All things that are lawful are not honourable. The law is constrained by the necessary imperfections of its methods to confer many rights and allow many liberties which a just and honourable man will not claim or exercise.
27. Nullus videtur dolo facere, qui suo jure utitur.
D. 50. 17. 55.
A malicious or improper motive cannot make wrongful in law an act which would be rightful apart from such motive. The rule, however, is subject to important limitations. See § 136.
28. Qui facit per alium, facit per se.
Co. Litt. 258a.
He who does a thing by the instrumentality of another is considered as if he had acted in his own person.
29. Qui prior est tempore potior est jure.
Cf. C. 8. 17. 3: Sicut prior est tempore, ita potior jure.
Where two rights or titles conflict, the earlier prevails, unless there is some special reason for preferring the later. See § 85.