22. Of a Civil Law of the German Nations. The Spirit of the Laws | ||
Footnotes
"Nullas Germanorum populis urbes habitari satis notum est, ne pati quidem inter se junctas sedes; colunt discreti, ut nemus placuit. Vicos locant, non in nostrum morem connexis et cohærentibus ædifidis: suam quisque domum spatio circumdat." — "De Moribus Germanorum," 16.
See Marculfus, lib. ii, form. 10 and 12. Appendix to Marculfus, form. 49, and the ancient formularies of "Sirmondus," form. 22.
"De terra vero Salica in mulierem nulla portio hereditatis transit, sed hoc virilis sexus acquirit, hoc est filii in ipsa hereditate succedunt." — Tit. 68, section 6.
"Sororum filiis idem apud avunculum quam apud patrem honor. Quidam sanctiorem arcti-oremque hunc nexum sanguinis arbitrantur, et in accipiendis obsidibus magis exigunt, tanquam ii et animum firmius et domum latius teneant." — "De Moribus Germanorum," 20.
See, in Gregory of Tours, lib. viii, chaps. 18, 20 and lib. ix, chaps. 16, 20, the rage of Gontram at Leovigild's ill-treatment of Ingunda, his niece, which Childebert her brother took up arms to revenge.
Et deinceps usque ad quintum genuculum qui proximus fuerit in hereditatem succedat. — Tit. 56, 6.
Tit. 7, 1: Pater aut mater defuncti, filio non filiæ hereditatem relinquant; 4, qui defunctus, non filios, sed filias reliquerit, ad eas omnis hereditas pertineat.
The German nations, says Tacitus, De Moribus Germanorum, 22, had common customs, as well as those which were peculiar to each.
Among the Ostrogoths, the crown twice devolved to the males by means of females; the first time to Athalaricus, through Amalasuntha, and the second to Theodat, through Amalafreda. Not but that the females of that nation might have held the crown in their own right; for Amalasuntha reigned after the death of Athalaricus; nay, even after the election of Theodat, and in conjunction with that prince. See Amalasuntha's and Theodat's letters, in "Cassiodorus," lib. x.
22. Of a Civil Law of the German Nations. The Spirit of the Laws | ||