[I. De iure civili et naturali.]

1. Omnes populi, qui legibus et moribus reguntur, partim suo proprio, partim communi omnium hominum iure utuntur: Nam quod quisque populus ipse sibi ius constituit, id ipsius proprium est vocaturque ius civile, quasi ius proprium civitatis; quod vero naturalis ratio inter omnes homines constituit, id apud omnes populos peraeque custoditur vocaturque ius gentium, quasi quo iure omnes gentes utuntur. Populus itaque Romanus partim suo proprio, partim communi omnium hominum iure utitur. Quae singula qualia sint, suis locis proponemus.

Of the Law of Nations and the Civil Law.

§ 1. All communities of men governed by laws and customs partly use their own particular law and partly that common to all men, for that law which each particular community establishes for itself is peculiar to that community and is called the civil law as being the peculiar law of that community; but that which natural reason establishes between all men is equally maintained by all cornmunities, and is called the law of nations, as being that law which is used by all nations. In this way the Romans use partly their own peculiar law, partly that common to all men. How these distinctions affect our subject we will discuss as occasion arises.