fratres, agnati sibi sunt; qui et consanguinei vocantur: nec requiritur, an etiam eandem matrem habuerint. Item patruus fratris filio, et invicem is illi, agnatus est. Eodem numero sunt fratres patrueles, id est, qui ex duobus fratribus procreati sunt, qui etiam consobrini vocantur. Quà ratione etiam ad plures gradus agnationis pervenire poterimus. Ii etiam, qui post mortem patris nascuntur, jura consanguinitatis nanciscuntur. Non tamen omnibus simul agnatis dat lex hæreditatem; sed iis, qui tunc proximiore gradu sunt, cum certum esse cœperit, aliquem intestatum decessisse. the same father, are agnates in regard to each other; they are also consanguinei, of the same blood; but it is not required, that they should have the same mother. An uncle is also agnate to his brother's son, and vice versa the brother's son to his paternal uncle: and brothers patruel, that is, the children of brothers, who are also called consobrinj, cousins are likewise reckoned agnates. Thus we may enumerate many grees of agnation; and even those, who are born, after the decease of their parents, obtain the rights of consanguinity: the law nevertheless does not grant the right of inheritance to all the agnati, but to those only, who are in the nearest degree, when it becomes certain, that the deceased hath died intestate. De adoptivis.. de II. Per adoptionem quoque 2. The right of agnation arises agnationis jus consistit; veluti inter filios naturales et eos, quos pater eorum adoptavit; nec dubium est, quin ii impropriè consanguinei appellentur. Itèm, si quis ex cæteris agnatis tuis, veluti frater aut patruus, aut denique is, qui longiore gradu est, adoptaverit aliquem, agnatus inter tuos esse non dubitatur. also through adoption; thus the natural and adopted sons of the same father are agnates; but such persons are without doubt improperly called consanguinei. Also, if a brother, a paternal uncle, or any other af your more remote agnates, should adopt, then the person so adopted, is undoubtedly to be reckoned among your agnati. De masculis et fœminis. III. Cæterùm inter masculos quidem agnationis jure hæreditas, etiamsi longissimo gradu sint, ultro citroque capitur. Quod ad fœ § 3. Succession among males even in the most distant degree proceeds according to the right of agnation. But it hath been thought right minas verò attinet, ita placebat, ut ipsæ consanguinitatis jure, tantùm capiant hæreditatem, si sorores sint; ulterius non capiant. Masculi autem ad earum hæreditates, (etiamsi longissimo gradu sint,) admittantur. Quà de causâ fratris tui, aut patrui tui filiæ, vel amitæ tuæ, hæreditas ad te pertinebat: tua verò ad illas non pertinebat. Quod ideò ita constitutum erat, quia commodius videbatur, ita jura constitui, ut plerumque hæreditates ad masculos confluerent. Sed, quia sanè iniquum erat, in universum eas quasi extraneas repelli, prætor eas ad bonorum possessionem admittit ea parte, qua proximitatis nomine bonorum possessionem pollicetur: ex quâ parte ita scilicèt admittuntur, si neque agnatus ullus, neque proximior cognatus, interveniat. Et hæc quidem lex duodecim tabularum nullo modo introduxit; sed, simplicitatem legibus amicam amplexa, simili modo omnes agnatos, sivè masculos sivè fœminas, cujuscunque gradus, ad similitudinem suorum, invicem ad successionem vocabat. Media autem jurisprudentia, quæ erat quidem lege duodecim tabularum junior, imperiali autem dispositione anterior, subtilitate quadam excogitatâ, præfatam, differentiam inducebat, et penitùs eas à successione agnatorum repellebat, omni aliâ successione incognitâ donec prætores paulatim asperitatem juris civilis corrigentes, sivè, quod deerat, implentes huma that females should only inherit by consanguinity, if sisters; and not in a more remote degree; though males might be admitted in the most distant degree to inherit females: thus in case of death, the inheritance of your brother's daughter, or of the daughter of your paternal uncle or aunt, would appertain to you; but your inheritance would not apper, tain to them. And this was so constituted, because it seemed expedient for the benefit of society, that inheritances should for the most part fall into the possession of males. But, as it was unjust, that females should be thus almost wholly excluded as strangers, the prætor admitted them to the possession of goods in that part of his edict, in which he gives the possession of goods on account of proximity: yet they are only admitted upon condition, that there is no agnate, or nearer cognate. But the law of the twelve tables did not introduce these dispositions; for that law, according to the plainness and simplicity, which are agreeable to all laws, called the agnates of either sex, or any degree, to succession, in the same manner as it admitted proper heirs. But the middle law, which was posterior to the law of the twelve tables, and prior to the imperial constitutions, subtilly introdu ced the before-mentioned distinction, and entirely repelled females from the succession of agnates, no other method of succession being known, until the prætors, correcting by de no proposito alium ordinem suis edictis addiderunt; et cognationis linea, proximitatis nomine introducta, per bonorum possessionem eas adjuvabant, et pollicebantur his bonorum possessionem, quæ unde cognati appellatur. Nos verò, legem duodecim tabularum sequentes, et ejus vestigia hac in parte conser vantes, laudamus quidem prætores suæ humanitatis, non tamèn eos in plenum huic causæ mederi invenimus. Quarè etenim, uno eodemque gradu naturali concurrente, et agnationis titulis tam in masculis quam in fœminis æqua lance constitutis, masculis quidem debatur ad successionem venire omnium agnatorum, ex agnatis autem mulieribus nulli penitùs, nisi soli sorori, ad agnatorum successionem patebat aditus ? Ideò nos, in plenum omnia reducentes, et ad jus duodecim tabularum eandem dispositionemexæquantes,nostrâ constitutione sancimus, omnes legitimas personas, id est, per virilem sexum descendentes (sivè masculini generis sivè fœminini sint) simili modo ad jura successionis legitimæ, ab intestato vocari, secundùm sui gradus prærogativam ; nec ideò excludendas, quia consanguinitatis jura, sicut germanæ, non habent. grees the asperity of the civil law, or supplying what was deficient, added in their edicts a new order of succession, being induced to it by a motive of humanity; and, by introducing the line of cognation on account of proximity, they thus assisted the females, and gave them the possession of goods, which is called unde cognati. But we, although strictly adhering to the law of the twelve tables in regard to females, must yet commend the humanity of the prætors, though they have not afforded a full remedy in the present case. But, since the same natural degree of relation, and the same title of agnation appertains as well to females as to males, "what reason can be assigned, that males should be permitted to succeed all their agnati, and that no means of succession should be open to any female agnate, except a sister? We therefore, reducing all things to an equality, and making our disposition conformable to the laws of the twelve tables, huve by our constitution ordained, that all legitimate persons, that is, descendants from males, whether male or female, shall be equally called to the rights of succession ab intestato according to the prerogative of their degree, and be by no means excluded although they possess not the rights of consanguinity in so near a degree as sisters. De filiis § IV. Hoc etiam addendum nostræ constitutioni existimavimus, ut transferatur unus tantummodò gradus à cognationis in legitimam successionem; ut non solùm fratris filius et filia (secundùm quod jam definivimus) ad successionem patrui sui vocentur, sed etiam germanæ consanguineæ vel sororis uterinæ filius et filia soli, et non deinceps personæ, una cum his ad jura avunculi sui perveniant: et, mortuo eo, qui patruus quidem est sui fratris filiis, avunculus autem sororis suæ soboli, simili modo ab utroque latere succedant, tanquàm si omnes ex masculis descendentes legitimo jure veniant; scilicèt ubi frater et soror superstites non sunt; (his etenim personis præcedentibus et successionem admittentibus, cæteri gradus remanent penitùs semoti ;) videlicèt hereditate non in stirpes, sed in in capita, dividendâ. sororum. 4. We have also thought fit to add to our constitution, so that one degree only is transferred from the line of cognation to the line of legitimate succession, i. e. of agnation: and not only the son and daughter of a brother (according to our former definition of agnates) shall be called to the succession of their paternal uncle, but the son or daughter of a sister, who is either by the same father or by the same mother, may also be admitted with agnates to the succession of their maternal uncle; but no one of the descendants of the son or daughter of a sister is by any means to be admitted. And, when a person dies, who at his decease was both a paternal and maternal uncle, that is, who had nephews or nieces living both by a brother and by a sister, then such children succeed in the same manner, as if they were all、 descendants from males, when the deceased leaves no brother or sister : and they take the inheritance not per stirpes, or according to their respective stocks, but per capita, i. e. by poll: but, if there be brothers or sisters, and they accept the succession, all others of a more remote degree are excluded. De proximis vel remotis. V. Si plures sint gradus agnatorum, apertè lex duodecim tabularum proximum vocat: itaque, si (verbi gratia) sint defuncti frater, et alterius fra ris filius, aut ptruus, frater potior habetur. Et, § 5. When there are many degrees of agnates, the law of the twelve tables calls for the nearest ; if, for example, there is a brother of the deceased, and a son of another brother, or a paternal uncle, the bro quamvis singulari numero usâ, lex duodecim tabularum proximum vocet, tamen dubium non est, quin, si plures sint ejusdem gradus, omnes admittantur. Nam et propriè proximus ex pluribus gradibus intelligitur; et tamen non dubium est, quin, licèt unus sit gradus agnatorum, pertineat ad eos hæredi tas. ther is preferred. But, although the law of the twelve tables calls the nearest agnate in the singular number, yet doubtless, if there be manyz in the same degree, they ought all to be admitted. And, although proper ly by the nearest degree must be un derstood the nearest of many, yet, if there be but one degree of agnates, the inheritance must undoubtedly appertain to those, who are in that degree. Quo tempore proximitas spectatur. VI. Proximus autem, si quidem nullo testamento facto quisquam decesserit, per hoc tempus requiritur, quo mortuus est is, cujus de hæreditate quæritur; quod si facto testamento quisquam decesserit, per hoc tempus requiritur, quo certum esse cœperit, nullum ex testamento hæredem extiturum; tunc enim propriè quisque intestatus decessisse intelligitur: quod quidem aliquandò longo tempore declaratur; in quo spatio temporis sæpè accidit, ut, proximiore mortuo, proximus esse incipiat, qui moriente testatore non erat proxi mus. § 6. When a man dies without will, that person is esteemed his nearest of kin who was so at the time of the decease. But, when the de ceased hath actually made a testament, then that person is esteemed his nearest of kin, who was so when it became certain, that there was no testumentary heir: for, until then, a man who hath made a testament, cannot be said to have died intestate: and this sometimes may not appear for a long time; during which the proximate kinsman dying, some one becomes the nearest of kin, who was not so at the death of the testator. De successorio edicto. § VII. Placebat autem, in eo genere percipiendarum hæreditatum successionem non esse; id est, ut quamvis proximus, qui secundùm ea, quæ diximus, vocatur ad hæreditatem, aut spreverit hæreditatem, aut antequam adeat, decesserit, nihilò magis legitimo jure sequentes § 7. But it is settled, that there is no succession among agnates; so that, if the nearest agnate be called to an inheritance, and hath either refused the heirship, or been prevented by death from entering upon it, his own legitimate heir would not be admitted to succeed him. But |