Testamenta quemadmodum aperiuntur inspiciantur et describantur
(In what way wills should be opened, examined, and copied.)
1 Gaius libro septimo decimo ad edictum provinciale. Omnibus, quicumque desiderant tabulas testamenti inspicere vel etiam describere, inspiciendi describendique potestatem facturum se praetor pollicetur: quod vel suo vel alieno nomine desideranti tribuere eum manifestum est. 1Ratio autem huius edicti manifesta est: neque enim sine iudice transigi neque apud iudicem exquiri veritas de his controversiis, quae ex testamento proficiscerentur, aliter potest quam inspectis cognitisque verbis testamenti. 2Si quis neget sigillum suum agnoscere, non ideo quidem minus aperiuntur tabulae, sed alias suspectae fiunt.
1 Gaius, On the Provincial Edict, Book XVII. The Prætor promises that he will grant the privilege of examining and copying a will to all who desire to inspect one or copy it. It is plain that he will grant this permission to anyone who desires it either in his own name or in that of another. 1The reason for the adoption of this Edict is plain; for one cannot, without judicial authority, carry out the provisions of a will, nor can the truth be ascertained by the court in those controversies which arise out of the interpretations of wills, except by the examination and investigation of the language contained therein. 2Where anyone refuses to acknowledge his seal, this does not prevent the opening of a will, but it becomes suspicious for this reason.
2 Ulpianus libro quinquagesimo ad edictum. Tabularum testamenti instrumentum non est unius hominis, hoc est heredis, sed universorum, quibus quid illic adscriptum est: quin potius publicum est instrumentum. 1Testamentum autem proprie illud dicitur, quod iure perfectum est: sed abusive testamenta ea quoque appellamus, quae falsa sunt vel iniusta vel irrita vel rupta: itemque inperfecta solemus testamenta dicere. 2Ad causam autem testamenti pertinere videtur id quodcumque quasi ad testamentum factum sit, in quacumque materia fuerit scriptum, quod contineat supremam voluntatem: et tam principales quam secundae tabulae edicto continentur. 3Si plura sint testamenta, quae quis exhiberi desideret, universorum ei facultas facienda est. 4Si dubitetur, utrum vivat an decesserit is, cuius quis quod ad causam testamenti pertinet inspici describique postulat, dicendum est praetorem causa cognita statuere id debere, ut, si liquerit eum vivere, non permittat. 4aInspici tabulas est, ut ipsam scripturam quis inspiciat et sigilla et quid aliud ex tabulis velit spectare. 5Inspectio tabularum etiam lectionem earum indicat. 6Diem autem et consulem tabularum non patitur praetor describi vel inspici idcirco, ne quid falsi fiat: namque etiam inspectio materiam falso fabricando instruere potest. 7Utrum autem in continenti potestatem inspiciendi vel describendi iubet an desideranti tempus dabit ad exhibitionem? et magis est, ut dari debeat secundum locorum angustias seu prolixitates. 8Si quis non negans apud se tabulas esse non patiatur inspici et describi, omnimodo ad hoc compelletur: si tamen neget penes se tabulas esse, dicendum est ad interdictum rem mitti quod est de tabulis exhibendis.
2 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book L. The instrument containing the provisions of the will does not belong to one person, that is to say, to the heir, but it is the property of all those to whom anything has been bequeathed; and, indeed, it is rather a public document. 1That is properly said to be a will which is legally perfect; however, we also improperly call certain papers wills which are forged, illegal, void, or broken, and we are also accustomed to designate as wills such as are defective. 2It is held that whatever has been done with reference to a will is subject to the same rules as the will itself, no matter upon what material it has been written; provided that it contains the last wishes of the deceased, and the will itself, as well as the substitution, is embraced in the Edict. 3Where anyone desires to produce several wills, authority to produce them all should be granted. 4If any doubt should exist whether the person whose will someone desires to have examined or copied is living or dead, it must be held that the Prætor shall decide this after proper investigation, so that if it is proved that the testator is living, he shall not permit the will to be examined; 4aotherwise, he can allow the applicant to examine the writing, the seals, and anything else belonging to the instrument which he may desire to inspect. 5The examination of a will also includes the perusal of the same. 6The Prætor does not permit the date of the will or the name of the Consul under whose administration it was drawn up to be copied or examined, in order to avoid opportunity for fraud; for even the examination of these may furnish material for the perpetration of forgery. 7Can the Prætor order that power to examine or copy a will be accorded without delay, or shall he grant time for its production to the person having possession of the same if he wishes it? The better opinion is that he should grant a certain time, dependent upon the difficulty of communication, and the distance of the place. 8If anyone does not deny that he has possession of a will, but will not allow it to be examined and copied, he should, by all means, be compelled to do so. If, however, he denies that the will is in his possession, it must be said that recourse should be had to the interdict which provides for the production of wills.
3 Gaius libro septimo decimo ad edictum provinciale. Ipsi tamen heredi vindicatio tabularum sicut ceterarum hereditariarum rerum competit et ob id ad exhibendum quoque agere potest.
3 Gaius, On the Provincial Edict, Book XVII. The heir is, nevertheless, entitled to an action for the recovery of the will, just as for property belonging to the estate, and on this account he can bring an action to compel the production of the will.
4 Ulpianus libro quinquagesimo ad edictum. Cum ab initio aperiendae sint tabulae, praetoris id officium est, ut cogat signatores convenire et sigilla sua recognoscere
4 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book L. When the will is about to be opened, it is the duty of the Prætor to require the witnesses to appear and acknowledge their seals,
5 Paulus libro octavo ad Plautium. vel negare se signasse: publice enim expedit suprema hominum iudicia exitum habere.
5 Paulus, On Plautius, Book VIII. Or deny that they have sealed the will; for it is expedient that the last will of men should be carried into effect.
6 Ulpianus libro quinquagesimo ad edictum. Sed si maior pars signatorum fuerit inventa, poterit ipsis intervenientibus resignari testamentum et recitari.
6 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book L. If the majority of the witnesses are found, the will can be opened and read in their presence.
7 Gaius libro septimo ad edictum provinciale. Sed si quis ex signatoribus aberit, mitti debent tabulae testamenti ubi ipse sit, uti agnoscat: nam revocari eum adgnoscendi causa onerosum est. quippe saepe cum magna captione a rebus nostris revocamur et sit iniquum damnosum cuique esse officium suum. nec ad rem pertinet, unus absit an omnes. et si forte omnibus absentibus causa aliqua aperire tabulas urgueat, debet proconsul curare, ut intervenientibus optimae opinionis viris aperiantur et post descriptum et recognitum factum ab isdem, quibus intervenientibus apertae sunt, obsignentur, tunc deinde eo mittantur, ubi ipsi signatores sint, ad inspicienda sigilla sua.
7 Gaius, On the Provincial Edict, Book VII. If one of the witnesses should be absent, the will must be sent to him wherever he may be, in order that he may acknowledge his seal. For it would be a hardship to compel him to return for this purpose, as frequently it causes great inconvenience for us to be taken from our business under such circumstances; and it would be unjust for anyone to suffer injury for having performed his duty. Nor does it make any difference whether one or all of the witnesses are absent. If all of them should happen to be absent, and, for some cause or other, there is an urgent necessity for opening the will, the Proconsul should take care that it is opened in the presence of men of excellent reputation; and after it has been copied and examined in their presence, it must be sealed by the same parties before whom it was opened, and then sent to the place where the witnesses are, in order that they may acknowledge their seals.
8 Ulpianus libro quinquagesimo ad edictum. Pupillares tabulas, etiamsi non fuerit superscriptum ne aperirentur, attamen, si seorsum eas signatas testator reliquerit, praetor eas aperiri nisi causa cognita non patietur.
8 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book L. The Prætor does not permit the opening of a pupillary will, even if there is no endorsement on it forbidding this to be done; still, if the testator left his will partially sealed, the Prætor can allow it to be opened, if proper cause be shown.
9 Paulus libro quadragesimo quinto ad edictum. Si mulier ventris nomine in possessione sit, aperiendae sunt secundae tabulae, ut sciatur, cui demandata sit curatio.
9 Paulus, On the Edict, Book XLV. Where a woman is placed in prætorian possession of an estate in the name of her unborn child, the pupillary will should be opened, in order that it may be ascertained to whom the curatorship of the child was entrusted.
10 Ulpianus libro tertio decimo ad legem Iuliam et Papiam. Si in duobus exemplariis scriptum sit testamentum, alterutro patefacto apertae tabulae sunt. 1Si sui natura tabulae patefactae sunt, apertum videri testamentum non dubitatur: non enim quaeremus, a quo aperiantur. 2Si tabulae non compareant vel exustae sint, futurum est, ut subvenire legatariis debeat. idem est, si subpressae vel occultae sint.
10 Ulpianus, On the Lex Julia et Papia, Book XIII. Where there are two copies of a will, and one of them remains unsealed, the will is held to be opened. 1Where the will itself is unsealed, there is no doubt that it should be considered as opened; for we do not inquire by whom it is to be opened. 2If a will should not be produced, or has been burned, it follows that relief should be granted to the legatees; and the same rule applies where the will has been suppressed, or concealed.
11 Gaius libro undecimo ad legem Iuliam et Papiam. Sicut codicilli pars intelleguntur testamenti, ita secundae tabulae principalium tabularum partem optinere videntur.
11 Gaius, On the Lex Julia et Papia, Book XI. Just as a codicil is considered to be part of a will, so a pupillary substitution is also held to constitute a part of the same.
12 Ulpianus libro tertio decimo ad legem Iuliam et Papiam. Si quis fecerit testamentum et exemplum eius, exemplo quidem aperto nondum apertum est testamentum: quod si authenticum patefactum est totum, apertum.
12 Ulpianus, On the Lex Julia et Papia, Book XIII. Where anyone makes a will and also a copy of it, and the copy is open, the will is not considered to be open; but when the original will is open, everything else is likewise.