[MARCELLUS libro singulari responsorum. ] §35.1.36.prPublius Maenius testamento suo ita cauit: 'quisquis mihi heres heredesue erunt, do lego fideique eorum committo, uti dent Gaio Seio sororis meae filio in honorem consulatus quadringenta': uiuo Maeuio Seius consul designatus est et munus edidit: deinde ex calendis Ianuariis consulatum ingressus est atque ita Maeuius decessit: quaero, an quadringenta Seio debeantur.
[MARCELLUS, in his single book of Responses.] Publius Maenius provided thus in his will: 'Whoever shall be my heir or heirs, I give, bequeath, and commit to their trust, that they give four hundred thousand to Gaius Seius, my sister's son, in honor of his consulship': while Maeuius was still living, Seius was designated consul and exhibited games; then from the Kalends of January he entered upon his consulship, and thereafter Maeuius died. I ask whether the four hundred thousand is due to Seius.
§35.1.36.1Marcellus respondit deberi.
Marcellus responded that it is due.
Titia codicillis de praediis, quae testamento Septiciae reliquerat, ita cauit: 'a te peto, Septicia, ut filio meo, cum annorum sedecim esset, cadem praedia restitueres: quod si filius meus sedecim annos non impleuerit, peto uti reddas ea restituas Publio Maeuio et Gaio Cornelio'. quaero, cum Septicia decesserit, deinde filius quintum decimum annum agens defunctus sit, an repraesentetur fideicommissum quinto decimo anno impleto et heredes Septiciae restituere id Publio Maeuio et Gaio Cornelio debeant.
Titia in her codicils provided thus concerning the estates which she had left to Septicia by her will: 'I request of you, Septicia, that you restore the same estates to my son when he is sixteen years of age; but if my son does not complete sixteen years, I request that you return and restore them to Publius Maeuius and Gaius Cornelius.' I ask, since Septicia has died, and then the son passed away while in his fifteenth year, whether the trust is to be paid immediately upon the completion of the fifteenth year, and whether Septicia's heirs ought to restore it to Publius Maeuius and Gaius Cornelius.
Marcellus respondit Septiciam ius, quod in his praediis habuisset, heredi suo reliquisse: etenim uideri contra uoluntatem testatricis repraesentationem fideicommissi desiderari, ut amplius ad substitutos perueniat, quam ad puerum peruenire uel a Septicia uel ab heredibus potuisset.
Marcellus responded that Septicia left to her heir the right which she would have had in these estates; for indeed, to demand the immediate payment of the trust seems to be contrary to the intention of the testatrix, as it would result in more coming to the substitutes than could have come to the boy either from Septicia or from her heirs.
et uerba quidem uidentur repraesentare fideicommissum, sed non est uerisimile, ut maturius uoluerit testatrix ad substitutos id transferre.
And indeed the words seem to make the trust due immediately, but it is not likely that the testatrix wished to transfer it to the substitutes more maturely (earlier).
nec quicquam mutat, quod Septicia ante decessit: nam etsi puer uiueret, non prius Septiciae heredes quam Septicia possent conueniri.
Nor does the fact that Septicia died beforehand change anything; for even if the boy were living, Septicia's heirs could not be sued earlier than Septicia herself could have been.