11. The object of the eleventh book, containing eight titles, is to regulate interrogatories, the cases of which the judge was to take cogniz ance, fugitive slaves, of gamblers, of surveyors who made false reports, and of funerals and funeral expenses.

12. The twelfth book, in seven titles, regulates personal actions in which the plaintiff claims the title of a thing.

13. The thirteenth, treats of certain particular actions, in seven titles. 14. This, like the last, regulates certain actions: it has six titles.

15. The fifteenth, in four titles, treats of actions for which a father or master is liable, in consequence of the acts of his children or slaves, and those to which he is entitled; of the peculium of children and slaves, and of the actions on this right.

16. The sixteenth, in three titles, contains the law relating to the senatus consultum valleianum, of compensation or set-off, and of the action of deposit.

17. The seventeenth, in two titles, expounds the law of mandates and partnership.

18. The eighteenth book, in seven titles, explains the contract of sale.

19. The nineteenth, in five titles, treats of the actions which arise on a contract of sale.

20. The law relating to pawns, hypothecation, the preference among creditors, and subrogation, occupy the twentieth book, which contains six titles.

21. The twenty-first book explains, under three titles, the edict of the ediles relating to the sale of slaves and animals; then what relates to evictions and warranties.

23. The twenty-third, in five titles, contains the law of marriage, and its accompanying agreements.

24. The twenty-fourth, in three titles, regulates donations between. husband and wife, divorces, and their consequence.

25. The twenty-fifth is a continuation of the subject of the preceding. It contains seven titles.

26 and 27. These two books, each in two titles, contain the law relating to tutorship and curatorship.

28. The twenty-eighth, in eight titles, contains the law on last wills and testaments.

29. The twenty-ninth, in seven titles, is a continuation of the twentyeighth book.

30, 31, and 32. These three books, each divided in two titles, contain the law of trusts and specific legacies.

33, 34, and 35. The first of these, divided in ten titles; the second, in nine titles, and the last in three titles, treat of various kinds of legacies.

36. The thirty-sixth, containing four titles, explains the senatus consultum trebellianum, and the time when trusts become due.

37. This book, containing fifteen titles, has two objects, first, to regu. late pretorian successions; and, secondly, the respect which children owe their parents, and freedmen their patrons.

38. The thirty-eighth book, in seventeen titles, treats of a variety of subjects; of successions, and of the degree of kindred in successions; of possession; and of heirs.

41. The different means of acquiring and losing title to property, are explained in the forty-first book, in ten titles.

42. The forty-second, in eight titles, treats of the res judicata, and of the seizure and sale of the property of a debtor.

43. Interdicts or possessory actions are the object of the forty-third book, in three titles.

44. The forty-fourth contains an enumeration of defences which arise in consequence of the res judicata, from the lapse of time, prescription, and the like. This occupies six titles; the seventh treats of obligations and actions.

45. This speaks of stipulations, by freedmen, or by slaves. It contains only three titles.

46. This book, in eight titles, treats of securities, novations, delegations, payments, releases, and acceptilations.

47. In the forty-seventh book are explained the punishments inflicted for private crimes, de privatis delictis, among which are included larcenies, slander, libels, offences against religion, and public manners, removing boundaries and other similar of fences.

48. This book treats of public crimes, among which are enumerated those of lasa magistatis, adultery, murder, poisoning, parricide, extortion, and the like, with rules for procedure in such cases.

The first contains the first four books; the second, from the fifth to the eleventh book inclusive; the third, from the twelfth to the nineteenth inclusive; the fourth, from the twentieth to the twenty-seventh inclusive; the fifth, from the twentyeighth to the thirty-sixth inclusive; the sixth, commenced with the thirty-seventh and ended with the forty-fourth book; and the seventh or last was composed of the last six books.

A third division, which however is said not to have been made by Justinian, is in three parts. The first called digestum vetus, because it was the first printed. It commences with the first book, and includes the work to the end of the second title of the twenty-fourth book. The second, called digestum infortiatum, because it is supported or fortified by the other two, it being in the middle; it commences with the beginning of the third title of the twenty-fourth book and ends with the thirty-eighth. The third, which begins with the thirty-ninth book and ends with the work, is called digestum novum, because it was last printed.

The Digest although compiled in Constantinople, was originally written in Latin and afterwards translated into Greek.

DIGNITIES, English law, are titles of honour. They are considered as incorporeal hereditaments. The genius of our government forbids their admission in the republic.

50. The last book, in seventeen titles, explains the rights of municipalities, and then treats of a variety of public officers.

Besides this division, Justinian made another, in which the fifty books were divided in seven parts:

DILATORY. That which is in

delays in law are odious, dilationes in lege sunt odio‹æ. Plowd. 75.

DILATORY DEFENCE, in chancery practice. A dilatory defence is one, the object of which, is to dismiss, suspend, or obstruct the suit, without touching the merits, until the impediment or obstacle insisted

DILATORY PLEAS. Vide Plea, Dilatory.

DILIGENCE, contracts, is the doing things in proper time. It may be divided into three degrees, namely, ordinary diligence, extraordinary diligence, and slight diligence. It is the reverse of negligence, (q. v.); under that article is shown what degree of negligence or want of diligence will make a party to a contract responsible to the other. Vide Story, Bailm. Index, h. t.; Ayl. Pand. 113. DILIGENCES, in Scotland, are certain forms of law whereby a creditor endeavours to make good his payment, either by affecting the person of his debtor, or by securing the subjects belonging to him from alienation, or by carrying the property of these subjects to himself. They are either real or personal.

Real diligence is that which is proper to heritable or real rights, and of this kind there are two sorts; 1, inhibitions; 2, adjudication, which the law has substituted in the place of apprising.

Personal diligence is that by which the person of the debtor may be secured, or his personal estate affected. Ersk. Pr. L. Scot. B. 2, t, 11, s. 1. DIME, money, is a silver coin of the United States of the value of one-tenth part of a dollar or ten cents. It weighs forty-one and a quarter grains. Of one thousand parts, nine hundred are of pure sil

DIMINUTION, practice, an omission in the record, or in some part of the proceedings, which is certified on a writ of error on the part of either plaintiff or defendant. Co. Ent. 232; 8 Vin. Ab. 552; 1 Lilly's Ab. 245; 1 Nels. Ab. 658; Cro. Jac. 597; Cro. Car. 91. When the diminution has been established, a certiorari will be granted, for the purpose of completing the record. Minor, R. 20; 4 Dev. R. 575; 1 Dev. & Bat. 382; 1 Munf. R. 119. Vide Certiorari.

DIOCESE, eccl. law. The district over which a bishop exercises his spiritual functions. i Bl. Com. 111.

DIPLOMA. An instrument of writing executed by a corporation or society, certifying that a certain person therein named is entitled to a certain distinction therein mentioned. It is usually granted by learned institutions to their members, or to persons who have studied in them. Proof of the seal of a medical institution and of the signatures of its officers thereto affixed, by comparison with the seal and signatures attached to a diploma received by the witness from the same institution, has been held to be competent evidence of the genuineness of the instrument, although the witness never saw the officers write their names. 25 Wend. R. 469.

DIPLOMACY, is the science which teaches of the relations and interests of nations with nations.

DIRECT. Straight forward; not collateral. The direct line of descent, for example, is formed by a series or degrees between persons who descend one from another. Civ. Code of Lo. art. 886.

DIRECTION. The order and government of an institution; the per