out interruption, and without turning aside to other acts.-Article 1578.

This testament must be signed by the testator; if he declare that he knows not how, or is not able to sign, express mention of his declaration, as also of the cause that hinders him from signing, must be made in the act.— Article 1579.

This testament must be signed by the witnesses, or at least by one of them for all, if the others can not write.Article 1580.

A nuncupative testament under private signature, must be written by the testator himself, or by any other person, from his dictation; or even by one of the witnesses, in presence of five witnesses residing in the place where the will is received, or of seven witnesses residing out of that place.

Or it will suffice if, in the presence of the same number of witnesses, the testator present the paper, on which he has written his testament, or caused it to be written out of their presence, declaring to them that that paper contains his last will.-Article 1581.

In either case the testament must be read by the testator to the witnesses, or by one of the witnesses to the rest, in presence of the testator; it must be signed by the testator, if he know how or is able to sign, and by the witnesses, or at least by two of them, in case the others know not how to sign, and those of the witnesses who do not know how to sign must affix their mark.

This testament is subject to no other formality than those prescribed by this and the preceding article.Article 1582.

In the country it suffices for the validity of nuncupative testaments under private signature, if the testament be

passed in the presence of three witnesses residing in the place where the testament is received, or of five witnesses residing out of that place, provided that in this case a greater number of witnesses can not be had.-Article 1583.

The mystic or secret testament, otherwise called the closed testament, is made in the following manner:

The testator must sign his dispositions, whether he has written them himself or has caused them to be written by another person.

The paper containing those dispositions, or the paper serving as their envelope, must be closed and sealed.

The testator shall present it thus closed and sealed to the notary and to three witnesses, or he shall cause it to be closed and sealed in their presence. Then he shall declare to the notary, in presence of the witnesses, that the paper contains his testament written by himself, or by another by his direction, and signed by him, the testator. The notary shall then draw up the act of superscription, which shall be written on that paper or on the sheet that serves as its envelope, and that act shall be signed by the testator and by the notary and the witnesses.-Article 1584.

All that is above prescribed shall be done without interruption or turning aside to other acts; and in case the testator, by reason of any hindrance that has happened since the signing of the testament, can not sign the act of superscription, mention shall be made of the declaration made by him thereof, without its being necessary, in that case, to increase the number of witnesses.-Article 1585.

Those who know not how or are not able to write, and those who know not how or are not able to sign their

names, can not make dispositions in the form of the mystic will.-Article 1586.

If any of the witnesses to the act of superscription know not how to sign, express mention shall be made thereof.

In all cases, the act must be signed at least by two witnesses.-Article 1587.

The olographic testament is that which is written by the testator himself.

In order to be valid, it must be entirely written, dated and signed by the hand of the testator. It is subject to no other form, and may be made anywhere, even out of the state.-Article 1588.

Erasures not approved by the testator are considered as not made; and words added by the hand of another, as not written.

If the erasures are so made as to render it impossible to distinguish the words covered by them, it shall be left to the discretion of the judge to declare if he considers them important, and in this case only to decree the nullity of the testament.-Article 1589.

It suffices, for the validity of a testament, that it be valid under any one of the forms prescribed by law, however defective it may be in the form under which the testator may have intended to make it.-Article 1590.

The following persons are absolutely incapable of being witnesses to testaments:

1. Children who have not obtained the age of sixteen years complete.

2. Persons insane, deaf, dumb or blind.

3. Persons whom the criminal laws declare incapable of exercising civil functions.

4. Married women to the wills of their husbands.Article 1591.

Neither can testaments be witnessed by those who are constituted heirs or named legatees, under whatsoever title it may be.-Article 1592.

Mystic testaments are excepted from the preceding article.-Article 1593.

By the residence of the witnesses in the place where the testament is executed is understood their residence in the parish where that testament is made; that residence is necessary only when it is expressly required by law. Article 1594.

The formalities to which testaments are subject by the provisions of the present section must be observed; otherwise the testaments are null and void.-Article 1595.

But testaments made in foreign countries, or the States and other Territories of the Union, shall take effect in this State, if they be clothed with all the formalities prescribed for the validity of wills of the place where they have been respectively made or of the testator's domicile, provided it be in writing and subscribed by the testator. -Article 1596, and Act 176 of 1912.

The wills of persons employed in armies in the field or in a military expedition may be received by a commissioned officer, in presence of two witnesses.-Article 1597.

If the testator is sick or wounded, they may be received by the physician or surgeon attending him, assisted by two witnesses.-Article 1598.

These testaments are subject to no other formalities than that of being reduced to writing and being signed by the testator, if he can write, by the persons receiving them, and by the witnesses.-Article 1599.

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The testament, made in the form above prescribed, shall be null, six months after the return of the testator to a place where he has an opportunity to employ the ordinary forms.-Article 1600.

Testaments, made during a voyage at sea, may be received by the captain or master, in presence of three witnesses taken by preference from among the passengers; in default of passengers from any of the crew.Article 1601. *

The testament made at sea can contain no disposition in favor of any of the persons employed on board the vessel unless they be relations of the testator.-Article 1602.

This testament, like the preceding one, is subject to no other formality than that of being reduced to writing, and being signed by the testator, if he can write, by him who receives it, and by those in whose presence it is received.-Article 1603.

The testament made at sea shall not be valid unless the testator die at sea, or within three months after he has landed in a place where he is able to make it in the ordinary forms.-Article 1604.

The just causes for which parents may disinherit their children are ten in number, to-wit:

1. If the child has raised his or her hand to strike the parent, or if he or she has actually struck the parent; but a mere threat is not sufficient.

2. If the child has been guilty, towards a parent, of cruelty, of a crime or grievous injury.

3. If the child has attempted to take the life of either parent.

4. If the child has accused a parent of any capital crime, except, however, that of high treason.