^12Theyweredictatedbytherigidandjealousspiritofanaristocracy，whichhadyieldedwithreluctancetothejustdemandsofthepeople。ButthesubstanceoftheTwelveTableswasadaptedtothestateofthecity；andtheRomanshademergedfromBarbarism，sincetheywerecapableofstudyingandembracingtheinstitutionsoftheirmoreenlightenedneighbors。AwiseEphesianwasdrivenbyenvyfromhisnativecountry:beforehecouldreachtheshoresofLatium，hehadobservedthevariousformsofhumannatureandcivilsociety:heimpartedhisknowledgetothelegislatorsofRome，andastatuewaserectedintheforumtotheperpetualmemoryofHermodorus。^13Thenamesanddivisionsofthecoppermoney，thesolecoinoftheinfantstate，wereofDorianorigin:^14theharvestsofCampaniaandSicilyrelievedthewantsofapeoplewhoseagriculturewasofteninterruptedbywarandfaction；andsincethetradewasestablished，^15thedeputieswhosailedfromtheTybermightreturnfromthesameharborswithamorepreciouscargoofpoliticalwisdom。ThecoloniesofGreatGreecehadtransportedandimprovedtheartsoftheirmothercountry。CumaeandRhegium，CrotonaandTarentum，AgrigentumandSyracuse，wereintherankofthemostflourishingcities。ThedisciplesofPythagorasappliedphilosophytotheuseofgovernment；theunwrittenlawsofCharondasacceptedtheaidofpoetryandmusic，^16andZaleucusframedtherepublicoftheLocrians，whichstoodwithoutalterationabovetwohundredyears。^17Fromasimilarmotiveofnationalpride，bothLivyandDionysiusarewillingtobelieve，thatthedeputiesofRomevisitedAthensunderthewiseandsplendidadministrationofPericles；andthelawsofSolonweretransfusedintothetwelvetables。IfsuchanembassyhadindeedbeenreceivedfromtheBarbariansofHesperia，theRomannamewouldhavebeenfamiliartotheGreeksbeforethereignofAlexander；^18andthefaintestevidencewouldhavebeenexploredandcelebratedbythecuriosityofsucceedingtimes。ButtheAthenianmonumentsaresilent；norwillitseemcrediblethatthepatriciansshouldundertakealongandperilousnavigationtocopythepurestmodelofdemocracy。InthecomparisonofthetablesofSolonwiththoseoftheDecemvirs，somecasualresemblancemaybefound；someruleswhichnatureandreasonhaverevealedtoeverysociety；someproofsofacommondescentfromEgyptorPhoenicia。^19Butinallthegreatlinesofpublicandprivatejurisprudence，thelegislatorsofRomeandAthensappeartobestrangersoradverseateachother。
[Footnote11:CompareLivyl。iii。c。31—59withDionysiusHalicarnassensis，l。x。p。644—xi。p。691。HowconciseandanimatedistheRoman—howprolixandlifelesstheGreek!Yethehasadmirablyjudgedthemasters，anddefinedtherules，ofhistoricalcomposition。]
[Footnote12:Fromthehistorians，HeinecciusHist。J。R。l。i。
No。26maintainsthatthetwelvetableswereofbrass—aereas；
inthetextofPomponiuswereadeboreas；forwhichScaligerhassubstitutedroboreas，Bynkershoek，p。286。Wood，brass，andivory，mightbesuccessivelyemployed。
Note:CompareNiebuhr，vol。ii。p。349，&c。—M。]
[Footnote*:CompareNiebuhr，355，note720。—M。ItisamostimportantquestionwhetherthetwelvetablesinfactincludelawsimportedfromGreece。Thenegativeopinionmaintainedbyourauthor，isnowalmostuniversallyadopted，particularlybyMm。
Niebuhr，Hugo，andothers。SeemyInstitutionesJurisRomaniprivatiLeodii，1819，p。311，312。—W。Dr。Arnold，p。255，seemstoinclinetotheoppositeopinion。ComparesomejustandsensibleobservationsintheAppendixtoMr。TraversTwiss'sEpitomeofNiebuhr，p。347，Oxford，1836。—M。]
[Footnote13:HisexileismentionedbyCicero，Tusculan。
Quaestion。v。36；hisstatuebyPliny，Hist。Nat。xxxiv。11。
Theletter，dream，andprophecyofHeraclitus，arealikespurious，EpistolaeGraec。Divers。p。337。
Note:CompareNiebuhr，ii。209。—M。SeetheMemdel'Academ。desInscript。xxii。p。48。Itwouldbedifficulttodisprove，thatacertainHermodorushadsomeshareinframingtheLawsoftheTwelveTables。PomponiusevensaysthatthisHermodoruswastheauthorofthelasttwotables。PlinycallshimtheInterpreteroftheDecemvirs，whichmayleadustosupposethathelaboredwiththemindrawingupthatlaw。ButitisastonishingthatinhisDissertation，DeHermodoroveroXII。
TabularumAuctore，AnnalesAcademiaeGroninganaeanni1817，1818，M。Gratamahasventuredtoadvancetwopropositionsentirelydevoidofproof:"DecempriorestabulasabipsisRomanisnonesseprofectas，totaconfirmaDecemviratusHistoria，"et"Hermodorumlegumdecemviraliumcerinominisauctoremesse，quieascomposueritsuisordinibus，disposuerit，suaquefeceritauctoritate，utadecemvirisreciperentur。"ThistrulywasanageinwhichtheRomanPatricianswouldallowtheirlawstobedictatedbyaforeignExile!Mr。GratamadoesnotattempttoprovetheauthenticityofthesupposititiousletterofHeraclitus。HecontentshimselfwithexpressinghisastonishmentthatM。BonamyaswellasGibbonwillbereceiveitasgenuine。
—W。]
[Footnote14:ThisintricatesubjectoftheSicilianandRomanmoney，isablydiscussedbyDr。Bentley，DissertationontheEpistlesofPhalaris，p。427—479，whosepowersinthiscontroversywerecalledforthbyhonorandresentment。]
[Footnote15:TheRomans，ortheirallies，sailedasfarasthefairpromontoryofAfrica，Polyb。l。iii。p。177，edit。
Casaubon，infolio。TheirvoyagestoCumae，&c。，arenoticedbyLivyandDionysius。]
[Footnote16:ThiscircumstancewouldaloneprovetheantiquityofCharondas，thelegislatorofRhegiumandCatana，who，byastrangeerrorofDiodorusSiculustom。i。l。xii。p。485—492
iscelebratedlongafterwardsastheauthorofthepolicyofThurium。]
[Footnote17:Zaleucus，whoseexistencehasbeenrashlyattacked，hadthemeritandgloryofconvertingabandofoutlawstheLocriansintothemostvirtuousandorderlyoftheGreekrepublics。SeetwoMemoirsoftheBarondeSt。Croix，surlaLegislationdelaGrandeGreceMem。del'Academie，tom。xlii。p。
276—333。ButthelawsofZaleucusandCharondas，whichimposedonDiodorusandStobaeus，arethespuriouscompositionofaPythagoreansophist，whosefraudhasbeendetectedbythecriticalsagacityofBentley，p。335—377。]
[Footnote18:Iseizetheopportunityoftracingtheprogressofthisnationalintercourse1。HerodotusandThucydidesA。U。C。
300—350appearignorantofthenameandexistenceofRome，Joseph。contraAppiontom。ii。l。i。c。12，p。444，edit。
Havercamp。2。TheopompusA。U。C。400，Plin。iii。9mentionstheinvasionoftheGauls，whichisnoticedinloosertermsbyHeraclidesPonticus，PlutarchinCamillo，p。292，edit。H。
Stephan。3。TherealorfabulousembassyoftheRomanstoAlexanderA。U。C。430isattestedbyClitarchus，Plin。iii。
9，byAristusandAsclepiades，Arrian。l。vii。p。294，295，
andbyMemnonofHeraclea，apudPhotium，cod。ccxxiv。p。725，
thoughtacitlydeniedbyLivy。4。TheophrastusA。U。C。440
primusexternorumaliquadeRomanisdiligentiusscripsit，Plin。
iii。9。5。LycophronA。U。C。480—500scatteredthefirstseedofaTrojancolonyandthefableoftheAeneid，Cassandra，1226—1280。
AboldpredictionbeforetheendofthefirstPunicwar!
Note:CompareNiebuhrthroughout。NiebuhrhaswrittenadissertationKleineSchriften，i。p。438，arguingfromthisprediction，andontheotherconclusivegrounds，thattheLycophron，theauthoroftheCassandra，isnottheAlexandrianpoet。Hehadbeenanticipatedinthissagaciouscriticism，asheafterwardsdiscovered，byawriterofnolessdistinctionthanCharlesJamesFox。—LetterstoWakefield。Andlikewisebytheauthoroftheextraordinarytranslationofthispoem，thatmostpromisingscholar，LordRoyston。SeetheRemainsofLordRoyston，bytheRev。HenryPepys，London，1838。]
[Footnote19:Thetenthtable，demodosepulturae，wasborrowedfromSolon，CicerodeLegibus，ii。23—26:thefurtemperlancemetliciumconceptum，isderivedbyHeinecciusfromthemannersofAthens，Antiquitat。Rom。tom。ii。p。167—175。TherightofkillinganocturnalthiefwasdeclaredbyMoses，Solon，andtheDecemvirs，Exodusxxii。3。DemosthenescontraTimocratem，tom。i。p。736，edit。Reiske。Macrob。Saturnalia，l。
i。c。4。CollatioLegumMosaicarumetRomanatum，tit，vii。No。i。
p。218，edit。Cannegieter。
Note:Arenotthesamepointsofsimilaritydiscoveredinthelegislationofallactionsintheinfancyoftheircivilization?—W。]
ChapterXLIV:IdeaOfTheRomanJurisprudence。
PartII。
Whatevermightbetheoriginorthemeritofthetwelvetables，^20theyobtainedamongtheRomansthatblindandpartialreverencewhichthelawyersofeverycountrydelighttobestowontheirmunicipalinstitutions。ThestudyisrecommendedbyCicero^21asequallypleasantandinstructive。"Theyamusethemindbytheremembranceofoldwordsandtheportraitofancientmanners；
theyinculcatethesoundestprinciplesofgovernmentandmorals；
andIamnotafraidtoaffirm，thatthebriefcompositionoftheDecemvirssurpassesingenuinevaluethelibrariesofGrecianphilosophy。Howadmirable，"saysTully，withhonestoraffectedprejudice，"isthewisdomofourancestors!Wealonearethemastersofcivilprudence，andoursuperiorityisthemoreconspicuous，ifwedeigntocastoureyesontherudeandalmostridiculousjurisprudenceofDraco，ofSolon，andofLycurgus。"
Thetwelvetableswerecommittedtothememoryoftheyoungandthemeditationoftheold；theyweretranscribedandillustratedwithlearneddiligence；theyhadescapedtheflamesoftheGauls，theysubsistedintheageofJustinian，andtheirsubsequentlosshasbeenimperfectlyrestoredbythelaborsofmoderncritics。
^22Butalthoughthesevenerablemonumentswereconsideredastheruleofrightandthefountainofjustice，^23theywereoverwhelmedbytheweightandvarietyofnewlaws，which，attheendoffivecenturies，becameagrievancemoreintolerablethanthevicesofthecity。^24Threethousandbrassplates，theactsofthesenateofthepeople，weredepositedintheCapitol:^25
andsomeoftheacts，astheJulianlawagainstextortion，surpassedthenumberofahundredchapters。^26TheDecemvirshadneglectedtoimportthesanctionofZaleucus，whichsolongmaintainedtheintegrityofhisrepublic。ALocrian，whoproposedanynewlaw，stoodforthintheassemblyofthepeoplewithacordroundhisneck，andifthelawwasrejected，theinnovatorwasinstantlystrangled。
[Footnote20:ItisthepraiseofDiodorus，tom。i。l。xii。p。
494，whichmaybefairlytranslatedbytheelegantiatqueabsolutabrevitateverborumofAulusGellius，Noct。Attic。xxi。
1。]
[Footnote21:ListentoCicerodeLegibus，ii。23andhisrepresentativeCrassus，deOratore，i。43，44。]
[Footnote22:SeeHeineccius，Hist。J。R。No。29—33。Ihavefollowedtherestorationofthexii。tablesbyGravinaOriginesJ。C。p。280—307andTerrasson，Hist。delaJurisprudenceRomaine，p。94—205。
Note:ThewishexpressedbyWarnkonig，thatthetextandtheconjecturalemendationsonthefragmentsofthexii。tablesshouldbesubmittedtorigidcriticism，hasbeenfulfilledbyDirksen，UebersichtderbisherigenVersucheLeipzigKritikundHerstellungdesTextesderZwolf—Tafel—Fragmente，Leipzug，1824。
—M。]
[Footnote23:Finisaequijuris，Tacit。Annal。iii。27。Fonsomnispublicietprivatijuris，T。Liv。iii。34。
Note:FromthecontextofthephraseinTacitus，"Namsecutaelegesetsialquandoinmaleficosexdelicto；saepiustamendissensioneordinum***lataesunt，"itisclearthatGibbonhasrenderedthissentenceincorrectly。Hugo，Hist。p。62。
—M。]
[Footnote24:Deprincipiisjuris，etquibusmodisadhancmultitudineminfinitamacvarietatemlegumperventumsitaltiusdisseram，Tacit。Annal。iii。25。Thisdeepdisquisitionfillsonlytwopages，buttheyarethepagesofTacitus。Withequalsense，butwithlessenergy，Livyiii。34hadcomplained，inhocimmensoaliarumsuperaliasacervatarumlegumcumulo，&c。]
[Footnote25:SuetoniusinVespasiano，c。8。]
[Footnote26:CiceroadFamiliares，viii。8。]
TheDecemvirshadbeennamed，andtheirtableswereapproved，byanassemblyofthecenturies，inwhichrichespreponderatedagainstnumbers。TothefirstclassofRomans，theproprietorsofonehundredthousandpoundsofcopper，^27
ninety—eightvoteswereassigned，andonlyninety—fivewereleftforthesixinferiorclasses，distributedaccordingtotheirsubstancebytheartfulpolicyofServius。Butthetribunessoonestablishedamorespeciousandpopularmaxim，thateverycitizenhasanequalrighttoenactthelawswhichheisboundtoobey。
Insteadofthecenturies，theyconvenedthetribes；andthepatricians，afteranimpotentstruggle，submittedtothedecreesofanassembly，inwhichtheirvoteswereconfoundedwiththoseofthemeanestplebeians。Yetaslongasthetribessuccessivelypassedovernarrowbridges^28andgavetheirvoicesaloud，theconductofeachcitizenwasexposedtotheeyesandearsofhisfriendsandcountrymen。Theinsolventdebtorconsultedthewishesofhiscreditor；theclientwouldhaveblushedtoopposetheviewsofhispatron；thegeneralwasfollowedbyhisveterans，andtheaspectofagravemagistratewasalivinglessontothemultitude。Anewmethodofsecretballotabolishedtheinfluenceoffearandshame，ofhonorandinterest，andtheabuseoffreedomacceleratedtheprogressofanarchyanddespotism。^29TheRomanshadaspiredtobeequal；theywerelevelledbytheequalityofservitude；andthedictatesofAugustuswerepatientlyratifiedbytheformalconsentofthetribesorcenturies。Once，andonceonly，heexperiencedasincereandstrenuousopposition。Hissubjectshadresignedallpoliticalliberty；theydefendedthefreedomofdomesticlife。A
lawwhichenforcedtheobligation，andstrengthenedthebondsofmarriage，wasclamorouslyrejected；Propertius，inthearmsofDelia，applaudedthevictoryoflicentiouslove；andtheprojectofreformwassuspendedtillanewandmoretractablegenerationhadarisenintheworld。^30Suchanexamplewasnotnecessarytoinstructaprudentusurperofthemischiefofpopularassemblies；
andtheirabolition，whichAugustushadsilentlyprepared，wasaccomplishedwithoutresistance，andalmostwithoutnotice，ontheaccessionofhissuccessor。^31Sixtythousandplebeianlegislators，whomnumbersmadeformidable，andpovertysecure，weresupplantedbysixhundredsenators，whoheldtheirhonors，theirfortunes，andtheirlives，bytheclemencyoftheemperor。
Thelossofexecutivepowerwasalleviatedbythegiftoflegislativeauthority；andUlpianmightassert，afterthepracticeoftwohundredyears，thatthedecreesofthesenateobtainedtheforceandvalidityoflaws。Inthetimesoffreedom，theresolvesofthepeoplehadoftenbeendictatedbythepassionorerrorofthemoment:theCornelian，Pompeian，andJulianlawswereadaptedbyasinglehandtotheprevailingdisorders；butthesenate，underthereignoftheCaesars，wascomposedofmagistratesandlawyers，andinquestionsofprivatejurisprudence，theintegrityoftheirjudgmentwasseldompervertedbyfearorinterest。^32
[Footnote27:Dionysius，withArbuthnot，andmostofthemoderns，exceptEisenschmidtdePonderibus，&c。，p。137—140，representthe100，000assesby10，000Atticdrachmae，orsomewhatmorethan300poundssterling。Buttheircalculationcanapplyonlytothelattertimes，whentheaswasdiminishedto1—24thofitsancientweight:norcanIbelievethatinthefirstages，howeverdestituteofthepreciousmetals，asingleounceofsilvercouldhavebeenexchangedforseventypoundsofcopperorbrass。A
moresimpleandrationalmethodistovaluethecopperitselfaccordingtothepresentrate，and，aftercomparingthemintandthemarketprice，theRomanandavoirdupoisweight，theprimitiveasorRomanpoundofcoppermaybeappreciatedatoneEnglishshilling，andthe100，000assesofthefirstclassamountedto5000poundssterling。Itwillappearfromthesamereckoning，thatanoxwassoldatRomeforfivepounds，asheepfortenshillings，andaquarterofwheatforonepoundtenshillings，Festus，p。330，edit。Dacier。Plin。Hist。Natur。xviii。4:nordoIseeanyreasontorejecttheseconsequences，whichmoderateourideasofthepovertyofthefirstRomans。
Note:CompareNiebuhr，Englishtranslation，vol。i。p。448，&c。—M。]
[Footnote28:ConsultthecommonwritersontheRomanComitia，especiallySigoniusandBeaufort。SpanheimdePraestantiaetUsuNumismatum，tom。ii。dissert。x。p。192，193shows，onacuriousmedal，theCista，Pontes，Septa，Diribitor，&c。]
[Footnote29:CicerodeLegibus，iii。16，17，18debatesthisconstitutionalquestion，andassignstohisbrotherQuintusthemostunpopularside。]
[Footnote30:Praetumulturecusantiumperferrenonpotuit，Sueton。inAugust。c。34。SeePropertius，l。ii。eleg。6。
Heineccius，inaseparatehistory，hasexhaustedthewholesubjectoftheJulianandPapianPoppaeanlaws，Opp。tom。vii。
P。i。p。1—479。]
[Footnote31:Tacit。Annal。i。15。Lipsius，ExcursusE。inTacitum。
Note:ThiserrorofGibbonhasbeenlongdetected。Thesenate，underTiberiusdidindeedelectthemagistrates，whobeforethatemperorwereelectedinthecomitia。Butwefindlawsenactedbythepeopleduringhisreign，andthatofClaudius。Forexample；theJulia—Norbana，Vellea，andClaudiadetutelafoeminarum。ComparetheHist。duDroitRomain，byM。
Hugo，vol。ii。p。55，57。Thecomitiaceasedimperceptiblyastherepublicgraduallyexpired。—W。]