[GAIUS libro secundo rerum cottidianarum siue aureorum. ] §41.1.9.prQua ratione autem plantae quae terra coalescunt solo cedunt, eadem ratione frumenta quoque quae sata sunt solo cedere intelleguntur.
[GAIUS, Everyday Matters or Golden Words, book 2] By the same reasoning that plants which take root in the ground accrue to the soil, sown grain also is understood to accrue to the soil.
ceterum sicut is, qui in alieno solo aedificauit, si ab eo dominus soli petat aedificium, defendi potest per exceptionem doli mali, ita eiusdem exceptionis auxilio tutus esse poterit, qui in alienum fundum sua impensa conseuit.
But, just as he who has built on another's land can be defended by the plea of fraud if the owner of the land claims the building from him, so he who has sown another's land at his own expense will be able to be safe with the help of the same plea.
§41.1.9.1Litterae quoque licet aureae sint, perinde chartis membranisque cedunt, ac solo cedere solent ea quae aedificantur aut seruntur.
Letters also, even if they are of gold, accrue to the paper and parchment in the same way as things which are built or sown usually accrue to the soil.
ideoque si in chartis membranisue tuis carmen uel historiam uel orationem scripsero, huius corporis non ego, sed tu dominus esse intellegeris.
And therefore, if I write a poem, a history, or a speech on your paper or parchment, not I, but you are understood to be the owner of this physical object.
sed si a me petas tuos libros tuasue membranas nec impensas scripturae soluere uelis, potero me defendere per exceptionem doli mali, utique si bona fide eorum possessionem nanctus sim.
But if you claim your books or your parchments from me and do not wish to pay the expenses of the writing, I will be able to defend myself by the plea of fraud, provided, of course, that I obtained possession of them in good faith.
§41.1.9.2Sed non uti litterae chartis membranisue cedunt, ita solent picturae tabulis cedere, sed ex diuerso placuit tabulas picturae cedere.
But paintings do not usually accrue to tablets in the way that letters accrue to paper or parchment; on the contrary, it has been decided that the tablets accrue to the painting.
utique tamen conueniens est domino tabularum aduersus eum qui pinxerit, si is tabulas possidebat, utilem actionem dari, qua ita efficaciter experiri poterit, si picturae impensam exsoluat: alioquin nocebit ei doli mali exceptio: utique si bona fide possessor fuerit qui soluerit.
Nevertheless, it is certainly fitting that an equitable action be given to the owner of the tablets against the one who painted, if the latter was in possession of the tablets, by which action he can successfully sue only if he pays the expense of the painting; otherwise, the plea of fraud will stand in his way, provided, of course, that the one who pays was a possessor in good faith.
aduersus dominum uero tabularum ei qui pinxerit rectam uindicationem competere dicimus, ut tamen pretium tabularum inferat: alioquin nocebit ei doli mali exceptio.
On the other hand, we say that a direct action for recovery is available to the painter against the owner of the tablets, provided, however, that he pays the price of the tablets; otherwise, the plea of fraud will stand in his way.
H §41.1.9.3ae quoque res, quae traditione nostrae fiunt, iure gentium nobis adquiruntur: nihil enim tam conueniens est naturali aequitati quam uoluntatem domini uolentis rem suam in alium transferre ratam haberi.
Th ese things too, which become ours by delivery, are acquired by us under the law of nations; for nothing is so agreeable to natural equity as that the will of an owner, wishing to transfer his property to another, should be held valid.
§41.1.9.4Nihil autem interest, utrum ipse dominus per se tradat alicui rem an uoluntate eius aliquis.
Moreover, it makes no difference whether the owner himself delivers the thing to someone by himself, or someone else does so with his consent.
qua ratione, si cui libera negotiorum administratio ab eo qui peregre proficiscitur permissa fuerit et is ex negotiis rem uendiderit et tradiderit, facit eam accipientis.
For this reason, if free administration of affairs is permitted to anyone by one who is setting out abroad, and the former, in the course of business, sells and delivers a thing, he makes it the property of the recipient.
§41.1.9.5Interdum etiam sine traditione nuda uoluntas domini sufficit ad rem transferendam, ueluti si rem, quam commodaui aut locaui tibi aut apud te deposui, uendidero tibi: licet enim ex ea causa tibi eam non tradiderim, eo tamen, quod patior eam ex causa emptionis apud te esse, tuam efficio.
Sometimes indeed, even without delivery, the bare consent of the owner is sufficient to transfer a thing, as for example, if I sell to you a thing which I have lent, let, or deposited with you; for although I have not delivered it to you on that account, nevertheless, by the very fact that I allow it to remain with you on account of the purchase, I make it yours.
§41.1.9.6Item si quis merces in horreo repositas uendiderit, simul atque claues horrei tradiderit emptori, transfert proprietatem mercium ad emptorem.
Likewise, if anyone sells goods stored in a warehouse, as soon as he delivers the keys of the warehouse to the buyer, he transfers the ownership of the goods to the buyer.
H §41.1.9.7oc amplius interdum et in incertam personam collocata uoluntas domini transfert rei proprietatem: ut ecce qui missilia iactat in uulgus, ignorat enim, quid eorum quisque excepturus sit, et tamen quia uult quod quisque exceperit eius esse, statim eum dominum efficit.
Furthermore, sometimes the will of an owner directed towards an uncertain person also transfers the ownership of a thing; as for instance, one who throws largesse to the crowd, for he does not know which of them will catch any of it, and yet because he wills that what each one catches shall be his, he makes him owner immediately.
§41.1.9.8Alia causa est earum rerum, quae in tempestate maris leuandae nauis causa eiciuntur: hae enim dominorum permanent, quia non eo animo eiciuntur, quod quis eas habere non uult, sed quo magis cum ipsa naue periculum maris effugiat.
The case is different for those things which are thrown overboard in a storm at sea for the sake of lightening the ship; for these remain the property of their owners, because they are not thrown away with the intention of not wanting to have them, but rather so that they may, along with the ship itself, escape the danger of the sea.
qua de causa si quis eas fluctibus expulsas uel etiam in ipso mari nanctus lucrandi animo abstulerit, furtum committit.
For this reason, if anyone takes them away with the intention of gain, having found them washed up by the waves or even in the sea itself, he commits theft.