V. Senatus-consultum est, quod senatus jubet atque constituit: nam, cum auctus esset populus Romanus in eum modum, ut difficile esset, in unum eum convocari legis sanciendæ causâ, æquum visum est, senatum vice populi consuli.

5. A senatorial decree is what the senate commands and appoints ♪ for, when the people of Rome became so increased that it was difficult to assemble them for the enacting of laws, it seemed right, that the senate should be consulted instead of the people.

§ VI. Sed et, quod principi placuit, legis habet vigorem: cum lege regia, quæ de ejus imperio lata est, populus ei, et in eum, omne imperium suum et potestatem concedat. Quodcunque ergo imperator per epistolam constituit, vel cognoscens decrevit, vel edicto præcepit, legem esse constat. Hæc sunt, quæ constitutiones appellantur. Planè ex his quædam sunt personales, que nec ad exemplum trahuntur, quoniam non hoc princeps vult: nam quod alicui ob meritum indulsit, vel si quam pœnam irrogavit, vel si cui sine exemplo subvenit, personam non transgreditur. Aliæ autem, cum generales sint, omnes proculdubio tenent.

6. The ordinance of the prince hath also the force of a law; for the people by the lex regia, make a concession to him of their whole power. Therefore whatever the emperor erdains by rescript, decree, or edict, is law. Such acts are called constitutions. Of these, some are personal, and are not to be drawn into precedent; for, if the prince hath indulged any man on account of his merit, or inflicted any extraordinary punish'ment on a criminal, or granted some unprecedented assistance, these acts extend not beyond the individual. But other constitutions being gene ral, undoubtedly bind all.

7. The edicts of the prætors are also of great authority. These edicts are called the honorary law, because the magistrates who bear honors in the state, have given them their sanc◄ tion. The curule ædiles alsò, upon certain occasions, published their edicts, which became a part of the

611. The laws of nature, observed by all nations, inasmuch as they are the appointment of divine providence, remain fixed and immutable. But the laws, which every city has enacted

Sed et, si quis ex matre nascitur libera, patre verò servo, ingenuus nihilominus nascitur: quemadinodum, qui ex matre libera et incerto patre natus est: quoniam vulgò conceptus est. Sufficit autem, liberam fuisse matrem eo tempore, quo na scitur, licet ancilla conceperit: et, è contrario, si libera conceperit, deinde ancilla facta pariat, placuit eum, qui nascitur, liberum nasci: quia non debet calamitas matris ei nocere, qui in ventre est. Ex his illud quæsitum est, si ancilla prægnans manumissa sit, deinde ancilla postea facta pepererit, liberum an servum pariat? Et Martianus probat, liberum nasci: sufficit enim ei, qui in utero est, liberam matrem vel medio tempore habuisse, ut liber nascatur; quod et verum est.

mother, altho' the father be a slave, or unknown, is free: notwithstanding he was conceived discreditably. And if the mother is free at the time of the birth, although a bond-woman when she conceived, the infant will be free. Also if a woman, free at conception becomes a slave and is delivered, her child, is nevertheless free born; for the misfortune of the mother ought not to prejudice her unborn infant. I has been a question, whether the child of a woman, who is made free during pregnancy, but becomes bond before delivery, would be free born? Martianus proves the affirmative; for, he deems it sufficient to the unborn child, if the mother hath been free at any time between conception and delivery; and this is true.

§ 1. It will not injure a man born. free to have been in servitude, and afterwards manumitted: for it hath been often settled that manumission shall not prejudice free birth.

been manumitted from just servitude. Manumission, manu-datio, implies