emperors, down to his own time; and this was generally received both in the eastern and western empires. But these three codes were still far from being perfect; for the constitutions, contained in them, were often found to be contradictory; and they wanted, but too plainly, that regulation, which they afterwards underwent through the care of Justinian; who in the year of Christ 528 ordered the compilation of a new code, which was performed and published the year following by Tribonian and others; the three former codes being suppressed by the express ordinance of the emperor. When this work was thus expeditiously finished, the emperor next extended his care to the Roman law in general, in order to render it both concise and perfect. The answers and other writings of the ancient lawyers had long since acquired the full force of a law, and were now so numerous as to consist of near two thousand volumes; from which, by command of Justinian, the best and most equitable opinions were chosen; and being first corrected, where correction was necessary, were afterwards divided into fifty books, called digests or pandects: and, that they might be the more firmly established, the emperor not only prohibited the use of all other law-books, but also forbad, that any comment should be written upon these his new digested laws, or that any transcript should be made of them with abbreviations. But, during the time of compiling the di Prohibited the use of all other law-books.] "Has itaque leges et adorate et observate, omnibus antiquioribus quiescentibus, ne"moque vestrum audeat vel comparare eas "prioribus, vel, si quid dissonans in utro"que est, requirere; quia omne, quod hic "positum est, hoc unicum et solum obser"vari censemus; nec in judicio nec in alio "certamine, ubi leges necessariæ sunt, ex a"liis libris, nisi ab institutionibus, nostrisque By the express ordinance.]" Hunc igitur "codicem in æternum valiturum judicio tui "culminis intimare perspeximus, ut sciant" "omnes tam litigatores quam disertissimi "advocati, nullatenus eis licere de cætero "constitutiones ex veteribus tribus codici“bus, vel ex iis, quæ novellæ constitutiones "ad præsens tempus vocabantur, in cogni"tionalibus recitare certaminibus, sed so"lum, eidem nostro codici insertis, consti"tutionibus necesse est uti; falsi crimini "subdendis his, qui contra hoc facere ausi "fuerint," &c. De Justinianeo codice confirmando. Near two thousand volumes.] "Postea "vero, maximum opus aggredientes, ipsa "vetustatis studiosissima opera, jam pene "confusa et dissoluta, eidem viro excelso "(Triboniano) permisimus tam colligere 66 quam certo moderamine tradere. Sed, "cum omnia percontabamur, a præfato viro "excelso suggestum, duo pene millia libro"rum esse conscripta, quæ necesse esset "omnia et legere et perscrutari; quod cœ"lesti fulgore, et summæ trinitatis favore, "confectum est, secundum nostra mandata, quæ ab initio ad memoratum virum excel"sum fecimus, et in quinquaginta libros "omne, quod utilissimum erat, collectum "est; et omnes ambiguitates decisa, nullo "seditioso relicto; nomenque libris impo"suimus digestorum seu pandectarum.” Cod. 1. t. 17. 1. 2. De vet. jur. enucl. digestis, et constitutionibus a nobis com"positis, aliquid vel recitare vel ostendere “conetur; nisi temerator velit falsitatis cri"mini subjectus una cum judice, qui eorum "audientiam patiatur, pœnis gravissimis la"borare." Cod. 1. t. 17. 1. 2. § 19. "Hoc autem tempestivum nobis videtur "et in præsenti sancire, ut nemo neque eorum, qui in præsenti juris peritiam ha"bent, neque, qui postea fierent, audeat "commentarios his legibus adnectere; nisi "velit eas in Græcam vocem transformare "sub eodem ordine eademque consequen 66 tia, sub qua et voce Romana positæ sunt; "hoc quod Græci xara woda dicunt," &c. Cod 1. t. 17.1 2. § 21. gests, it was thought expedient by Justinian, for the benefit of students, that an abridgment should be made of the whole Roman law; which work was soon performed in obedience to his order, and confirmed with the digests, under the title of institutions. The emperor afterwards, upon mature deliberation, suppressed the first edition of his code, and published a second, which he intitled Codex repetita prælectionis, having omitted several useless laws, and inserted others, which were judged serviceable to the state. The Justinian-law now consisted of three parts, the institutions, the digests, and the second code. But the emperor, after the publication of the second code, continued from time to time to enact diverse new constitutions or novels, and also several edicts; all which were collected after his decease, and became a fourth part of the law. The 13 edicts of Justinian and most of the novels were originally conceived in the Greek tongue; and so great was the decline of the Roman language at Constantinople within forty years after the death of this emperor, that his laws in general were not otherways intelligible to the major part of the people, than by the assistance of a Greek version: but, notwithstanding this disadvantage, they still subsisted intire, till the publication of the Basilica, by which the east was governed, till the dissolution of the empire. 66 non per sigla, manifestari." Cod. 1. t. 17. "ni. Ex his primum Basilius Macedo anno 1. 2. § 22. Confirmed with the Digests.] "Leges autem nostras, quæ in his codicibus, id "est, institutionum seu elementorum et di"gestorum, posuimus, suum obtinere robur "ex tertio nostro felicissimo sancimus con"sulatu præsentis duodecimæ indictionis, "tertio lendas januarias, in omne ævum "valituras, &c. Cod. 1. t. 17.4. 2. § 23. Suppressed the first edition of his code:] "Nemini in posterum concedimus, vel "ex decisionibus nostris, vel ex aliis con"stitutionibus, quas antea fecimus, vel ex "prima Justinianei codicis editione, aliquid "recitare; sed, quod in præsenti purgato et "renovato codice nostro scriptum invenitur, "hoc tantummodo in omnibus rebus et ju"diciis et obtineat et recitetur: cujus scrip"turam, ad similitudinem nostrarum insti. "tutionum et digestorum, sine ulla signo"rum dubietate conscribi jussimus." De emendatione cod § 5. Basilica.] "Versionibus juris Justinianei "Græcis, et novellis eadem lingua scriptis, "in foris scholisque utebantur, donec, de "eo in compendium mittendo, sæculo nono cogitare inciperent imperatores Byzanti 66 "838 ediderat zgoxergov twv voμewv, quod con"stabat titulis quadraginta. Deinde Leo copos, patri Basilio succedens, collectionem "illam paternam perfecit, eamque sub tituσε 10 διατάξεων βασιλικών promulgavit, anno "Christi 886, Denique subsecutus Leonem "Constantinus, cognomento Porphyroges "neta, paternum opus sub incudem revoca"vit, et libros illos Barixin publicavit sub initium seculi decimi. Et hi quidem sunt "libri illi nav, ex Græca institutionum, "pandectarum, codicis version Justinit"ni novellis et edictis tredecim, nec non ex "juris-consultorum quorundam orientalium "paratitlis, aliisque libris, quin et patribus "et conciliis collecti; ita tamen ut multa "omissa videamus, quæ fortassis tum ab usu recesserant, multas etiam leges in com. "pendium contractas, multa denique ex posteriorum principum legibus et consti. "tutionibus addita animadvertamus. Opus "istud in sexaginta libros divisum, præter 66 pauca, quæ nondum integra reperiri po'tuerunt, cum glossis græce et latine edi"tum est a Car. Annib. Fubrotto, Paris. "1647. fol. vol vii." vid. Heineccii hist. jur. civ. l. 1. § 405. 66 56 The dissolution of the empire.] Constan tinople was taken by the Turks, and a period The laws published by Justinian were still successful in the west; where, even in the life-time of the emperor, they were not received universally; and, after the Lombard invasion, they became so totally neglected, that both the code and the pandects were lost, till the 12th century; when it is said, that the pandects were accidentally recovered at Amalphi, and the code at Ravenna. But, as if fortune would make an atonement for her former severity, they have since been the study of the wisest men, and revered, as law, by the politest nations. After the Lombard invasion.] The Lombards entered Italy under Alboinus about the year of Christ 568, in the reign of Justin the second, successor to Justinian. was put to the eastern empire in the year of "ponio militiæ duce strenuo expugnatis, " At Amalphi]" Eo tempore (anno Dom. 1130) "injustis perturbatisque comitiis, la"cerarat ecclesiam falsus pontifex Petrus "Leonis, Anacletus secundus nuncupatus ab "sua factione; cujus dux erat Rogerius Apu"liæ ac Siciliæ comes, Regis nomine a fal- norum imperio diu obtemperavit. No. "so pontifice donatus. Adversus Anacle- "vellæ vero constitutiones etiam antea per "tum creatus rite ac solenniter fuerat In- "Italiam vagabantur; utque mea fert opi"nocentius secundus, cui favebat imperator nio, multi juris civilis libri, postquam inLotharius Saxo, summa virtute atque pru- cessit homines cupido recipiendi Romani "dentia princeps; quo bellum gerente ad- ‘juris, agniti potius fuere, quam reperti: "versus Rogerium, Amalphi, urbe Salerno nam, et aliquot ante Lotharium annis, jus "proxima, (quam perperam aliqui locant "civile Justiniani commemoravit Ivo Car"in Apulia, Melphiam cum Amalphi confun- "notensis, et libros pandectarum; cum an“dentes,) inopinato reperti fuerunt digesto-"tea, si occurrerent, forsan socordia et ob“rum libri; quos Pisani, qui classe Lotha- "livione prætermitterentur." vid. Gravina "rium contra Rogerium adjuverant, præ- orig. jur. civ. lib. 1. cap. 140. et Hein. hist. jur mio bene navatæ operæ sibi exorarunt. civ. lib. 1. § 412. "Pisis vero post longam obsidionem a Ca 66 PROCEMIUM DE CONFIRMATIONE INSTITUTIONUM. IN NOMINE DOMINI NOSTRI JESU CHRISTI. IMPERATOR, CESAR FLAVIUS JUSTINIANUS, ALEMANICUS, GOT THICUS, FRANCICUS, GERMANICUS, ANTICUS, ALANICUS, VANDALICUS, AFRICANUS, PIUS, FELIX, INCLYTUS, VICTOR AC TRIUMPHATOR, SEMPER AUGUSTUS-CUPIDĂ LEGUM JUVENTUTI S. De usu armorum et legum. IMPERATORIAM majesta- The imperial dignity should not. tem non solum armis decoratam, sed etiam legibus oportet esse armatam; ut utrumque tempus et bellorum et pacis rectè possit gubernari: et princeps Romanus non solum in hostilibus præliis victor existat, sed etiam per legitimos tramites calumniantium iniquitates expellat: et fiat tam juris religiosissimus, quam, victis hostibus, triumphator magnificus. only be supported by arms, but guarded by laws, that the people may be properly governed in time of peace as well as war; for a Roman empe-. ror ought not only to be victorious in the hostile field, but should take every legal course to expel the iniquities of men regardless of law; and become equally renowned for a religious observance of justice, as for warlike triumphs. De bellis et legibus Justiniani. I. Quorum utramque viam cum summis vigiliis, summaque providentia, annuente Deo, perfecimus: et bellicos quidem sudores nostros barbaricæ gentes, sub juga nostra redacte, cognoscunt: et tam Africa, quam aliæ innumeræ provinciæ, post tanta temporum spatia, nostris victoriis a celesti numine præstitis, B 1. By our incessant labors, and the assistance of divine providence, we have pursued this double paths the Barbarian nations have acknow❤. ledged our prowess and submitted to our yoke; even Africa and many. other provinces, after so long an in◄ terval, are again added to the Roman empire: and yet this vast people are iterum ditioni Romanæ, nostroque additæ imperio, protestantur. Omnes vero populi legibus tam à nobis promulgatis, quam compositis, reguntur. governea by laws, either originally enacted, or promulgated anew, under our authority. De compositione Codicis et Pandectarum. § II. Et cum sacratissimas constitutiones, antea confusas, in luculentam ereximus consonantiam, tunc nostram extendimus curam ad immensa veteris prudentiæ volumina; et opus desperatum, quasi per medium profundum euntes, cælesti favore jam adimplevimus. §2. When we had arranged and brought into lucid harmony the hitherto confused mass of imperial constitutions, we then extended our care to the numerous volumes of ancient law; and have now completed, through the favour of heaven (wading as it were through a vast ocean) a work that might have been despaired of. De tempore, auctoritatibus, fine et utilitate compositionis III. Cumque hoc, Deo propitio, peractum est, Triboniano, viro magnifico, magistro, et exquæstore sacri palatii nostri, et exconsule, nec non Theophilo et Dorotheo, viris illustribus, antecessoribus, (quorum omnium solertiam, et legum scientiam, et circa nostras jussiones fidem, jam ex multis rerum argumentis accepimus,) convocatis, mandavimus specialiter, ut ipsi nostrâ auctoritate, nostrisque suasionibus, Institutiones componerent; ut liceat vobis prima legum cunabula non ab antiquis fabulis discere, sed ab imperiali splendore appetere: et tam aures, quam animi vestri, nihil inutile, nihilque perperam positum, sed quod in ipsis rerum obtinet argumentis, accipiant: et quod priore tempore vix post quadriennium prioribus contingebat, ut tunc consti § 3. So soon as by the blessing of God this was accomplished, we summoned Tribonian, our former chancellor, with Theopilus and Dorotheus, men of known learning and tried fidelity, whom we enjoined by our authority to compose the following Institutes, that the rudiments of law might be more effectually learned, by the sole means of our imperial authority; and that your minds for the future should not be burdened with obsolete and unprofitable doctrines, but instructed in those laws only, which are allowed of and practiced: and, whereas Students formerly could scarcely sit down to the imperial constitutions under four years previous study, they may now, (having been thought worthy of our princely care, to which they are indebted for the beginning and end of their legal |