De testamento irrito; et quibus modis fit irritum. IV. Alio autem moda testamenta jure facta infirmantur ; veluti cum is, qui fecit testamentum, capite diminutus sit: quod, quibus modis accidat, primo libro retuli mus. Cur dicatur V. Hoc autem casu irrita fieri testamenta dicuntur; cum alioqui, et quæ rumpuntur, irrita fiant, et ea, quæ statim ab initio non jure fiunt, irrita sint. Sed et ea, quæ jure facta sunt, et postea per capitis diminutionem irrita fiunt, possumus nihilominùs rupta dicere. Sed, quia sanè commodius erat, singulas causas singulis appellationibus distingui, ideò quædam non jure facta dicuntur, quædam jure facta rumpi vel irrita fieri. Quibus modis VL. Non tamen per omnia inutilia sunt ea testamenta, quæ, ab initio jure facta, per capitis diminutionem irrita facta sunt: nam, si septem testium signis signata sunt, potest scriptus hæres, secundùm tabulas testamenti, bonorum possessionem agnoscere, si modò defunctus et civis Romanus, et suæ potes § 4. Testaments, legally made, are also invalidated, if the testator suffer diminution, (that is, change his condition :) in the first book (of these institutes,) we have shewn by what means diminution may happen. irritum. 5. In case of diminution, testaments are said to become irrita, (ineffectual;) although those which are broken, or which, from the beginning, were not legal, are equally so. We may also consider those testaments broken, which being at first legally made, are afterwards rendered ineffectual by diminution. But, as it is proper, that every particular defect should be distinguished by a particular appellation, those testaments, which are illegal in their formation, are termed null; those which were at first legal, but afterwards lose their force, by some revocatory act of the testator, are said to be rupta, or broken; and those, since the making whereof, the testator hath suffered a change of state, are irrita, or ineffectual. convalescit. § 6. But a testament, at first legally made, and afterwards rendered ineffectual by diminution, may not be altogether void; for the written heir is intitled to the possession of the goods, under the testament, if it appear, that it was sealed by seven witnesses, and that the testator was a Roman citizen, and not under 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. De nudâ § 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 aliàs tabulæ priores, jure factæ, irritæ fiant, nisi sequentes jure ordinatæ et perfectæ fuerint: nam imperfectum testamentum sinè dubio nullum est. 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. voluntate. § 7. A testament can not 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, should 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 causâ, 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 adep 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 arol; and that he would never derive emolument from any writing not authorised by strict rules of law. The legibus soluti simus, attamen legi- emperors Severus and Antoninus bus vivimus. have also often issu à 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, inductum est, ut de inofficioso testamento agere possint liberi, qui queruntur, aut iniquè se exheredatos, aut iniquè præteritos; hoc colore, quasi non sanæ mentis fuerint, cum testamentum ordinarent. Sed hoc dicitur, 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. SI. Non autem liberis tantùm permissum est' testamentum parentum inofficiosum accusare, verùm etiam liberorum parentibus: soror autem et frater turpibus personis scriptis hæredibus, éx sacris consti 1. Not children only are allowcd to complain, that testoments are inofficious; for parents are permitted to do the same. Also the brothers and sisters of a testator, by the imperial constitutions, are preferred to tutionibus prælati sunt; non ergò contra omnes hæredes agere possunt. Ultra fratres igitur et sorores, cognati nullo modo aut agerè possunt, aut agentes vincere. infamous persons, if any such hove Qui alio jure veniunt, de inofficioso non agunt. § II. Tam autem naturales liberi, quam secundùm nostræ constitutionis divisionem adoptati, ita demum 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. § 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 chil dren also, who are unable to recover their inheritance by any other method, are allowed to urge this com\plaint. 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 querela quiescente, id, quod eis deest, usque ad quartam legitimæ partis repleatur, licèt non fuerit ad 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 barred: but their legað jectum, boni viri arbitratu debere portion, or fourth part, though not eam compleri. added by the testator, may be completed according to the arbitration of some person of approved character. Si tutor, cui nihil à patre relictum, pupilli nomine legatum acceperit. § 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. Si de inofficioso nomine § V. Sed, si è contrario pupilli homine, cui nihil relictum fuerat, de inofficioso egerit et superatus est ipse tutor, quod sibi in testamento eodem relictum est, non amittit. § 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 (ar contrary to parental duty.) pupilli agens succubuerit. § 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 testa- . ment 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 quartâ 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 causa ei quarta donata fuerit, vel inter vivos in iis tantummodo casibus, quorum mentionem nostra facit constitutio, vel aliis modis, qui in nostris constitution us continentur. Quod autem de quarta diximus, ita intelligen § 6. No person, entitled to a fourth can be barred from bringing a come plaint (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 causa or inter vivos, (in those cases, noticed by our constitution,) or by any other means set forth in our |