The Theodosian Code. ever, omitted the ancient commentary. In 1566 his edition was followed by that of Cujacius, who, among other appendages, has subjoined the ancient commentary and a collection of the Novels. Another edi tion, by the same illustrious civilian, but without his name, was published at Paris in 1586, and in the course of the same year his name appeared in the title of an edition printed at Geneva. These were followed by other editions of the Theodosian Code, and all the editions include other reliques of ancient jurisprudence. But the great editor and expounder of the Theodosian Code was Jacobus Gothofredus, or Godefroy, who stands in the first rank of modern civilians. This learned man was born at Geneva, September 13, 1587, where, in the year 1619, he was ap pointed a professor of the civil law. In the year 1637, after the death of Petrus Cunaeus, professor of the civil law in the Uni versity of Leyden, he was invited to fill the vacant chair, but although the emoluments of the office were not inconsiderable, he could not be induced to abandon a country to which he felt much attachment. He had now acquired a very high reputation as a lawyer of deep and extensive erudition, and in this respect he is only equalled by Cuja cius. To his ample stores of philological learning he added a masterly knowledge of history, both civil and ecclesiastical; his industry appears to have been indefatigable and his reading unbounded. Uniting with his other qualifications a complete knowl edge of ancient jurisprudence in all its branches, and applying to his multifarious investigations an acute understanding and a sober judgment, he has produced various works, which undoubtedly rise far above the ordinary standard of merit. Although he has not undertaken any extensive work on a plan strictly historical, no other writer has more effectually contributed to illus trate the history of Roman law. The value of his Manuale Juris and of his Pontes
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Quatuor Juris Civiles is well-known to all those who are not entirely unacquainted with the progress of this science : he was the author or editor of many other produc tions, but the great and lasting monument of his talents and learning is his edition of the Theodosian Code, on which he bestowed the assiduous labor of thirty years. He did not live to complete this edition, having died at Geneva on the 24th of June 1652. The Code Theodosian with the notes and commentary of Gothofredus, was published at Lyons in the year 1665, having been ar ranged by Antoine Marville, professor of law in the University of Valence. If the illustri ous civilian of Geneva had himself prepared this edition for the press, it would doubt less have appeared to greater advantage; but even in its present form it is a work of the highest value to the lawyer and to the historian; it is indeed an immense store house of juridical and historical knowledge. The commentator has collected a stupen dous mass of learning, and his information is derived from every accessible source. To the first volume is prefixed a Chronologia Codieis T/ieodosiani, which is of great im portance both in a juridical and historical point of view; and this elaborate Chron ology is succeeded by his Prolegomena in Codicene Theodosianum, in which the his tory of the code is fully detailed. About seventy years after the appearance of this edition, the Theodosian Code, with the commentary of Gothofredus, was re published by John Daniel Ritter, who commenced his undertaking when he was professor of philosophy at Leipzig, and completed it after he had been appointed professor of history at Wittemberg. He was well qualified for a task of this kind, being familiarly acquainted with the Roman law and history; he was equally conversant with ancient literature, and he displayed the talents of a skillful critic. To his edition he added various prefaces and many shorter notes, and corrected the text by the colla
