108

Praeterition and attachment.

scilicet quia statim ab initio non constiterit institutio. sed diversae scholae auctores, siquidem filius mortis patris tempore vivat, sane impedimento eum esse scriptis heredibus et illum ab intestato heredem fieri confitentur: si vero ante mortem patris interceptus sit, posse ex testamento hereditatem adiri putant, nullo iam filio impedimento; quia scilicet existimant non statim ab initio inutiliter fieri testamentum filio praeterito. (124) Ceteras vero liberorum personas si praeterierit testator, valet testamentum. praeteritae istae personae scriptis heredibus in partem adcrescunt: si sui instituti sint in virilem; si extranei, in dimidiam. id est si quis tres verbi gratia filios heredes instituerit et filiam praeterierit, filia adcrescendo pro quarta parte fit heres; placuit enim eam tuendam esse pro ea parte, quia etiam ab intestato eam partem habitura esset. at si extraneos ille heredes instituerit et filiam praeterierit, filia adcrescendo ex dimidia parte fit heres. Quae de filia diximus, eadem et de

was invalid from the very beginning. But the authors of the opposite school admit that if the son be alive at the time of the father's death he undoubtedly stands in the way of the written heirs, and becomes heir by intestacy: but they think that if he die before the death of his father, the inheritance can be entered upon in accordance with the testament, the son being now no hindrance: that is, because they think that when a son is passed over, the testament is not invalid from the very beginning. 124. But if the testator pass over other classes of descendants, the testament stands good. These persons so passed over attach themselves to the written heirs for a portion; for a proportionate share, if sui heredes have been appointed heirs': for a half, if strangers have been appointed. That is, if a man have, for example, instituted three sons as heirs and passed over a daughter, the daughter by attachment becomes heir to one-fourth for it has been settled that she is to be protected to this extent, because she would also have had that amount by intestacy. But if the man have instituted strangers as heirs and passed over a daughter, the daughter by attachment becomes heir to onehalf. All that we have said as to a daughter we shall consider

1 11. 156. Ulp. XXII. 17.

Possession of women. Contra tabulas.

109

nepote deque omnibus liberorum personis, sive masculini sive feminini sexus, dicta intellegemus. (125.) Quid ergo est? licet feminae secundum ea quae diximus scriptis heredibus dimidiam partem tantum detrahant, tamen Praetor eis contra tabulas bonorum possessionem promittit, qua ratione extranei heredes a tota hereditate repelluntur: et efficeretur sane per hanc bonorum possessionem, ut nihil inter feminas et masculos interesset (126.) sed nuper Imperator Antoninus significavit rescripto suas non plus nancisci feminas per bonorum possessionem, quam quod iure adcrescendi consequerentur. quod in emancipatis feminis similiter obtinet, scilicet ut quod adcrescendi iure habiturae essent, si suae fuissent, id ipsum etiam per bonorum possessionem habeant. (127.) Sed si quidem filius a patre exheredetur, nominatim exheredari ante

potest

to be also said of a grandson and all classes of descendants, whether of the male or female sex. 125. What means this then? Although women, according to what we have said, take away only one half from the written heirs, yet the Praetor promises them possession of all the goods in spite of the testament, by which means the stranger heirs are debarred from the entire inheritance: and through this possession of goods, the effect would be that no difference would exist between men and women. 126. But lately the Emperor Antoninus has decided by a rescript that women who are suae heredes, are to obtain no more by possession of goods than they would obtain by right of attachment'. A rule which applies in like manner to emancipated women, so that they are to have by possession of goods exactly what they would have had by right of attachment if they had been suae heredes. 127. But if a son be disinherited by a father, he must be disinherited by name'.. A man is considered to be disinherited by name,

......

1 "That they are to have no more by the aid of the praetor than is given to them by the jus civile." Cf. Theophilus, II. 13. 3. These points and the amending rescript of Antoninus are noticed at considerable length in the Code 6. 28. 4, and we perceive that the matter still gave rise to controversy even in Justinian's time. That emperor effected a final settle

ment of the dispute by a rescript of the date 531 A.D.

2

Böcking proposes to continue the passage "before the appointment of the heir (i. e. in a part of the will preceding the appointment of heir), or in the midst of the appointments of the heirs (if there be several), but he cannot in any case be disinherited by a general clause (inter caeteros)."

ΙΙΟ

Disherison of sui heredes.

exheredari. nominatim autem exheredari videtur sive ita exheredetur; TITIUS FILIUS MEUS EXHERES ESTO, sive ita: FILIUS MEUS EXHERES ESTO, non adiecto proprio nomine. (128.) Masculorum ceterorum personae vel feminini sexus aut nominatim exheredari possunt, aut inter ceteros, velut hoc modo: CETERI EXHEREDES SUNTO: quae verba post institutionem heredum adici solent. sed haec ita sunt iure civili. (129.) Nam Praetor omnes virilis sexus, tam filios quam ceteros, id est nepotes quoque et pronepotes nominatim exheredari iubet, feminini vero inter ceteros: qui nisi fuerint ita exheredati, promittit eis contra tabulas bonorum possessionem. (130.) Postumi quoque liberi vel heredes institui debent vel exheredari. (131.) Et in eo par omnium condicio est, quod et in filio postumo et in quolibet ex ceteris liberis, sive feminini sexus sive masculini, praeterito, valet quidem testamentum, sed postea adgnatione postumi sive

But

if he be either disinherited in these words: "Be my son, Titius, disinherited;" or in these: "Be my son disinherited," without the addition of his proper name. 128. Other males or any females may be disinherited either by name or in a general clause, for instance thus: "Be all others disinherited:" words which are usually added after the institution of the heirs. these things are so by the civil law only. 129. For the Praetor orders all of the male sex, both sons and others, i.e. grandsons also and great-grandsons, to be disinherited by name, but women by a general clause and if they be not thus disinherited, he promises them possession of the goods contrary to the testament. 130. Posthumous descendants also must either be appointed heirs or disinherited. 131.' And in this respect the condition of all of them is the same, that when a posthumous son or any other descendant, whether male or female, is passed over, the testament is still valid, but

Disherison of postumi.

III

postumae rumpitur, et ea ratione totum infirmatur: ideoque si mulier ex qua postumus aut postuma sperabatur abortum fecerit, nihil impedimento est scriptis heredibus ad hereditatem adeundum. (132.) Sed feminini quidem sexus postumae vel nominatim vel inter ceteros exheredari solent. dum tamen si inter ceteros exheredentur, aliquid eis legetur, ne videantur per oblivionem praeteritae esse: masculos vero postumos, id est filium et deinceps, placuit non aliter recte exheredari, nisi nominatim exheredentur, hoc scilicet modo: QUICUMQUE MIHI FILIUS Genitus fuerit, exheres esto. (133.) Postumorum loco sunt et hi qui in sui heredis locum succedendo quasi adgnascendo fiunt parentibus sui heredes. ut ecce si filium et ex eo nepotem neptemve in potestate habeam, quia filius gradu praecedit, is solus iura sui heredis habet, quamvis nepos quoque et neptis ex eo in eadem potestate sint; sed si filius meus

is made void subsequently by the agnation1 of the posthumous son or daughter, and thus becomes utterly inoperative. And therefore, if a woman, from whom a posthumous son or daughter is expected, miscarry, there is nothing to prevent the written heirs from entering on the inheritance. 132. Posthumous females may be disinherited either by name or in a general clause; provided only that if they be disinherited by a general clause, something be left them as a legacy, that they may not seem passed over through forgetfulness. But it has been ruled that posthumous males, i.e. a son, &c., cannot be duly disinherited except they be disinherited by name, that is, in this manner, "Whatever son shall be born to me, let him be disinherited." 133. Those are reckoned as posthumous children, who, by succeeding into the place of a suus heres, become heirs to their ascendants by quasi-agnation. For instance, if any man have in his potestas a son and a grandson or granddaughter by him, the son alone has the rights of suus heres, because he is prior in degree, although the grandson also and granddaughter by him are in the same potestas: but

1 By agnatio is merely meant the fact of becoming an agnatus, which might be either by birth or adoption, or, as in the present case, by conception, for when there is a conubium the child follows his father's condition and his rights vest at the time

of conception (1. 89). Therefore the testator passes over a suus heres, as the child's rights extend back inte the testator's lifetime.

2 See Ulp. XXIII. 3; Cic. De Oratore, 1. 57, and Pro Caecin. c.

25.

112

Disherison of quasi-agnates and emancipated children. me vivo moriatur, aut qualibet ratione exeat de potestate mea, incipit nepos neptisve in eius locum succedere, et eo modo iura suorum heredum quasi adgnatione nancisci. (134.) Ne ergo eo modo rumpat mihi testamentum, sicut ipsum filium vel heredem instituere vel exheredare nominatim debeo, ne non iure faciam testamentum, ita et nepotem neptemve ex eo necesse est mihi vel heredem instituere vel exheredare, ne forte, me vivo filio mortuo, succedendo in locum eius nepos neptisve quasi adgnatione rumpat testamentum: idque lege Iunia Velleia provisum est; qua simul cavetur, ut illi tanquam postumi, id est virilis sexus nominatim, feminini vel nominatim vel inter ceteros exheredentur, dum tamen iis qui inter ceteros exheredantur aliquid legetur.

135. Emancipatos liberos iure civili neque heredes instituere neque exheredare necesse est, quia non sunt sui heredes. sed Praetor omnes, tam feminini quam masculini sexus, si heredes non instituantur, exheredari iubet, virilis sexus filios et ulterioris

if my son die in my lifetime, or depart from my potestas by any means, the grandson or granddaughter at once succeeds into his place, and so obtains the rights of a suus heres by quasiagnation. 134. Therefore, to prevent him or her from thus making my testament void, it is necessary for me to appoint as heir or disinherit the grandson or granddaughter by my son, just as I ought to appoint as heir or disinherit by name the son himself to prevent me from making an illegal testament: lest, perchance, if my son die in my lifetime, the grandson or granddaughter by succeeding into his place should make void my testament by the quasi-agnation: and this is provided by the Lex Junia Velleia1: wherein there is also a direction, that these quasi-agnates are to be disinherited in the same way as posthumous children, i.e. males by name, females either by name or in a general clause, provided only that some legacy be left to those disinherited in a general clause.

135. According to the civil law it is not necessary either to appoint as heirs or disinherit emancipated children, because they are not sui heredes. But the Praetor orders all, both males and females, to be disinherited, if they be not instituted heirs, sons and more remote descendants of the male sex by name,

1 Passed A. D. 10.