During their second year of office the decemvirs prepared two more tables of laws, and these, with the ten tables prepared during the preceding year, constituted the famous "Law of the Twelve Tables," the first Roman code of which we have any knowledge. Only fragmentary extracts from these tables have come down to us, but these fragments furnish us with such an insight into early Roman laws, institutions, and customs that they are here inserted: THE TWELVE TABLES TABLE I THE SUMMONS BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE 1. If the plaintiff summon a man to appear before the magistrate and he refuse to go, the plaintiff shall first call witnesses and arrest him. 2. If the defendant attempt evasion or flight, the plaintiff shall take him by force. 3. If the defendant be prevented by illness or old age, let him who summons him before the magistrate furnish a beast of burden, but he need not send a covered carriage for him unless he choose. 4. For a wealthy defendant only a wealthy man may go bail; any one who chooses may go bail for a poor citizen of the lowest class. 5. In case the contestants come to an agreement, the magistrate shall announce the fact. 6. In case they come to no agreement, they shall before noon enter the case in the comitium or forum. 7. To the party present in the afternoon the magistrate shall award the suit. 9. Sunset shall terminate the proceedings. 10. ... sureties and sub-sureties.... TABLE II JUDICIAL PROCEDURE 2. A serious illness or a legal appointment with an alien ... should one of these occur to the judge, arbiter, or either party to the suit, the appointed trial must be postponed. 3. If the witnesses of either party fail to appear, that party shall go and serve a verbal notice at his door on three days. TABLE III EXECUTION FOLLOWING CONFESSION OR JUDGMENT 1. A debtor, either by confession or judgment, shall have thirty days' grace. 2. At the expiration of this period the plaintiff shall serve a formal summons upon the defendant, and bring him before the magistrate. 3. If the debt be not paid, or if no one become surety, the plaintiff shall lead him away, and bind him with shackles and fetters of not less than fifteen pounds' weight, and heavier at his discretion. 4. If the debtor wish, he may live at his own expense; if not, he in whose custody he may be shall furnish him a pound of meal a day, more at his discretion. 6. On the third market day the creditors, if there are several, shall divide the property. If one take more or less, no guilt shall attach to him. TABLE IV PATERNAL RIGHTS 3. If a father shall thrice sell his son, the son shall be free from the paternal authority. TABLE V INHERITANCE AND TUTELAGE