suggerente concessimus, ut, si quis, in servili constitutus consortio, liberum vel libercs habuerit, sivè ex liberâ sivè ex servilis conditionis muliere, vel contra, serva mulier ex libero vel servo habuerit liberos cujuscunque sexûs, et, ad libertatem his pervenientibus, ii, qui ex servili ventre nati sunt, libertatem meruerint, vel, dum mulieres liberæ erant, ipsi in servitute eos habuerint, et postea ad libertatem pervenerint, ut hi omnes ad successionem patris vel matris veniant, patronatûs jure in hac parte sopito. Hos etenim liberos non solùm in suorum parentum successionem, sed etiam alterum in alterius successionem mutuam, vocavimus; ex illâ lege specialitèr eos vocantes, sivè soli inveniantur, qui in servitute.nati et postea manumissi sunt; sivè unà cum aliis, qui post libertatem parentum concepti sunt; sivè ex eodem patre, sivè ex eadem matre, sivè ex aliis nuptiis; ad similitudinem eorum, qui ex justis nuptiis procreati sunt.

that, if a slave shall have a child, or children, either by a free-woman, or by a bond-woman, with whom he lives in contubernio, and, on the contrary, that, if a bond-woman shall have a child, or children, of either sex by a free-man, or by a slave, with whom she so lives, and such father and mother are afterwards enfranchised, the children shall succeed to their father or mother, without regarding the right of patronage. age. We have not only called these children to succeed to their parents, but also mutually to each other, whether they are sole in succession, as having all been born in servitude and afterwards manumitted, or whether they succeed with others, who were conceived after the infranchisement of their parents; and whether they are all by the same father and mother, or by a different father, or mother; and, that children born in slavery, but manumitted, should succeed in the same manner, as the issue of parents legally married.

I. Repetitis itaque omnibus, quæ jam tradidimus, apparet non semper eos, qui parem gradum cognationis obtinent, paritèr vocari: eoque amplius, ne eum quidem, qui proximiore sit cognatus, semper potiorem esse. Cum enim prima causa sit suorum hæredum, et eorum, quas inter suos hæredes enumeravimus, apparet, pronepotem vel abnepotem defuncti potio

1. From what hath been said, it appears that those, who are in an equal degree of cognation, are not always called equally to the succession; and farther, that even the nearest of kin, is not constantly to be preferred. For, inasmuch as the first place is given to proper heirs, and to those who are numbered with proper heirs, it is apparent, that the great-grand-son, or great-great

rem esse, quam fratrem, aut patrem, aut matrem defuncti : cum alioqui pater quidem et mater (ut supra quoque tradidimus) primum gradum cognationis obtineant, frater verò secundum, pronepos autem tertio gradu sit cognationis, et abnepos quarto: nec interest, in potestate morientis fuerit, an non, quod vel emancipatus, vel ex emancipato, aut fœmineo sexu, propagatus est. Amotis quoque suis hæredibus, et quos inter suos hæredes vocari diximus, agnatus, qui integrum jus habet agnationis, etiamsi longissimo gradu sit, plerumque potior habetur, quam proximior cognatus: nam patrui nepos vel pronepos avunculo vel materteræ præfertur. Toties igitùr dicimus, aut potiorem haberi eum, qui proximiorem gradum cognationis obtinet, aut paritèr vocari eos, qui cognati sunt; quoties neque suorum hæredùm, quique inter suos hæredes sunt, neque agnationis jure aliquis præferri debeat, secundùm ea, quæ tradidimus: exceptis fratre et sorore emancipatis, qui ad successionem fratrum vel sororum vocantur; qui, etsi capite diminuti sunt, tamen præferuntur cæteris ulterieris gradus agnatis.

grand-son, is preferred to the brother or even the father or mother of the deceased: although a father and mother, (as we have before observ ed,) obtain the first degree of relation, a brother the second, a greatgrand-son the third, and a greatgreat-grand-son the fourth; neither does it make any difference, whether such grand-children were under the power of the deceased, at the time of his death, or out of his power; either by being themselves emancipated, or by being the children of those who were so; neither can it be objected, that they are descended by the female line. But, when there are no proper heirs, nor any of those, who are permitted to rank with them, then an agnate, who hath the full right of agnation in him, although he be in the most distant degree, is generally preferred to a cognate, who is in the nearest degree; thus the grand-son or great-grand-son of a paternal uncle is preferred to a maternal uncle or aunt. ternal uncle or aunt. there are no proper heirs, nor any, who are numbered with them, nor any, who ought to be preferred by the right of agnation, (as we have before noted,) then the nearest in degree of cognation, is called to the succession; and if there be many in the same degree, they are all called equally. But a brother and sister, although emancipated, are yet called to the succession of brothers and sisters; for, although they have suf fered diminution, they are nevertheless preferred to all agnates of a more remote degree.

Hence, when