Ad edictum praetoris urbani libri
Ex De legatis libro primo
The Same, On the Edict of the Prætor, Concerning Legacies, Book I. Where a bequest is made as follows: “I give to Seius ten slaves, to addition to the ten which I have directly bequeathed to Titius.” Then if only ten are ascertained to belong to the estate, the legacy is void; but if more than that number remain after Titius has selected his ten, the legacy will be valid with respect to the others; but for no greater number than the ten which were bequeathed. If less than ten should remain, the bequest will be valid with reference to as many as are found. 1The bequest is conditional when expressed as follows, “I give Stichus to So-and-So, if he is willing to accept him,” and it does not pass to the heir, unless the legatee is willing to take it; although, otherwise, where a legacy is bequeathed without the addition, “If he wishes to accept,” it will be transferred to the heir of the legatee; for it is one thing in law where something is tacitly included, and another where it is expressed in words. 2If a house should be bequeathed, even though it has been gradually rebuilt, so that none of the original materials remain, we nevertheless say that the legacy will be valid; but if, after the house has been torn down, the testator should build another in its place, we must hold that the legacy is annulled, unless it should be proved that the intention of the testator was otherwise.
The Same, On the Edict of the Prætor, Concerning Legacies, Book I. Where a slave is bequeathed to one of several heirs, and is said to have maliciously committed some act against the estate, as, for instance, to have removed the accounts; he shall not be adjudged to the heir before being put to the torture, if the other heirs desire it. The same rule applies if he is bequeathed to a stranger. 1Ad Dig. 30,67,1Windscheid: Lehrbuch des Pandektenrechts, 7. Aufl. 1891, Bd. III, § 627, Note 8.Where the same property is bequeathed to two heirs out of several who have been appointed for different shares, each of the heirs will be entitled to half of the legacy, and not in proportion to their shares of the estate.