gests, it was thought expedient by Justinian, for the benefit of students, that an abridgment should be made of the whole Roman law; which work was soon performed in obedience to his order, and confirmed with the digests, under the title of institutions.

The emperor afterwards, upon mature deliberation, suppressed the first edition of his code, and published a second, which he intitled Codex repetitæ prælectionis, having omitted several useless laws, and inserted others, which were judged serviceable to the state.

The Justinian-law now consisted of three parts, the institutions, the digests, and the second code. But the emperor, after the publication of the second code, continued from time to time to enact diverse new constitutions or novels, and also several edicts; all which were collected after his decease, and became a fourth part of the law.

The 13 edicts of Justinian and most of the novels were originally conceived in the Greek tongue; and so great was the decline of the Roman language at Constantinople within forty years after the death of this emperor, that his laws in general were not otherways intelligible to the major part of the people, than by the assistance of a Greek version: but, notwithstanding this disadvantage, they still subsisted intire, till the publication of the Basilica, by which the east was governed, till the dissolution of the empire.

"non per sigla, manifestari." Cod. 1. t. 17. 1. 2. § 22.

Confirmed with the Digests.]"Leges "autem nostras, quæ in his codicibus, id "est, institutionum seu elementorum et di"gestorum, posuimus, suum obtinere robur "ex tertio nostro felicissimo sancimus con"sulatu præsentis duodecimæ indictionis, "tertio calendas januarias, in omne ævum "valituras, &c." Cod. 1. t. 17. 1. 2. § 23.

Suppressed the first edition of his code.] "Nemini in posterum concedimus, vel "ex decisionibus nostris, vel ex aliis con"stitutionibus, quas antea fecimus, vel ex "prima Justinianei codicis editione, aliquid "recitare; sed, quod in præsenti purgato et "renovato codice nostro scriptum invenitur, "hoc tantummodo in omnibus rebus et ju"diciis et obtineat et recitetur: cujus scrip. “turam, ad similitudinem nostrarum insti"tutionum et digestorum, sine ulla signo"rum dubietate conscribi jussimus." De emendatione cod § 5.

Basilica.] "Versionibus juris Justinianei "Græcis, et novellis eadem lingua scriptis, "in foris scholisque utebantur, donec, de "eo in compendium mittendo, sæculo nono "cogitare inciperent imperatores Byzanti

"ni. Ex his primum Basilius Macedo anno "838 ediderat рoxelpov Twv voμwv, quod con"stabat titulis quadraginta. Deinde Leo "copos, patri Basilio succedens, collectionem "illam paternam perfecit, eamque sub titu. σε 10 διατάξεων βασιλικών promulgavit, anno "Christi 886. Denique subsecutus Leonem "Constantinus, cognomento Porphyrogeneta, paternum opus sub incudem revoca

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vit, et libros illos Barixinar publicavit sub " initium sæculi decimi. Et hi quidem sunt "libri illi Baσtλxav, ex Græca institutionum, "pandectarum, codicis versione, Justinia"ni novellis et edictis tredecim, nec non ex "juris-consultorum quorundam orientalium "paratitlis, aliisque libris, quin et patribus "et conciliis collecti; ita tamen ut multa "omissa videamus, quæ fortassis tum ab usu " recesserant, multas etiam leges in com"pendium contractas, multa denique ex " posteriorum principum legibus et consti. "tutionibus addita animadvertamus. Opus "istud in sexaginta libros divisum, præter

pauca, quæ nondum integra reperiri po"tuerunt, cum glossis græce et latine edi

tum est a Car. Annib. Fabrotto, Paris. "1647. fol. vol. vii." vid. Heinecci hist. jur. civ. l. 1. § 405.

The dissolution of the empire.] Constantinople was taken by the Turks, and a period

The laws published by Justinian were still successful in the west; where, even in the life-time of the emperor, they were not received universally; and, after the Lombard invasion, they became so totally neglected, that both the code and the pandects were lost, till the 12th century; when it is said, that the pandects were accidentally recovered at Amalphi, and the code at Ravenna. But, as if fortune would make an atonement for her former severity, they have since been the study of the wisest men, and revered, as law, by the politest nations.

was put to the eastern empire in the year of "ponio militiæ duce strenuo expugnatis, Christ, 1453.

After the Lombard invasion.] The Lombards entered Italy under Alboinus about the year of Christ 568, in the reign of Justin the second, successor to Justinian.

At Amalphi]"Eo tempore (anno Dom. 1130) "injustis perturbatisque comitiis, lacerarat ecclesiam falsus pontifex Petrus 66 Leonis, Anacletus secundus nuncupatus ab "sua factione; cujus dux erat Rogerius Apu"liæ ac Siciliæ comes, Regis nomine a fal"so pontifice donatus. Adversus Anacle"tum creatus rite ac solenniter fuerat In"nocentius secundus, cui favebat imperator "Lotharius Saxo, summa virtute atque pru. "dentia princeps; quo bellum gerente ad"versus Rogerium, Amalphi, urbe Salerno proxima, (quam perperam aliqui locant "in Apulia, Melphiam cum Amalphi confun"dentes,) inopinato reperti fuerunt digesto"rum libri; quos Pisani, qui classe Lotha“rium contra Rogerium adjuverant, præ"mio bene navatæ operæ sibi exorarunt. "Pisis vero post longam obsidionem a Ca

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"translati fuere Florentiam; ubi, pro Au"gusta Mediceæ domus magnificentia, in 66 museo magni ducis conservantur. Hinc "promiscua Pisanarum et Florentinarum "apud scriptores pandectarum appellatio. "Iisdem temporibus repertum Ravennæ fuit "constitutionum imperialium volumen, "quod codex appellatur; indeque cæteros li"bros juris, imo et digestorum aliud exem"plar in lucem aliqui rediisse putant: nec "mirum, cum ea urbs longo tempore Ro"manis legibus vixerit, et orientali Roma"norum imperio diu obtemperavit. No"vellæ vero constitutiones etiam antea per "Italiam vagabantur; utque mea fert opinio, multi juris civilis libri, postquam in. cessit homines cupido recipiendi Romani "juris, agniti potius fuere, quam reperti: "nam, et aliquot ante Lotharium annis, jus "civile Justiniani commemoravit Ivo Car"notensis, et libros pandectarum; cum an"tea, si occurrerent, forsan socordia et ob"livione prætermitterentur." vid. Gravina orig. jur. civ. lib. 1. cap. 140. et Hein. hist. jur. civ. lib. 1. § 412.

DE

CONFIRMATIONE INSTITUTIONUM.

IN NOMINE DOMINI NOSTRI JESU CHRISTI.

IMPERATOR, CESAR FLAVIUS JUSTINIANUS, ALEMANICUS, GOT THICUS, FRANCICUS, GERMANICUS, ANTICUS, ALANICUS, VANDALICUS, AFRICANUS, PIUS, FELIX, INCLYTUS, VICTOR AC TRIUMPH . ator, semper Augustus-cuPIDÆ LEGUM JUVENTUTI S.

iterum ditioni Romanse, nostroque additæ imperio, protestantur. Omnes vero populi legibus tam à nobis promulgatis, quam compositis, reguntur.

governea by laws, either originally enacted, or promulgated anew, under our authority.

De compositione Codicis et Pandectarum. II. Et cum sacratissimas constitutiones, antea confusas, in luculentam ereximus consonantiam, tunc nostram extendimus curam ad immensa veteris prudentiæ volumina; et opus desperatum, quasi per medium profundum euntes, cœlesti favore jam adimplevimus.

§ 2. When we had arranged and brought into lucid harmony the hitherto confused mass of imperial constitutions, we then extended our care to the numerous volumes of ancient law; and have now completed, through the favour of heaven (wading as it were through a vast ocean) a work that might have been despaired of.

De tempore, auctoritatibus, fine et utilitate compositionis
Institutionum.

III. Cumque hoc, Deo propitio, peractum est, Triboniano, viro magnifico, magistro, et exquæstore sacri palatii nostri, et exconsule, nec non Theophilo et Dorotheo, viris illustribus, antecessoribus, (quorum omnium solertiam, et legum scientiam, et circa nostras jussiones fidem, jam ex multis rerum argumentis accepimus,) convocatis, mandavimus specialiter, ut ipsi nostra auctoritate, nostrisque suasionibus, Institutiones componerent; ut liceat vobis prima legum cunabula non ab antiquis fabulis discere, sed ab imperiali splendore appetere: et tam aures, quam animi vestri, nihil inutile, nihilque perperam positum, sed quod in ipsis rerum obtinet argumentis, accipiant: et quod priore tempore vix post quadriennium prioribus contingebat, ut tunc consti

3. So soon as by the blessing of God this was accomplished, we sum moned Tribonian, our former chancellor, with Theopilus and Dorotheus, men of known learning and tried fidelity, whom we enjoined by our authority to compose the following Institutes, that the rudiments of law might be more effectually learned, by the sole means of our imperial authority; and that your minds for the future should not be burdened with obsolete and unprofitable doctrines, but instructed in those laws only, which are allowed of and practiced: and, whereas Students formerly could scarcely sit down to the imperial constitutions under four years previous study, they may now, (having been thought worthy of our princely care, to which they are indebted for the beginning and end of their legal

tutiones imperatorias legerent, hoc VDs à primordio ingredíamini, digni tanto honore, tantaque reperti felicitate, ut et initium vobis, et finis legum eruditionis, à voce principali procedat.

erudition) apply themselves immedi ately to that course of reading.

Diviso Institutionum.

§ IV. Igitur post libros quinquaginta Digestorum, seu Pandectarum, (in quibus omne jus antiquum collectum est, quod per eundem virum excelsum Tribonianum, nec non cæteros viros illustres et facundissimos, confecimus,) in quatuor libros easdem Institutiones partiri jussimus, ut sint totius legitimæ scientiæ prima elementa.

4. When therefore, by the assis tance of Tribonian and other illustri ous persons, we had compiled the fifty books, called Digests or Pandects, we directed that the Institutes should be divided into four books, which serve as elements of the science of law.

Quid in Institutionibus contineatur. V. In quibus breviter expositum est, et quod antea obtinebat, et quod postea, desuetudine inumbratum, imperiali remedio illuminatum

est.

§ 5. Wherein are briefly set forth the laws formerly in use, and those also, which having been oversha dored by disuse, are now brought to light by our princely care.

Ex quibus libris composita sunt Institutiones, atque earum recognitio, et confirmatio.

§ VI. Quas, ex omnibus antiquorum Institutionibus, et præcipuè ex commentariis Caii nostri, tam institutionum, quam rerum quotidianarum, aliisque multis commentariis compositas, cum tres viri prudentes prædicti nobis obtulerunt, et legimus, et recognovimus, et plenissimum nostrarum constitutionum robur eis accommodavimus,

§ 6. The four books of Institutes thus compiled by Tribonian, Theophilus, and Dorotheus, from all the institutions of the ancient law, buɛ chiefly from the commentaries, institutions, and other writings of Caius, being presented to us, we read and diligently examined their contents; and, in testimony of our approbation, we have now given them our fullest constitutional authority.