum, naturales liberi, non solùm quos in potestateman, whom he had under his power mortis tempore habeat, sed etiam emancipati, et in adoptionem dati, si modo ex aliquâ parte scripti hæredes erant, aut præteriti contra tabulas bonorum possessionem ex edicto prætorio petierant. Nam exhæredati nullo modo repellebant patronum. De lege II. Postea verò lege Papia adaucta sunt jura patronorum, qui locupletiores libertos habebant. Cautum enim est, ut ex bonis ejus, qui sestertium centum millium patrimonium reliquerat, et pauciores quam tres liberos habebat, sivè is testamento facto, sivè intestatus mortuus erat, virilis pars patrono deberetur. Itaque, cum unum qui· dem filium filiamve hæredem reliquerat libertus, perindè pars dimidia debebatur patrono, ac si is sinè ullo filio filiâve intestatus decessisset: cum verò duos duasve hæredes reliquerat, tertia pars debebatur patrono: si tres reliquerat, repellebatur patronus. at the time of his death, excluded the patron, but those children also, who were emancipated, and given in adoption, if they were written heirs for any part, or even, although they were omitted, if they had requested the possession CONTRA TABULAS, by virtue of the prætorian edict.. But disinherited children by no meansrepelled the patron. Papia. § 2. But afterwards the rights of patrons, who had wealthy freed-men were inlarged by the Papian law : which provides that he shall have a man's share out of the effects of his freed-man, whether dying testate or intestate, who hath left a patrimony of an hundred thousand sestertii and fewer than three children: so that, when a freed-man hath left only one son or daughter, a moiety is due to the patron, as if the deceased had died testate without either son or daughter. But, when there are two heirs, male or female, a third part only is due to the patron; and, when there are three, the patron is wholly exeluded. De constitutione Justiniani. § III. Sed nostra constitutio, (quam pro omni natione græcá lingua compendioso tractatu habito 3. But our constitution, published in a compendious form, in the Greek language, for the benefit of composuimus,) ita hujusmodi causam definivit ; ut, siquidèm libertus vel liberta minores centenariis sint, id est, minus centum aureis habeant substantiam, (sic enim legis Fapiæ summam interpretati sumus, ut pro mille sestertiis unus aureus computetur,) nullum locum habeat patronus in eorum successione, si tamen testamentum fecerint ; sin autem intestati decesserint, nullo liberorum relicto, tunc patronatûs jus, quod erat ex lege duodecim tabularum, integrum reservavit. Cum verò majores centenariis sint, si hæredes vel bonorum possessores liberos habeant, sivè unum, sivè plures, cujuscunque sexûs vel gradûs, ad eos successiones parentum deduximus, patronis omnibus modis cum sua progenie semotis. Sin autem sinè liberis decesserint, siquidem intestati, ad omnem hæreditatem patronos patronasque vocavimus. Si verò testamentum quidem fecerint, patronos autem aut patronas præterierint, cum nullos liberos haberent, vel habentes eos exhæredaverint, vel mater sivè avus maternus eos præterierint, ita quod non possint argui inofficiosa eorum testamenta, tunc ex nostrâ constitutione per bonorum possessionem contra tabulas, non dimidiam, ut antea, sed tertiam partem bonorum liberti consequantur; vel quod deest eis, ex constitutione nostrâ repleatur, si quando minus tertiâ parte bonorum suorum libertus vel liberta eis reliquerit: ita sinè onere, ut nec liberis liberti libertæve ex eâ parte all nations,) ordained, that, if a freed-man, or freed-woman, die possessed of less than an hundred aurei, (for thus have we interpreted the sum mentioned in the Papian law, counting one aureus for a thousand sestertii,) the patron shall not be intitled to any share in a testate succession. But, where a freed-man, or woman, dies intestate, and without children, we have reserved the right of patronage intire, as it formerly was, according to the law of the twelve tables. But, if a freed person die worth more than an hundred aurei, and leave one child, or many, of either sex or any degree, as the heirs and possessors of his goods, we have permitted, that such child or children shall succeed their parent to the intire exclusion of the patron and his heirs and if any freed-persons die without children and intestate, we have called their patrons or patronesses to their whole inheritances. And if any freed-person, worth more than an hundred aurei, hath made a testament, omitted his patron, and left no children, or hath disinherited them; or if a mother, or maternal grand-father, being freed-persons, have omitted to mention their children in their wills, so that such wills can not be proved to be inofficious, then, by virtue of our constitution, the patron shall succeed, not to a moiety as formerly but to the third part of the estate of the deceased, by possession co tabulas: and, when freed-p eave less than the third pe |