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De differentiâ à privatis.

PUBLICA judicia neque per actiones ordinantur; neque omninò quicquam simile habent cum cæteris judiciis, de quibus locuti sumus: magnaque diversitas corum est et in instituendo et in exercendo.

Public judgments are not introduced by actions; nor are they in any thing similar to the judgments, of which we have been treating. They also differ greatly from one another in the manner of being instituted and prosecuted.

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IV. Item lex Julia de adulteriis coercendis, quæ non solùm temeratores alienarum nuptiarum gladio punit, sed et eos, qui cum masculis nefandam libidinem exercere audent. Sed eâdem lege etiam stupri flagitium punitur, cum quis sinè vi vel virginem vel viduam honestè viventem stupraverit. Pœnam autem eadem lex irrogat stupratoribus; si honesti sunt, publicationem partis dimidiæ bonorum; si humiles, corporis coercitionem cum relegatione.

§ 4. The law Julia, for the suppression of adulteries, not only punishes with death those who violate the marriage bed of others, but those also, who commit acts of detestable lewdness with persons of their own sex. It also inflicts punishment upon all who are guilty of the crime called stuprum: that is, the debauching a virgin, or a widow of honest fame, without force. The punishment of this crime in persons of condition is the confiscation of a moiety of their possessions; offenders of low degree, undergo corporal chastisement with relegation.

De sicariis.

V. Item lex Cornelia de sicariis, quæ homicidas ultore ferro persequitur, vel eos, qui hominis occidendi causâ cum telo ambulant.

§ 5. The law Cornelia de sicariis punishes those, who commit murder, with death, and those also, who carry weapons, with intent to kill.

Telum autem, ut Cajus noster ex interpretatione legum duodecim tabularum scriptum reliquit, vulgò quidem id appellatur, quod arcu mittitur; sed et nunc omne significat, quod manu cujusque jacitur. Sequitur ergò, ut lignum, et lapis, et ferrum, hoc nomine contineantur; dictum ab eo, quod in longinquum mittitur, a Græca voce a figuratum. Et hanc significationem invenire possumus et in Græco nomine; nam, quod nos telum appellamus, illis appellant O TE βαλλεσθαι Admonet nos Xenophon; nam ita scribit: Kata Beλn έμε εφέρετο, λόγχα, τοξεύματα, σφενδοναι, πλειςοι δε και λιθοι. Sicarii autem appellantur à sicà, quod significat ferreum cultrum. Eadem lege et venefici capite damnantur, qui artibus odiosis, tam venenis, quam susurris magicis, homines, occiderint; vel mala medicamenta publicè vendiderint,

The term telum, according to Caius's interpretation, commonly signifies an arrow made to be shot from a bow, but it is now used to denote any missile weapon, or whatever is thrown from the hand; hence a club, a stone, or a piece of iran, may be comprehended under that appellation. The word telum is evidently derived from the Greek adverb Tλ8, procul, because thrown from a distance. And we may trace the same analogy in the Greek word Beos for what we call telum, the Greeks term βέλος, from βαλλεσθαι το throw; and of this we are informed by Xenophon, who writes thus: Darts also were carried, spears, arrows, slings and a multitude of stones, Assassins and murderers are called sicarii from sica, which signifies a short crooked sword or ponyard. The same law also inflicts a capital punishment upon those, who practice odious arts, or sell pernicious medicaments, occasioning the death of mankind, as well by poison, as by magical incantations.

De parricidiis.

S VI. Alia deinde lex asperrimum crimen nova pœna persequitur, quæ Pompeia de parricidiis vocatur; quà cavetur, ut, si quis parentis aut filii, aut omninò affectionis ejus, quæ nuncupatione parentum continetur, fata præparaverit, (sivè clàm, sivè palàm, id ausus fuerit,) nec non is, cujus dolo malo id factum est, vel conscius

6. The law Pompeia inflicts a new punishment upon those who commit parricide, the most execrable of all crimes. This law ordains that whoever, either publicly or privately, hastens the death of a parent or a child, or of any person comprized under the tye, or denomination of a parent, shall be punished as a parricide; and he also, who hath

criminis existit, licèt extraneus sit, pœnâ parricidii puniatur: et neque gladio, neque ignibus, neque ulli solemni pœnæ subjiciatur, sed insutus culeo cum cane, et gallo gallinaceo, et viperâ, et simiâ, et inter eas ferales angustias comprehensus, (secundùm quod regionis qualitas tulerit,) vel in vicinum mare, vel in amnem projiciatur; ut omnium elementorum usu vivus carere incipiat, et ei cœlum superstiti, et terrâ mortuo, auferatur. Și quis autem alias cognatione vel affinitate personas conjunctas necaverit, pœnam legis Cornelia de sicariis sustinebit.

advised, or been privy to the transaction, although a stranger. A criminal, in this case, is not put to death by the sword, by fire, nor by any ordinary punishment; the law directs, that he shall be sewed up in a sack, with a dog, a cock, a viper, and an ape, and, being put up in this horrid inclosure, shall be thrown either into the sea, or an adjacent river, according to the situation of the place, where the punishment is inflicted: thus he is deprived of the very elements, while living; so that his living body is denied the benefits of the air, and his dead body the use of the earth. But, if a man be guilty of the murder of any other person, related to him, either by cognation or affinity, he is only subject to the punishment inflicted by the law Cornelia de sicariis.

De falsis.

VII. Item lex Cornelia de falsis, quæ etiam testamentaria vocatur, pœnam irrogat ei, qui testamentum vel aliud instrumentum falsum scripserit, signaverit, recitaverit, subjecerit, vel signum adulterinum fecerit, sculpserit, presserit, sciens, dolo malo. Ejusque legis pœna, in servos ultimum supplicium est; quod etiam in lege Cornelia de sicariis et veneficis seryatur: in liberos verò deportatio.

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§ 7. The law Cornelia de falsis, which is also called testamentaria, punishes those who fraudulently write, sign, recite, or clandestinely offer for signature a false will, or any other instrument; or make, engrave or stamp, or in any manner counterfeited the seal of another. The punishment by this law upon slaves is death; as it is by the law Cornelia concerning assassins and poisoners; upon freemen, deportation.

De vi.

§ VIII. Item lex Julia de vi § 8. The law Julia, concerning

publicâ seu privatâ adversus eos exoritur, qui vim vel armatam, vel sinè armis, commiserint; sed, siquidem armata vis arguatur, deportatio ei ex lege Julià de vi publicà irrogatur; si verò sinè armis, in tertiam partem bonorum suorum publicatio imponitur. Sin autem per vim raptus virginis, vel viduæ, vel sanctimonialis, vel alterius, fuerit perpetratus, tunc et raptores, et ii, qui opem huic flagitio dederunt, capite puniuntur, secundùm nostræ constitutionis definitionem, ex quâ hoc apertius possibile est scire.

public and private force, take place against all, who use force, whether armed or unarmed; but, if proof be made of an armed force, the punishment is deportation by that law; and, if the force be not accompanied with arms, the penalty is confiscation of one third part of the offender's goods: nevertheless, if a rape be committed upon a virgin, a wi dow, a nun, or upon any other person, both the ravishers and their accomplices are all equally subject to capital punishment, according to the decision of our constitution; from which more may be known of this subject.

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