The Republic. . R 0 
2. Sodales legem quam volent, dum ne quid expublica lege 
corrumpant,-sibi ferunto.—Societies may make what by-laws 
they please among themselves, provided they don’t interfere 
with the public laws. 
3. Si jurgant affines, finibus regundis, arbitros tris addi- 
cito._When two neighbours have any dispute about their 
bounds, the praetor shall assign them three arbitrators. 
4. Si arbor in vicinum fundum impendet 15 pedes altirts 
sublucator.—When a tree planted in a field does damage to 
another field by its shade, let its branches be cut off 15 feet 
high. 
5. Si glans in emem caduca siet, domino legere jus esto.— 
If the fruit of a tree falls in a neighbouring field, the owner 
of the tree may go and pick it up. 
6. Si aqua pluvia manu nocet, praetor arcendas aquae 
arbitros tris addicito, noxaeque domino cavetor.—If a man 
would make a drain to carry off the rain-water from his 
ground to his neighbour’s, let the praetor appoint three arbi¬ 
trators to judge of the damage the water may do, and pre¬ 
vent it. 
7. Via in porrectum 8 pedum, in amfracto 16 pedum 
esto.—Roads shall be 8 foot wide, where they run straight, 
and where they turn 16. 
8. Si via per amsagetes immunita escit, qua volet jumen- 
tum ducito.—If a road between two fields be bad, the tra¬ 
veller may drive through which field he pleases. 
Table IX.— Of the Common Rights of the People. 
1. Privilegia ne irroganto.—Let not privilege be granted 
to any person. 
2. Nexo soluto, forti, sanati, siremps jus esto.—-Let both 
debtors who are escaped out of slavery, and strangers who 
have rebelled and returned to their duty, be restored to their 
ancient rights, as if they had never offended. 
3. Si judex arbiterve jure datus, ob rem dicendam pecu- 
niam accepsit, capital esto.-—It is a capital crime for a judge 
or arbitrator to take money for passing judgment. 
4. De capite civis Romani, nisi per maximum comitiatum 
ne ferunto.-—Let all causes, relating to the life, liberty, or 
rights of a Roman citizen, be tried only in comitia by cen¬ 
turies. 
5. Quaestores par-ricidii, qni de rebus capitalibus quaerunt, 
a populo creantor.-—Let the people appoint Quaestors, to take 
cognizance of all capital offences. 
6. Si qui in urbe coetus noctumas agitassit, capital esto.—• 
Whoever shall hold seditious assemblies in the city by night, 
shall be put to death. 
7. Si quis perduellem concitassit, civemque perduelli 
transducit, capital esto.—Let him who shall have solicited a 
foreigner to declare himself against Rome, or shall have 
delivered up a Roman citizen to a foreigner, lose his life. 
8. Quod postrerum populus jussit, in jus ratum esto.— 
■Let only the last laws the people make, be in force. 
Table X.—-Of Funerals, and all Ceremonies 
RELATING TO THE DEAD. 
1. Hominem mortuum in urbe nz sepelito, neve urito.— 
Let no person be interred or body burnt, within the city. 
2. Sumptus et luctus a deorum manium jure removeto.— 
Let all luxury and extravagant mourning be banished from 
funerals; let nothing hereafter forbidden be done at them. 
3. Rogum ascia ne polito.—Let not the wood, with which 
funeral-piles are built, be cut with a saw. 
4. Tribus riciniis ac 10 tibicinibus foris efferre jus esto.— 
Let the dead body be covered with no more than three costly 
habits, bordered with purple; and let no more than ten 
players on the flute be employed in celebrating the obse¬ 
quies. 
5. Mulieres gen as ne radunto ne ve lessum funeris ergo, 
habeato.—Let not the women tear their faces, or disfigure 
themselves, or make hideous outcries. 
6. Homini mortoo ossa ne legito, quo post funus facias, 
extra quam si belli, endove hostico, mortuus escit.—Let not 
any part of a dead body be carried away, in order to per- 
M E. The Republic. 231 
form other obsequies for the deceased, unless he died in war, 
or out of his country. 
7. Servilis unctura, omnisque circumpotatio auferitor. 
Murata potio ne inditor.—Let no slaves be embalmed after 
death; let there be no drinking round a dead body; nor let 
any perfumed liquors be poured upon it. 
8. Ne longee coronse, neve acerrae proferuntor.—Let no 
crowns, festoons, perfuming-pots, or any kinds of perfume, 
be carried to funerals. 
9. Qui coronam parit ipse, pecunia ve ejus, virtutis ergo, 
arguitor; et ipsi mortuo parentibusque ejus, dum iritus posi- 
tus escit, forisque effertur, se fraude esto.-—If the deceased 
had merited a crown in the public games by any exploit of 
his own, or the expertness of his slaves, or the swiftness of 
his horses, let his panegyric be made at his funeral; and let 
his relations have leave to put a crown upon his head, as 
well during the seven days he remains in the house, as when 
he is carried to be buried. 
10. Uni plura funera ne facito, ne ve plures lectos sternito. 
—Let no man have more than one funeral made for him, or 
than one bed put under him. 
11. Neve aurum addito. Ast si cui auro dentes vincti 
escint, im cum illo sepelire urere ve, se fraude esto.—Let no 
gold be used in any obsequies, unless the jaw of the deceased 
be tied up with a gold thread. In that case the corpse may 
be burnt, with the gold thread. 
12. Rogum bustumve novum ahenos aedes propius 60 
pedes, si dominus nolet, ne adjicito.—For the future, let no 
sepulchre be built, or funeral pile raised within 60 feet of 
any house, without the consent of the owner of the house. 
13. Fori bustive aeterna auctoritas esto.—Prescription shall 
never be pleaded against a man’s right to his burial place, or 
the entrance to it. 
These tables were given forth by the decemvirs to the 
comitiae in the most solemn manner, and were received with 
the Roman people with unanimous and enthusiastic appro¬ 
bation. 
There were two more tables of laws proposed and engraved, 
but they were much objected to, and with difficulty passed. 
The first (the 11th of the twelve) related to superstitious ob¬ 
servances, and forbade any man to have gods of his own. 
The second related to marriage, and was remarkable for 
ordaining that a year’s cohabitation with a woman should 
be the same as marriage; and that patricians and plebeians 
should not intermarry 
The administration of the Roman law was curious enough. 
The praetor was generally the magistrate, but the opinions of 
the tribunes and consuls had considerable weight in points 
of law. The practice of the professed lawyers, is thus 
amusingly described by Gibbon.—On the public days of the 
market or assembly, the masters of the art were seen walking 
in the forum, ready to impart the needful advice to the 
meanest of their fellow-citizens, from whose votes, on a 
future occasion, they might solicit a grateful return. As 
their years and honours increased, they seated themselves at 
home on a chair or throne, to expect with patient gravity 
the visits of their clients, who, at the dawn of day, from 
the town and country, began to thunder at their door. The 
duties of social life, and the incidents of judicial proceeding, 
were the ordinary subject of these consultations, and the 
verbal or written opinion of the jurisconsults was framed 
according to the rules of prudence and law. The youths of 
their own order and family were permitted to listen ; their 
children enjoyed the benefit of more private lessons, and 
the Mucian race was long renowned for the hereditary know¬ 
ledge of the civil law. 
The decemviri having finished their important labours, it 
was expected that they should lay down their office; but 
having known the charms of power, they were now unwill¬ 
ing to resign it: they therefore pretended that some laws 
were yet wanting to complete their design, and intreated the 
senate for a continuance of their offices; to which that body 
assented. But they soon threw off the mask of moderation; 
and, 
