De acquirenda, retinenda, et amittenda possessione enunciationes C

Possession is the detention of a corporeal thing, with the intent of holding it for oneself.

II.
Named by the author Paulus, as Labeo also says, from the feet or seats, as if it were the positioning of feet or seats.

III.
There is one genus of possession: for in sum, one possession does not differ from another.

IIII.
Whence we assert that the division of the common commentators original: "comm. Dd." refers to communis doctorum, the consensus of legal scholars, who make a double possession differing in species—namely, Natural and Civil—is not approved by our laws.

V.
We shall defend that the Civil note: legal possession is properly called that (which is sometimes also named just, because it is approved by civil law) which is held from a just cause by one who believes himself to be the owner.

VI.
We shall defend the Natural (which is sometimes also called unjust, because it is destitute of the authority of the laws) as that which is held by one who knows, or ought to know, that he is not the owner.

VII.
We acquire possession, however, if we apprehend the thing with the intent of holding it for ourselves.

VIII.
Wherefore, in order to be said to possess, three things are required: the thing to be possessed, the intent, and finally the body of the possessor.

IX.
And it is required that they intervene jointly.