PANDECT S. In Civil Law. The name of an abridgment or compilation of the civil law, made by Tribonian and others, by order of the emperor Justinian, and to which he gave the force of law A.D. 533.
2. It is also kuown by the name of the Digest, because in his compilation the writings of the jurists were reduced to order and condensed quaai digeetfte. The emperor, in 530, pnblished an ordi uance entitled De Coneeptione Digeetorirm, which was addressed to Tribonian, and by which he was required to select some of the most distinguished lawyers to assist him in composing a collection of the best decisions of the ancient lawyers, and com pile them in fifty books, without confusion or con tradiction. The instructions of the ernperor were to select what was useful, to omit what was anti quated or superfluous, to avoid coutradietions, and, by the necessary changes, to produce a complete body of law. This work was a companion to the Code of Justinian, and was to be governed in its arrangement of topics by the method of the Code. Justioisn allowed the commissioners, who were sixteen in number, ten years to compile it : but the work was completed in three years, and promul gated in 533. A list of the writers from whose works the collection was made, and an account of the method pursued by the commissioners, will f.e found in Smith's Dint. of Gr. lz R. Antiq. Tbe I igest, although oompiled in Constantinople, was riginally ,written in Latin, and afterwarde trans Ated into Greek.
The Digest ie divided in two different ways : the first into fifty books, each book into several titlee, end each title into several extracts or legea, and at ate head of each series of extracts is the name of the lawyer from whoee work they were taken.
3. The first book containe twenty-two titles. The subject of the first i8 De Justicia et Jure, of the division of person and things, of magistratee, etc. The second, divided into fifteen titles, treats of the power of magistrates and their jurisdiction, the manner of commencing suite, of agreements and compromieee. The third, oomposed of six titles, treats of those who can and those who cannot sue, of advocates and attorneys and syndioe, and of calumny. The fourth, divided into nine titles, meats of CX11889 of restitution, of submissions and arbitrations, of minore, carriers by water, inn keepers, and those who have the care of the pro perty of othere. In the fifth there are 8iX titles, which treat of jurisdiction and inofficions testa ments. The eubject of the sixth, in which there ate three titles, ie actions. The seventh, in nine
tillee embraces whatever concerns usufructs, per 80114 servitudes, habitations, the uses of real estate and its appurtenances, and of the sureties required of the usufruotuary. The eighth book, in six titles, regulates urban and rural servitudes. The ninth book, in four titles, explains certain personal action s. The tenth, in four titlee, treate of mixed actions. The object of the eleventh book, containing eight titles, is to regulate interrogatories, the cases of which the judge was to take cognizance, fugitive slaves, of gamblere, of surveyore who made false reports, and of funerals and funeral expense& The twelfth book, in eeven titles, regulatee personal actione in which the plaintiff elaims the title of a thing. The thirteenth, in seven titles, and the four teenth, in six titlee, regulate certain actions. The fifteenth, in four titles, treats of actions to which a father or master i8 liable in consequence of the acts of his children or slaves, and those to which he is entitled, of the peculium of children and slaves, and of the actions on thie right.
4. The si.eteenth, in three titles, contains the law relating to the senatus-consultum Velleianum, of compensation or set-off, and of the action of depoeit. The seventeenth, in two titles, expounds the law of mandates and partnership. The eighteenth book, in seven titles, explains the contract of sale. The nineteenth, in five titles, treats of the actions which arise on a contract of Bale. The law relating to pawns, hypothecation, the preference among cre ditors and subrogation, occupy the twentieth book, whiol; contains six titles. The twent,y-firat book explains, under three titles, the edict of the edilee relating to the sale of slavee and animals, then what relates to evictions and warranties. The twenty second book, in 81X titles, treats of interest, profits, and accessories of things, proofe, presumptione, and of ignorance of law and faot. The twenty-third, in five titles, contains the law of marriage, and its accompanying agreements. The twenty-fourth, in three titles, and the twenty-fifth, in seven titles, regulates donations between husband and wife, divorcee and their consequence. The twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh, each in two titles, contain the law relating to tutorship and curatorship. The twenty-eighth, in eight titles, and the trventy-ninth, in eaven, contain the law on laet will and testa ments.