下载辰思小说免费APP
40。Theywereconsideredasmorehonourable。SeePhilo，DeSpecialibuslegib。qu？pertinetadpr？ceptadecalogi，p。778，Paris，1640。
41。SeeLeg。8，Cod。deincestisetinutilibusnuptiis。
42。EdifyingLetters，coll。xiv，p。403。
43。"Thelordappointedcollectorstoreceivethetollfromthepeasant，thegentlemenwereobligedtocontributebythecount，andtheclergytothebishop。"——Beaumanoir，25，§§13，17。
44。DeLeg。，i。
45。Politics，iii。13。
46。Hyperbolus。SeePlutarch，Aristides。
47。Itwasfoundoppositetothespiritofthelegislator。Seebelow，xxix。7。
48。PlutarchinhiscomparisonbetweenLycurgusandNuma。
49。Plutarch，CatotheYounger。
50。Leg。11§ult。，ff。ad。leg。Jul。deadulteriis。
51。LawoftheVisigoths，iii，tit。4，§6。
52。SeeGarcilassodelaVega，p。108。
53。Seev。14；viii。16—20；ix。4—7；andx。9，10。
54。Venice。
55。Chapter14，partXII。
BookXXVII。
1。OftheOriginandRevolutionsoftheRomanLawsonSuccessions。Thisaffairderivesitsestablishmentfromthemostdistantantiquity，andtopenetratetoitsfoundation，permitmetosearchamongthefirstlawsoftheRomansforwhat，Ibelieve，nobodyyethasbeensohappyastodiscover。
WeknowthatRomulus[1]dividedthelandofhislittlekingdomamonghissubjects；itseemstomethathencethelawsofRomeonsuccessionswerederived。
Thelawofthedivisionoflandsmadeitnecessarythatthepropertyofonefamilyshouldnotpassintoanother：henceitfollowedthattherewerebuttwoordersofheirsestablishedbylaw，thechildrenandallthedescendantsthatlivedunderthepowerofthefather，whomtheycalledsuih？redes，orhisnaturalheirs；and，intheirdefault，thenearestrelativesonthemaleside，whomtheycalledagnati。[2]
Itfollowedlikewise，thattherelativesonthefemaleside，whomtheycalledcognati，oughtnottosucceed；theywouldhaveconveyedtheestateintoanotherfamily，whichwasnotallowed。
Thencealsoitfollowedthatthechildrenoughtnottosucceedtothemother，northemothertoherchildren；forthismightcarrytheestateofonefamilyintoanother。ThusweseethemexcludedbythelawoftheTwelveTables：[3]itcallednonetothesuccessionbuttheagnati，andtherewasnoagnationbetweenthesonandthemother。
Butitwasindifferentwhetherthesuush？res，or，indefaultofsuch，thenearestbyagnation，wasmaleorfemale；because，astherelativesonthemother’ssidecouldnotsucceed，thoughawomanwhowasanheiressshouldhappentomarry，yettheestatealwaysreturnedintothefamilywhenceitcame。Onthisaccount，thelawoftheTwelveTablesdoesnotdistinguish，whetherthepersonwhosucceededwasmaleorfemale。[4]
Thiswasthecausethat，thoughthegrandchildrenbythesonsucceededtothegrandfather，thegrandchildrenbythedaughterdidnotsucceed；
for，topreventtheestatefrompassingintoanotherfamily，theagnatiwerepreferredtothem。Hencethedaughter，andnotherchildren，succeededtothefather。[5]
ThusamongtheprimitiveRomans，thewomensucceeded，whenthiswasagreeabletothelawofthedivisionoflands，andtheydidnotsucceed，whenthismightsufferbyit。
SuchwerethelawsofsuccessionamongtheprimitiveRomans；andasthesehadanaturaldependenceontheconstitution，andwerederivedfromthedivisionoflands，itiseasytoperceivethattheyhadnotaforeignorigin，andwerenotofthenumberofthosebroughtintotherepublicbythedeputiessentintothecitiesofGreece。
DionysiusHalicarnassustellsus[6]thatServiusTullius，findingthelawsofRomulusandNumaonthedivisionoflandsabolished，restoredthem，andmadenewonestogivetheoldagreaterweight。Wecannotthereforedoubtbutthatthelawswehavebeenspeakingof，madeinconsequenceofthisdivision，weretheworkofthesethreeRomanlegislators。
Theorderofsuccessionhavingbeenestablishedinconsequenceofapoliticallaw，nocitizenwasallowedtobreakinuponitbyhisprivatewill；thatis，inthefirstagesofRomehehadnotthepowerofmakingatestament。Yetitwouldhavebeenhardtodeprivehim，inhislastmoments，ofthefriendlycommerceofkindandbeneficentactions。
Theythereforefoundamethodofreconciling，inthisrespect；thelawswiththedesiresoftheindividual。Hewaspermittedtodisposeofhissubstanceinanassemblyofthepeople；andthuseverytestamentwas；insomesort；anactofthelegislativepower。
ThelawoftheTwelveTablespermittedthepersonwhomadehiswilltochoosewhichcitizenhepleasedforhisheir。ThereasonthatinducedtheRomanlawssostrictlytorestrainthenumberofthosewhomightsucceedabintestatowasthelawofthedivisionoflands；andthereasonwhytheyextendedsowidelythepowerofthetestatorwasthat，asthefathermightsellhischildren，[7]hemightwithgreaterreasondeprivethemofhissubstance。Thesewerethereforedifferenteffects，sincetheyflowedfromdifferentprinciples；andsuchis，inthisrespect，thespiritoftheRomanlaws。
TheancientlawsofAthensdidnotsufferacitizentomakeawill。
Solonpermittedit，withanexceptiontothosewhohadchildren；[8]andthelegislatorsofRome，filledwiththeideaofpaternalpower，allowedthemakingawilleventotheprejudiceoftheirchildren。ItmustbeconfessedthattheancientlawsofAthensweremoreconsistentthanthoseofRome。TheindefinitepermissionofmakingawillwhichhadbeengrantedtotheRomans，ruinedlittlebylittlethepoliticalregulationonthedivisionoflands；itwastheprincipalthingthatintroducedthefataldifferencebetweenrichesandpoverty：manyshareswereunitedinthesameperson；somecitizenshadtoomuch，andamultitudeofothershadnothing。Thusthepeoplebeingcontinuallydeprivedoftheirshareswereincessantlycallingoutforanewdistributionoflands。Theydemandeditinanagewhenthefrugality，theparsimonyandthepovertyoftheRomansweretheirdistinguishingcharacteristics；aswellasatatimewhentheirluxuryhadbecomestillmoreastonishing。
Testamentsbeingproperlyalawmadeintheassemblyofthepeople，thosewhowereinthearmyweretherebydeprivedofatestamentarypower。Thepeoplethereforegavethesoldierstheprivilegeofmakingbeforetheircompanions[9]thedispositionswhichshouldhavebeenmadebeforethem。[10]
Thegreatassemblyofthepeoplemetbuttwiceayear；besides，boththepeopleandtheaffairsbroughtbeforethemwereincreased；theythereforejudgeditconvenienttopermitallthecitizenstomaketheirwillbeforesomeRomancitizensofripeage，whoweretorepresentthebodyofthepeople；[11]theytookfivecitizens，[12]inwhosepresencetheinheritorpurchasedhisfamily，thatis，hisinheritance，ofthetestator；[13]anothercitizenbroughtapairofscalestoweighthevalue；fortheRomans，asyet，hadnomoney。[14]
Toallappearancethesefivecitizensweretorepresentthefiveclassesofthepeople；andtheysetnovalueonthesixth，asbeingcomposedofmenwhohadnoproperty。
Weoughtnottosay，withJustinian，thatthesescalesweremerelyimaginary；theybecame，indeed，imaginaryintime，butwerenotsooriginally。Mostofthelaws，whichafterwardsregulatedwills，werebuiltontherealityofthesescales：wefindsufficientproofofthisinthefragmentsofUlpian。[15]Thedeaf，thedumb，theprodigal，couldnotmakeawill：thedeaf，becausehecouldnothearthewordsofthebuyeroftheinheritance；thedumb，becausehecouldnotpronouncethetermsofnomination；theprodigal，becauseashewasexcludedfromthemanagementofallaffairs，hecouldnotsellhisinheritance。Iomitanyfurtherexamples。
Willsbeingmadeintheassemblyofthepeoplewererathertheactsofpoliticalthanofcivillaws，apublicratherthanaprivateright；
whenceitfollowedthatthefather，whilehissonwasunderhisauthority，couldnotgivehimleavetomakeawill。
Amongmostnations，willsarenotsubjecttogreaterformalitiesthanordinarycontracts；becauseboththeoneandtheotherareonlyexpressionsofthewillofhimwhomakesthecontract，andbothareequallyaprivateright。ButamongtheRomans，wheretestamentswerederivedfromthepubliclaw，theywereattendedwithmuchgreaterformalitiesthanotheraffairs；[16]andthisisstillthecaseinthoseprovincesofFrancewhicharegovernedbytheRomanlaw。
Testamentsbeing，asIhavesaid，alawofthepeople，theyoughttobemadewiththeforceofacommand，andinsuchtermsasarecalleddirectandimperative。[17]Hencearulewasformed，thattheycoul
