[MARCIANUS libro singulari de delatoribus. ] §49.14.22.prRes, quae in controuersia sunt, non debent a procuratore Caesaris distrahi, sed differenda est eorum uenditio, ut diuus quoque Seuerus et Antoninus rescripserunt, et defuncto maiestatis reo, parato herede purgare innocentiam mortui, distractionem bonorum suspendi iusserunt, et generaliter prohibuerunt rem distrahi a procuratore, quae esset in controuersia.
[MARCIANUS, Single Book on Informers.] Property which is in dispute ought not to be sold by the Emperor's procurator, but its sale must be deferred, as the deified Severus and Antoninus also replied by rescript; and when a person accused of treason has died, if the heir is ready to clear the innocence of the deceased, they ordered the sale of the goods to be suspended, and generally forbade property in dispute to be sold by a procurator.
§49.14.22.1Res autem nexas pignori distrahere procuratores possunt.
Procurators, however, can sell property that is bound by pledge.
sed si ante alii res obligatae sunt iure pignoris, non debet procurator ius creditorum laedere: sed si quidem superfluum est in re, permittitur procuratori uendere ea lege, ut inprimis creditoribus praecedentibus satisfiat et si quid superfluum est, fisco inferatur, aut, si acceperit totum fiscus, soluat ipse: uel simpliciter si uendidit procurator, iubebit pecuniam, quam deberi creditori priuato fuerit probatum, exsolui ei.
But if the property was previously obligated to others by right of pledge, the procurator ought not to prejudice the right of the creditors; but if there is indeed a surplus in the property, the procurator is permitted to sell it on the condition that, first of all, the prior creditors are satisfied, and if there is any surplus, it is to be brought into the treasury; or, if the treasury has received the whole amount, it shall pay the creditors itself; or, if the procurator sold it without conditions, he shall order the money, which is proved to be owed to the private creditor, to be paid to him.
et ita diuus Seuerus et Antoninus rescripserunt.
And the deified Severus and Antoninus replied by rescript to this effect.
§49.14.22.2Lites donatas se non suscipere diuus Pius rescripsit, licet bona relicturum se quis profiteatur: uel partem bonorum donatam non suscipere.
The deified Pius replied by rescript that he did not accept gifted lawsuits, even if someone should declare that he would leave his property to him, or that he did not accept a gifted part of property.
et adiecit et illum dignum fuisse puniri pro tam turpi tamque inuidioso commento, et nisi durum esse uidebatur in ultro uenientem poenam statuere.
And he added that that person would have deserved to be punished for so disgraceful and offensive a device, had it not seemed harsh to inflict a penalty on one who came forward voluntarily.
§49.14.22.3Sicut nuntiare causam nemo cogitur, ita liberum arbitrium desistendi ei non datur qui detulit: et ita diui Seuerus et Antoninus rescripserunt: et idem esse, licet alieno mandato detulisset.
Just as no one is compelled to report a case, so the free choice of desisting is not granted to him who has laid an information; and the deified Severus and Antoninus replied by rescript to this effect, and that the same is true, even if he had laid the information by another's mandate.
plane rescripserunt delatorem audiendum uolentem a lite desistere, si sibi mandatorem subtractum queratur.
Clearly, they replied by rescript that an informer who wishes to desist from the lawsuit is to be heard, if he complains that his mandator has withdrawn.