[IDEM libro trigesimo nono ad edictum. ] §37.1.3.prBona autem hic, ut plerumque solemus dicere, ita accipienda sunt uniuersitatis cuiusque successionem, qua succeditur in ius demortui suscipiturque eius rei commodum et incommodum: nam siue soluendo sunt bona siue non sunt, siue damnum habent siue lucrum, siue in corporibus sunt siue in actionibus, in hoc loco proprie bona appellabuntur.
[THE SAME, book 39 on the Edict.] But "goods" here, as we are mostly accustomed to say, must be understood as the succession to some entirety, by which succession is made to the right of the deceased, and the benefit and disadvantage of that matter are assumed; for whether the goods are solvent or are not, whether they entail loss or gain, whether they consist in corporeal things or in actions, they will properly be called "goods" in this place.
§37.1.3.1Hereditatis autem bonorumue possessio, ut Labeo scribit, non uti rerum possessio accipienda est: est enim iuris magis quam corporis possessio.
Moreover, the possession of an inheritance or of goods, as Labeo writes, is not to be understood like the possession of things; for it is a possession of a right rather than of a physical body.
denique etsi nihil corporale est in hereditate, attamen recte eius bonorum possessionem adgnitam Labeo ait.
Finally, Labeo says that even if there is nothing corporeal in the inheritance, nevertheless the possession of its goods is rightly acknowledged.
§37.1.3.2Bonorum igitur possessionem ita recte definiemus ius persequendi retinendique patrimonii siue rei, quae cuiusque cum moritur fuit.
Therefore, we shall rightly define the possession of goods as the right of pursuing and retaining the patrimony or thing which belonged to anyone when he died.
§37.1.3.3Inuito autem nemini bonorum possessio adquiritur.
But the possession of goods is acquired for no one against his will.
§37.1.3.4A municipibus et societatibus et decuriis et corporibus bonorum possessio adgnosci potest.
The possession of goods can be acknowledged by municipalities, partnerships, decuries, and corporations.
proinde siue actor eorum nomine admittat siue quis alius, recte competet bonorum possessio: sed et si nemo petat uel adgnouerit bonorum possessionem nomine municipii, habebit municipium bonorum possessionem praetoris edicto.
Accordingly, whether an agent admits it in their name or anyone else does, the possession of goods will rightly belong to them; but even if no one seeks or has acknowledged the possession of goods in the name of the municipality, the municipality will have the possession of goods by the edict of the praetor.
§37.1.3.5Dari autem bonorum possessio potest tam patris familias quam filii familias, si modo ius testandi habuit de peculio castrensi uel quasi castrensi.
Moreover, the possession of goods can be granted both of a father of a family and of a son of a family, provided only that the latter had the right of making a will regarding his castrense peculium or quasi-castrense peculium.
§37.1.3.6Sed et eius, qui apud hostes decessit, bonorum possessionem admitti posse, quamuis in seruitute decedat, nulla dubitatio est.
But there is also no doubt that the possession of goods of one who died in the hands of the enemy can be admitted, even though he died in slavery.
§37.1.3.7Adquirere quis bonorum possessionem potest uel per semetipsum uel per alium.
Anyone can acquire the possession of goods either through himself or through another.
quod si me non mandante bonorum possessio mihi petita sit, tunc competet, cum ratum habuero id quod actum est.
But if, without my mandate, the possession of goods has been sought for me, it will belong to me only when I have ratified what was done.
denique si ante decessero quam ratum habeam, nulla dubitatio est quin non competet mihi bonorum possessio, quia neque ego ratum habui neque heres meus ratum habere potest, cum ad eum non transeat ius bonorum possessionis.
Finally, if I die before I ratify it, there is no doubt that the possession of goods will not belong to me, because neither did I ratify it, nor can my heir ratify it, since the right of possession of goods does not pass to him.
§37.1.3.8Si causa cognita bonorum possessio detur, non alibi dabitur quam pro tribunali, quia neque decretum de plano interponi neque causa cognita bonorum possessio alibi quam pro tribunali dari potest.
If the possession of goods is granted after inquiry into the case, it shall not be granted anywhere else than from the tribunal, because neither can a decree be issued informally, nor can the possession of goods after inquiry into the case be granted anywhere else than from the tribunal.
§37.1.3.9In bonorum possessione sciendum est ius esse adcrescendi: proinde si plures sint, quibus bonorum possessio competit, quorum unus admisit bonorum possessionem, ceteri non admiserunt,
In the possession of goods, it must be known that there is a right of accruer: accordingly, if there are several to whom the possession of goods belongs, and one of them has admitted the possession of goods, while the others have not admitted it,