“Vir aliquamdiu valetudinarius, et per quatuordecim dies ante mortem lecto affixus, ex hac vita migravit die decimo Augusti, Anno 1631, relictâ uxore, quæ nono mensis Julii die anno insequenti peperit filiam, ita ut à die obitûs viri effluxerint dies naturales tricenti et triginta tres, qui efficiunt menses solares completos undecim cum tribus diebus, vel lunares ferè duodecim, sive annum integrum lunarem ab eo momento, quo vir animam reddidit. Quæsitum, an hæc filia legitima et ad successionem istius viri admittenda sit.

“Inter Medicos et Physicos constat, quamvis hominis nascendi tempora sint varia, illa tamen ad certos limites revocari. Aristoteles enim lib. 7. histor. animal. ait, soli homini multiplex pariendi tempus datum: nam et septimo mense, et octavo et nono parere potest, et quod plurimum, decimo: nonnullas etiam mulieres undecimum mensem attingere. His conveniunt, quæ Plinius lib. 7. natur. hist cap. 5. scribit, nonnullas etiam mulieres undecimum mensem attingere.

“Secundùm ordinarium igitur naturæ cursum, decimus mensis completus est extremus pariendi terminus. Undè Author libri Sapientiæ cap. 7. v. 2. In utero, inquit, matris figuratus sum raro tempore decem mensium. Et Plautus in Cistelaria refert, puellam compressam exacto decimo mense filiam peperisse. At Authores fidei digni referunt exempla mulierum, quæ undecimo, duodecimo, decimo tertio, et ulteriore mense, pepererunt, ut A Gellius 8. noct. attic. 16. Plinius lib. 7. natur. histor. cap. 5. Avicenna lib. 9. de animal. Et Albericus Gentilis disputat. 1. de nascendi tempore hæc celebris Medici Victoris Trincavelli ex epist. 5. verba recitat. Auctores, inquit, multi et illi quidem viri omni exceptione majores, tam antiqui, quam juniores, attestuntur huic sententiæ, nempe repertas esse mulieres indubitatæ probitatis et pudicitiæ, quæ fœtum in utero gesserint ad undecimum mensem et ultra. Cujus diuturnioris gestationis caussas varias nonnulli Medici reddunt, ut videre est in consilio primo Monsbelianorum Medicorum, quod extat apud Gerard. Maynard. lib. 3. decis. Tholos. 4. Alii tamen Medici non adhihent fidem his exemplis, eaque malunt proficisci ex phantasia et imaginatione mulierum, quæ opinantur ex diversis accidentibus se ultra tempus ordinarium gestare fœtum, cum tamen res aliter se habeat, ut apparet ex concilio Medicorum secundo, quod refertur a Maynardo d. loco. Minimè igitur de hac quæstione convenit inter ipsos Medicos. Illud certum est, casus istos mulierum, quæ post decimum mensem peperisse dicuntur, si veri sunt, esse nihilominus raros et extraordinarios, idcirco eorum non haberi rationem à Legislatoribus, qui contemnunt quæ semel bis aut perraro accidunt, et ad ea jus aptant, quæ frequenter et facilè eveniunt l. nam ad ea 5. et l. seq. ff. de legib. l. ea quæ raro 64 ff. de reg. jur. et idcirco legitimum et extremum pariendi terminum constituunt decimum mensem completum. Quod jus primum proditum est lege 12 Tabularum ubi Decemviri ita ajunt, Ut si qua mulier post viri mortem in decem mensibus proximis pareret, qui quævè ex ea nasceretur, suus suavè in viri familia heres esset. Et Testatores dicere solebant. Si filius et filia intra decem mensium spacium, post mortem meam editi fuerint, heredes sunto l. ult. C. de postum. hered. instit. l. ult. ff. de fideicommiss. libert. l. Gallus 29. in pr. ff. de liber. et postum. Ac Ulpianus ut de jure certo in l. 3 § penult. ff. de suis et legit. hered. respondit his verbis, post decem menses mortis natus non admittetur ad legitimam successionem. Augustinus lib. 1. quæst. Evangelic. ita ait. Quod dicuntur decem menses pregnantis, novem sunt pleni, sed initium decimi pro toto accipitur. Hos decem menses ex instituto Græcorum, a quibus Decemviri leges suas acceperunt, non solares, sed lunares fuisse probat Fr. Hotomannus lib. 9. obs. 9. Nec Ulpiano obloquitur Justinianus in Novell. 39. dum negat sub finem undecimi mensis vel perfecto undecimo natum esse legitimum: nam indé à contrario sensu ad correctionem Ulpianei responsi malè inferretur natum initio undecimi mensis esse legitimum ut animadvertit etiam Albericus Gentilis d. Disp. 1. Sanè in Dicastetrio Wittenbergensi anno 1567. partum pronuntiatum fuisse legitimum, quam mulier, quæ honestè vixerat, post obitum mariti pepererat in initio undecimi mensis, referunt Ioachimus à Beust in tract. de matrimonio cap. 36. in fin. et ad. l. 3. ff. de jurejur. num. 36. ac Andreas Rauchbaert, part. 1. quæst. 24. num. 53. Unde Conradus Riddershusius in comm. ad Novell. Const. part. 4. cap. 13. a Justinianeo jure moribus recessum existimat. Quod non est admittendum. Illud notatu dignum, quod ex Theodoro Zuingero Medico refert Hotomannus d. obs. 9. mulieres nempe dum dimidiatum mensem pro integro computant, sæpe opinari, se undecim menses uterum gestare, cum tamen septem tantum quadragenas dies scilicet 280. compleverint. Jure igitur nostro partus habetur legitimus, qui intra et non post decem menses a morte viri editus est. Confer Iacobum Cujacium ad d. Novell. 39. in tract. de præscript. cap. 19. et lib. 4 recept. sent. Iulii Pauli cap. 9. § 5. Andream Tiraquellum in repetit. l. si unquam 8. in verb. Suscepit liberos C. de revocand. donat. Iacobum Menochium lib. 2. de arbit. judic. cas. 89, num. 47. 48. & 52. Ioachimum Mynsing. cent. 6. obs. 4. Franciscum Hotomannum lib. 9. obs. 9. Gerardum Maynard. lib. 4. decis. Tholos. 3. 4. Iacobum Concennatium, lib. 2. quæst. jur. cap. 9. Casus illos raros et extraordinarios ad facti quæstionem, id est, ad Indicis, ut noni viri arbitrium, redigendos esse dicit Hotomannus d. obs. 9. in fin. Et hanc inter ordinarios et extraordinarios partus differentiam esse ait Gentilis, quòd illi justi habeantur, nisi probentur injusti, hi injusti censeantur, donec justi fuerint approbati.

“In hac specie partitæ erant Iudicum sententiæ. Quidam enim censebant juris definitioni hic esset insistendum, cum partus editus sit mense duodecimo ferè completo, si menses his accipiamus lunares, et vir ante obitum quatuordecim dies graviter decubuerit, ideoque credibile non fuerit eum de vene exercenda cogitasse. Alii (qui numero vincebant) judicabant partum legitimum, quòd mulier esset probatis moribus ac pudicitiâ minimè suspectâ, quòd etiam ex marito quantumvis ægroto concipere potuerit, tardiorisque partus caussam ex Hippocratis sententia esse potuisse, quod viri infirmi semen fuerit humidius et excrementosius eoque minus concoctum. Senatus tamen expedire censuit, ut partes ad transigendum monerentur. Transactione autem non succedente, partus frequentioribus suffragiis declaratus fuit legitimus, et patri heres.[[181]].”

The learned author of these notes, Francis Hargrave, one of the King’s Counsel, died while our work was at press: the profession have lost a most profound and erudite lawyer; the learned, an elegant scholar; and his friends, a man whose amenity of manner and kindness of heart surpassed the ordinary bounds of human benevolence.

APPENDIX.
PART III.

The determination of the College concerning the Questions proposed to them by the King’s Majestie about the death of Joseph Lane.

The College of Physicians in London being lawfully assembled by the command of their Sovereign Lord the King, about certain questions proposed concerning the death of Joseph Lane, reported to be killed by poison, and having made a diligent search, and well considering all circumstances relating; 1. As to the state of the body of the foresaid Lane; 2. As to the disease which (by a long series of violent symptoms) brought him to his end; 3. As to the kind and appearance of his death; 4. As to the observations made upon his dead body by the Physicians and Chirurgeons present; 5. As to the conjectures taken from the strict examination of a bolus extremely suspicious, whose parts were artificially separated, found in Mr. Lane’s house when dead, and after brought into Court before the Judges, and from thence to the Physicians at their College: To whom (by the command and in the name of the King) Letters were wrote from the Right honourable Sir John Cooke principal Secretary of State that they might diligently enquire and give a faithful account to the following Questions, 1 Concerning Lane’s death, whether it was procured from Poison? 2 Their opinion about a purging potion carried the 4th of April, 1632 from Mr. Mathews an Apothecary’s shop to Lane’s House; and taken by Lane the 6th, whether it had any thing of poison in it? The College after very mature deliberation, did humbly present the following Decree to his sacred Majesty as a testimony of their obedience.

1 That the said Joseph Lane did certainly dye of a violent death. 2 That he had taken poison, and that corrosive. 3 That they could determine nothing concerning the Potion sent and given by Mr. Mathews the Apothecary to Mr. Lane without the advice of any Physician, because many of their Medicines were too negligently prepared by their Servants; But if this potion did only consist of those ingredients which he had given an account of, and for which we have solely his word, then there was nothing of poison contained therein. 4. In the remainder of the aforesaid Bolus there was found Mercury Sublimate, not sweet, but the most harsh and highly caustick, which was separated from the rest of the Bolus and shown to the whole College; In testimony whereof the College by the unanimous Consent of the President and Fellows and all present at this consultation, signed this Decree with their own hands, and sealed it with the College Seal, that it might appear more authentick.