humanis necessitatibus, gentes human jura qu dam sibi constituerunt: bella etenim orta sunt, et captivitates secute, et servitutes, quæ sunt naturali juri contrariæ: jure

enim naturali omnes homines ab initio liberi nascebantur: et ex hoc jure gentium, omnes penè contractus introducti sunt, ut emptio et venditio, locatio et conductio, societas, depositum, mutuum, et alii innumerabiles.

necessity required: for wars arose, and the consequences were captivity and servitude; both which are contrary to the law of nature; for by that law, all men are born free. But almost all contracts were at first introduced by the law of nations; as for instance, buying, selling, letting, hireing, partnership, a deposit, a loan and others without number.

§ III. Constat autem jus nostrum, quo utimur, aut scripto, aut sine scripto: ut apud GræcoS TWY νόμων οι μεν εγγράφοι, οι δε αγραφοι. Scriptum autem jus, est, lex, plebiscitum, senatus-consultum, principum placita, magistratuum edicta, responsa prudentum.

De lege et

§ IV. Lex est, quod populus Romanus, senatorio magistratu interrogante, (veluti consule,) constituebat. Plebiscitum est, quod plebs, plebeio magistratu interrogante, (veluti tribuno,) constituebat. Plebs autem a populo co differt, quo species a genere; nam appellatione populi universi cives significantur, connumeratis etiam patriciis et senatoribus. Plebis autem appellatione, sine patriciis et senatoribus, cæteri cives significantur. Sed et plebiscita, lege Hortensia lata, non minus valere, quam leges, cœperunt.

§ 3. The Roman law is divided, like the Grecian, into written and unwritten. The written, consists of the plebiscites, the decrees of the senate, ordinances of princes, the edicts of magistrates, and the answers of the sages of the law.

plebiscito.

§ 4. A law is what the Roman. people enact at the request of a senatorial magistrate; as a consul. A plebiscite is what the commonalty enact, when requested by a plebeian magistrate, as a tribune. The word commonalty differs from people, as a species from its genus; for all the citizens, including patricians and senators, are comprehended under the term people. The term commonalty, includes all the citizens, except patricians and senators. The plebiscites, by the Hortensian law, began to have the same force, as the laws themselves.

JV.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 sancien dæ 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, quæ nec ad exemplum trahuntur, quoniam non hoc princeps vult: nam quod alicui ob meritum indulsit, vel si quam pœnam irrogavit, vel si cui Bine exemplo subvenit, personam non transgreditur. Aliæ autem, cum generales sint, omnes proculdubio tenent.