26 SYSTEMS OF CONSANGUINITY AND AFFINITY 



corresponds M'itli the fifth of the ciAil law. These two methods will be more fully 

 understood by consulting the diagram, Plate I., on which the degrees are numbered 

 according to the civil law, and the diagram of English descents. Chapter IV. Plate 

 III., on which they are given according to the common law. Our English ances- 

 tors, at an early day, adopted the canon law mode of computation, in Avhich they 

 clearly made a mistake, if the matter were of any particular consequence. It is 

 sufficiently obvious that the civU law method of computation is the only one which 

 is consistent and logical. 



Eclationship, or cognation, was further distinguished by the civilians into three 

 kinds, superior, inferior, and transverse ; of which" the first relates to ascendants, the 

 second to descendants, and the third to collaterals. It results, also, from the civil law 

 method of estimating degrees, that several persons in the lineal and collateral lines 

 stand in the same degree of nearness to Ego, which rendered necessary some quali- 

 fication of the relative value of the numerical degrees. The consanguinei of Ego 

 were classified into six grades, according to their degree of nearness, all those who 

 were in the same degree being classified in the same grade, whether ascendants, 

 descendants, or collaterals ; but they Avere distinguished from each other by these 

 three qualifications.^ 



* De Gradibus Cognationum. — Hoc loco necessarium est exponere, quemadmodum gradus cog- 

 nationis numerentur. Quare inpriiuis admonendi sumus, cognationem aliam supra numerari, aliam 

 infra, aliam ex transverso, quie etiam a latere dicitur. Superior cognatio est parentum : inferior 

 liberorum : ex transverso fratrum sororumvc, et eorum, qui qufeve ex his generantur ; et conveni- 

 enter patrui, amitse, avunculi, materterfc. Et superior quidem et inferior cognatio ;\ primo gradu 

 incipit; et ea, quse ex transverso numeratur, a secundo. 



§ I. Primo gradu est supra pater, mater : infra filius, filia. Secundo gradu supra avus, avia: infra 

 nepos, neptis : ex transverso frater, soror. Tertio gradu supra proavus, proavia : infra pronepos, pro- 

 neptis: ex transverso fratris sororisque filius, filia: et convenienter patruus, amita, avunculus, mater- 

 tera. Patruus est patris frater, qui Groecis nofpa5f?i?>oj appellatur. Avunculus est frater matris, qui 

 Gra^ce MijrpaSfXtoj dicitur ; et uterque promiscue ©tioj appellatur. Amita est patris soror, qua? Greece 

 Tlatfahtx^ri appellatur: matertera vcro matris soror, qua? Grasce Mj^rpoSfXtJ? dicitur: et utraque pro- 

 miscue ©fia appellatur. 



§ II. Quarto gradu supra abavus, abavia : infra abnepos, abneptis : ex transverso fratris sororisque 

 nepos ncptisve : et convenienter patruus magnus, amita magna, id est, avi frater et soror : item 

 avunculus magnus et matertera magna, id est, avite frater et soror : consobrinus, consobrina, id est, 

 qui quieve ex sororibus aut fratribus procreantur. Sed quidam rectfe consobrinos cos proprie dici 

 putant, qui ex duabus sororibus progcnerantur, quasi cousororinos : eos vero, qui ex duobus fratribus 

 progenerantur, proprife fratrcs patrueles vocari : si autem ex duobus fratribus filia? nascuntur, sorores 

 patrueles appcllari. At eos, qui ex fratre et sorore progenerantur, amitinos proprie dici putant. 

 Amitfe tuse filii consobrinum te appellant, tu illos amitinos. 



§ III. Quinto gradu supra atavus, atavia : infra atnepos, atneptis : ex transverso fratris sororisque 

 pronepos, proneptis : et convenientfer propatruus, proamita, id est, proavi frater et soror : et proavun- 

 culus et promatertera, id est, proaviaj frater et soror : item fratris patruelis, vel sororis patruelis, 

 consobrini et consobrina;, amitini et amitinre filius, filia: proprior sobrino, proprior sobrina ; hi sunt 

 patrui magni, amitse magnfe, avunculi magni, matertera magnfe filius, filia. 



§ IV. Sexto gradu supra tritavus, tritavia : infra trinepos trineptis : ex transverso fratris sororis- 

 que abnepos abneptis : et convenienter abpatruus abamita, id est, abavi frater et soror : abavunculus, 

 abmatcrtera, id est, abavise frater et soror : item propatrui, proamitce, proavunculi, promatertera? 

 filius, filia : item proprius sobrino sobrinave filius, filia : item consobrini consobrinte nepos, neptis : 

 item sobrini, sobrinse ; id est, qui quseve ex fratribus veh sororibus patruelibns, vel consobrinis, vel 

 araitinis progenerantur. — Instilutes of Justinian, Lib. III. tit. vi. 



