idea，theplaceonceoccupiedbythesanctityofhumanlife，and
　　’sittingdharna，’whentheEnglishlawfirstendeavouredto
　　suppressit，wasunderstoodtobeaspecialmodeofoppression
　　practisedbyBrahminsforaconsiderationinmoneyThisisthe
　　viewtakenofitbytheIndianPenalCode，whichcondemnsitin
　　thefollowingtermss。508：——
　　’Whoevervoluntarilycauses……anypersontodoanything
　　whichthatpersonisnotlegallyboundtodo……byinducing……
　　thatpersontobelievethathe……willbecomebysomeactofthe
　　offenderanobjectofDivinedispleasure，ifhedoesnotdothe
　　thingwhichitistheobjectoftheoffendertocausehimto
　　do……shallbepunishedwithimprisonment，&c。’
　　Itseemstomethatareasonableexplanationmaybegivenof
　　theoriginofthesepracticeswhichnowseemsostrange。Letus
　　notforgetthatallformsofDistress，theseizureofwife，
　　child，orcattle，evenwhenwhollyunregulatedbylaw，were
　　improvementsonoldercustom。Theprimitiveproceedingwas
　　undoubtedlytheunceremonious，unannounced，attackofthetribe
　　orthemanstungbyinjuryonthetribeorthemanwhohad
　　inflictedit。Anyexpedientbywhichsuddenplunderorslaughter
　　wasadjournedorpreventedwasanadvantageeventobarbarous
　　society。Thus，itwasagaintomankindasawholewhenits
　　priestsandleadersbegantoencouragetheseizureofpropertyor
　　family，notforthepurposeofpermanentappropriation，butwith
　　aviewtowhatweshouldnownothesitatetocallextortion。
　　Similarly，itwasastepforwardswhenmenlearnedtopause
　　beforeattackinginsteadofattackingatonce。Wearetold，in
　　theCompendiumofKafirLawsandCustomspublishedbyMrDugmore
　　andothermissionariesp。38，thattheregularprocedureofa
　　Kafirlaw-suitsimulatesanexpeditioninforceoftheplaintiff
　　andhisfriendsagainstthevillagetowhichthedefendant
　　belongs。’Ontheirarrivaltheysitdowntogetherinsome
　　conspicuouspositionandawaitquietlytheresultoftheir
　　presence。This……isthesignalformusteringalltheadultmale
　　residentsthatareforthcoming。Theseaccordinglyassembleand
　　alsositdownwithinconversingdistance。’Afterlongsilencea
　　conversationensues，andtheproceeding，whichisaperfectly
　　peaceableone，iscontinuedbyalongseriesoftechnical
　　formalitiesandintricatepleadings。Thissilentpauseofthe
　　attackingpartyisanearlyformofNotice，initselfoneofthe
　　mostvaluableofinstitutions；andwithitisconnectedanother
　　primitivecontrivance，shuttingamanupinhishousetillhe
　　givessatisfaction，insteadofsettingonhimatonce。Avery
　　strikingillustrationofitisfoundinalawofAlfred，familiar
　　tohistoricalscholarsKemble，’Saxons，’i。272；Thorpe，
　　’AncientLaws，’i。91：——
　　’Letthemanwhoknowshisfoetobehomesittingfightnot
　　beforehehavedemandedjusticeofhim。Ifhehavepowertobeset
　　hisfoeandbesiegehiminhishouse，lethimkeephimtherefor
　　sevendaysbutnotattackhimifhewillremainindoors。Ifthen，
　　aftersevendays，hebewillingtosurrenderandgiveuphis
　　weapons，lethimbekeptsafeforthirtydays，andletnoticebe
　　giventohiskinsmenandfriends。Butiftheplaintiffhavenot
　　powerofhisown，lethimridetotheEaldorman，and，ifthe
　　Ealdormanwillnotaidhim，lethimridetotheKingbeforehe
　　fights。’Thepassageendswithaprovisionofwhichthespirit，
　　strangetosay，survivesinthemodernCodemakingtheloudest
　　claimtocivilisedprinciple，theCodeNapol閛nCodeP閚al，s。
　　324，totheeffectthatifthemanwhoishomesittingbereally
　　shutupinhishousewiththecomplainant’swife，daughter，or
　　sister，hemaybeattackedandkilledwithoutceremony。
　　TheobjectoftheLawofAlfredisplainlythesamewiththat
　　aimedatbytheancientruleofBrihaspiti。Themanwho，if
　　naturehadherway，wouldbeslainatonce，isshutupinhis
　　housebutleftotherwiseunharmedtillheorhiskinsmenpaythe
　　debtorcompoundforthemoney。TheEnglishruleistobe
　　enforcedbythecivilpower，theEaldormanortheKing；the
　　HindooBrahminicalrulebythefearofpunishmentinanother
　　world。TheIrishlaw-tractretainstheBrahminicalruleasan
　　alternativeincertaincasestoNotice。Butaninstitutionwhich
　　wasperfectlyintelligibleinasocietywhichincludedanorder
　　oflawyerswhowerealsopriestshaslostallmeaningwhenthis
　　societyhasbeenintroducedbyChristianitytoawhollynewset
　　ofreligiousideas。
　　Thecourseofourenquiryhasledusbackwardsandforwards
　　betweentheextremeEasterlyandtheextremeWesterlybranchesof
　　theAryanrace。LetmenowaddonewordtoconnecttheEastern
　　usagewiththemostancientlawofthecommunitywhichonce
　　occupiedwithitsgovernmentnearlythewholespacebetweenthe
　　two。’Sittingdharna，’placedunderthebanofBritishlaw，
　　chieflysurvivesinBritishindiainanexaggeratedairof
　　sufferingwornbythecreditorwhocomestoaskadebtorof
　　higherrankforpayment，andwhoistoldtowait。Butitisstill
　　commonintheNativeIndianStates，andthereitispre-eminently
　　anexpedientresortedtobysoldierstoobtainarrearsofpay。
　　Youwillrememberthatthe’pignoriscapio’oftheRomansis
　　statedbyGaiustohavesurvivedasaremedyintwoclassesof
　　cases，oneofthembeingthedefaultofamilitarypaymaster。
　　TheEarlyHistoryoftheSettledPropertyofMarriedWomen
　　ThesubjectonwhichIamabouttospeakmayperhapsconvey
　　onelesson。Itmayserveasacautionagainstthelaxemployment
　　ofthewords’ancient’and’modern，’Therearefewpersons，I
　　suppose，who，approachingtheSettledPropertyofMarriedWomen
　　withoutpreviousknowledgeofitshistory，wouldnotpronounceit
　　oneofthemostmodernofsubjects。Ithasgivenrisetovehement
　　controversyinourownday；someofthequestionswhichit
　　suggestsarenotyetsolved；andtherearemanyhere，Idaresay，
　　whobelievethattheyrememberthefirstdawnofsoundideason
　　thesequestions。Yet，asamatteroffact，thediscussionofthe
　　settledpropertyofmarriedwomenisaveryolddiscussion。Ido
　　notindeedsay，consideringthevastantiquitynowclaimedfor
　　thehumanrace，thatourveryfirstforefatherstroubled
　　themselvesaboutthematter；butnothingcanbemorecertainthan
　　thatverysoonafterthosedivisionsofmankindwhichwere
　　destinedtoultimategreatnessareseeninpossessionofthe
　　institutionwhichwastheoneconditionoftheirprogressto
　　civilisation——theFamily——theyarediscernedgrapplingwith
　　theverysameproblem，nodoubtinanearlyform，whichwe
　　ourselveshavehardlyyetsucceededinsolving。Thisassertion，I
　　mayobserve，islessincredibletoaFrenchman，orindeedtoa
　　citizenofanyContinentalState，thanitispossiblytoan
　　Englishman。ThelawoftheContinentontheproprietaryrelations
　　ofhusbandandwifeisinthemainRomanlaw，veryslightly
　　transmuted；andthroughtheinstitutionsoftheRomansthe
　　historyofthisbranchoflawmaybetracedtotheearliest
　　institutionsofsomuchofthehumanraceashasprovedcapable
　　ofcivilisation。
　　TheRomanandHindoosystemsoflawfromwhichIproposeto
　　illustratemysubjectareveryfarindeedfrombeingtheonly
　　sourcesfromwhichinformationcanbegatheredconcerningthe
　　infancyofmankind，orevenconcerningtheAryanraceofmen。But
　　theevidencesuppliedbyeachofthemishighlyauthentic，and，
　　whilebothofthemrunbacktowhatmayfairlybecalledavast
　　antiquity，theybothassumeattheirstarting-pointtheexistence
　　oftheinstitution，bynomeansapparentlyuniversalamongsavage
　　men，outofwhich，asIsaid，allcivilisationhasgrown——the
　　Family。Ineedscarcelyaddthat，evenforhistoricalpurposes，
　　theirvalueisveryunequal。
　　Thereisnohistorysolong，socontinuous，andsoauthentic
　　asthatoftheRomanLaw；andyetitisnotalittleremarkable
　　thattillabouthalfacenturyagoitwassystematicallytreated，
　　exceptbyasmallminorityofjurists，asifithadnohistoryat
　　all。Thiswasaconsequenceofitsgreatjuridicalperfection。
　　Letmepausetoobservethat，consideringthetimeandpains
　　spentinacquiringtheLatinlanguage，itismuchtoberegretted
　　thatsolittleisknownofthechiefbranchofLatinliterature。
　　Foritisreallysoexpressed，andsoputtogether，astodeserve
　　thenameofliterature。Moreover，itwastheonlyliteratureof
　　theRomanswhichhasanyclaimtooriginality；itwastheonly
　　partoftheirliteratureinwhichtheRomansthemselvestookany
　　stronginterest；anditistheonepartwhichhasprofoundly
　　influencedmodernthought。Oneresult，however，ofitssymmetry
　　andluciditywasthatitwaslongregardedasabirthofpure
　　intellect，produced，sotospeak，atasingleeffort。Thosewho
　　attemptedtoconstructahistoryforitwerefew，andnotofthe
　　highestcredit。Butithappenedthatin1816，thegreatGerman
　　historian，Niebuhr，travellinginItaly，hadhisattention
　　attractedatVeronatoamanuscriptofoneoftheFathers，under
　　thelettersofwhichancientwritingappeared。Thismanuscript，
　　whendeciphered，provedtobeanearlyperfectcopyofan
　　educationalwork，writteninthesecondcenturyofourera，for
　　youngRomanstudentsoflaw，byoneofthemostfamousofRoman
　　lawyers，GaiusorCaius。AtthatperiodRomanjurisprudence
　　retainedenoughofthetracesofitsmostancientstateforitto
　　benecessarythattheyshouldbeexplainedtoyoungreadersby
　　theauthorofsuchatreatise；anditthusbecamepossibleto
　　reconstruct，fromthebookofGaius，thewholepasthistoryof
　　RomanlawwithsomecompletenessCertainly，withoutNiebuhr’s
　　discoverythesubjectofthislecturecouldneverhavebeen
　　understood，oritsoriginaloutlinerestored。
　　Hindoolaw，whichIhaveplacedbythesideofRomanlaw，
　　callsassuredlyfornoeulogy。Itisfullofmonstrous
　　iniquities，andhasbeenpervertedinalldirectionsbypriestly
　　influence。Butthenagreatdealofitisundoubtedlyof
　　prodigiousantiquity，and，whatismoreimportant，wecansee
　　thisancientlawinoperationbeforeoureyes。British
　　legislationhascorrectedsomeofitsexcesses，butits
　　principlesareuntouched，andarestilllefttoproducesomeof
　　theirresults。Frenchlaw，asIsaid，isRomanlawalittle
　　altered，butthenitistheRomanlawinitsmatured，developed，
　　andrefinedcondition，andtheancientinstitutionsoftheRomans
　　areonlyseenthroughitdimly。Butsomeoftheinstitutions
　　whichtheRomansandHindoosoncehadincommonmaybeseen
　　actuallyflourishinginIndia，undertheprotectionofEnglish
　　CourtsofJustice。