1Paulus, On the Edict, Book I. It is provided by the Edict, “That where a surety is given that a party will appear in court, the property of the former must be ample, the position of the defendant being taken into consideration, except where the two are closely related, for then it directs that anyone can be accepted”; as, for instance, where a party is offered as surety for his parent or patron.

2Callistratus, On the Monitory Edict, Book I. The same rule applies to the patroness, or to the children, the wife, or the daughter-in-law of the patron; for anyone of these persons can give a surety who must be accepted; and where the plaintiff refuses to accept him, being aware that the parties are nearly related, an action for fifty aurei will lie.

3Paulus, On the Edict, Book IV. The reason for this is, that where persons are nearly related, any surety is accepted as being sufficiently solvent.

4Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book LVIII. Where anyone promises to produce two persons in court, and he produces one and not the other, he is held not to have kept his promise, as one of them has not been produced.