... Hanc syllogen generalem materiae probatoriae

[it] is weighed by mere number, and the most precious reimundis? is accepted in its place with religious and superstitious veneration, and it is very often known to be defiled by the foul stain of either evident error or of inequity and impropriety, Donellus, 26 comm. 2, lit. A, where Hillig, fol. 1395 & 3 seqq.; Treutl. vol. 1, disp. 1, th. 8, lit. A, B, C; Cubach, decur. 2 & 3, q. illust. 7 & in Brocard. general. cap. 25, Brocard. 44 & seq.; Niellius, disp. F. 11, in coroll. lit. D; Colerus, d. tr. p. 4, cap. 1, n. 41 & seq. For since the definition does not in the least befit the subject, much less does it befit the thing defined itself—of which, however, both must be linked by the closest tie of cohesion according to the most common traditions of the Logicians—Reusnerus, lib. 3, decis. 4, n. 5. Indeed, a numerous multitude has nothing honest, Nov. 10, in fin. praefat., nor is it able to provide a hiding place for palliating a slip or a graver error, since even a singular opinion can surpass both many others and greater ones in some part, l. 1, §. 6, C. de jur. vet. enucl., c. 12, dist. 31. Understand [this to mean], if it rests upon a just equilibrium of urgent and concluding reasons. For this ought to be the soul of a law, just as it ought to be [the soul] of an opinion of this kind, Mollerus, p. 2, Const. 7 & 8, n. 6.

II. Away with private writing or annotation, composed in a disorderly manner and stripped of the solemn firmness of a testimonial deposition, as it is pernicious in its example and to be shunned, l. 5 & 7, C. h. l. ult., C. de conven. fisc. debit., l. 47 ff. de jud., l. 1, in fin. pr. ff. de Senatuscons. Maced.; Vmmius, disp. 17, n. 17 & 20; Suhard. ad d. l. 7, n. 6; Donell. 25, comm. 8, lit. I, where Hillig; Gayl. 2, obs. 20, n. 1; Nicolaus de Passeribus in tr. de script. priv. lib. 1, q. 3, num. 1 & n. 77, 79, cum 6 seqq.

III. Away with the ledgers of merchants, accustomed to contain receipts and credits. For the rationale of these, as being men of disparate function and lot, cannot be extended to the money-changers of old through the benefit of expansive interpretation. Sichardus ad l. 3, n. 32, C. de rebus cred.; Donellus, 23, comm. 7, lit. H, post pr., where Hillig; Vmmius, d. loco, n. 32. And thus, from that which is overshadowed by desuetude and known to be separated from other things by conspicuous boundaries, an inference not sufficiently congruous is woven, Hering, cap. 11, n. 64 & seq.; Mollerus, p. 4, Const. 42, n. 33, in fin.; D. Musculus, d. tr. class. 1, memb. 2, num. 183; l. ult. ff. de calumn.; Cubach in Brocard. general. cap. 14, Brocard. 4. And thence, they can regularly procure no authority or faith for the writer, unless they borrow the due strength from a statutory sanction, or from local customary usage, and a certain concurrence of requirements, Nicolaus de Passer. d. tr. lib. 4, q. 1, n. 7, 34 & seqq.; Ruland. d. tr. p. 2, lib. 5, cap. 13, num. 8 & 9; Berlich. d. p. 1, conclus. pr. 26, m. 41; Pacianus, cap. 63, n. 18 & 9 seqq.; Hering, cap. 20, §. 1, n. 71 & 2 seqq.; Stracha in tr. de Mercat. p. 1, part. ult. princip. n. 28, 37, 38, 39 & 42; Surdus, decis. 199, n. 11; Gayl. 2, obs. 20, n. 2 & 5 seqq.; and in such cases which pertain to the matter of commerce and negotiation, Nicol. de Passer. d. loco, n. 21; Pacianus, ibid. n. 29 & seq.; Gayl. ibid. n. 8; Donellus, 17, comm. 9, lit. Q & R, ibiq; Hillig; Stracha, d. l. n. 8; l. ult. C. de Iurisdict. For one must believe the skilled craftsman, Nov. 7, c. 3, §. 2, in med.; Colerus, d. tr. p. 1, c. 9, n. 100; Pfeil, cent. 2, cons. 105, n. 3; Mollerus, p. 4, Const. 31, n. 2; Schneidvv. ad §. 20, n. 3 & 4, Inst. de rer. div.; Aristoteles, I, Eth. Nicom. 3. r) that is to say, which makes a matter semi-fully proven or certain to the judge, Treutl. vol. 2, disp. 4, th. 2, lit. C. Species of this are: I. The utterance of one witness. For since two prove fully, cap. 23 & 28, ext. de test. & attest.; l. 12, ff. eod.; Vmmius, disp. 16, n. 41, it follows that one [witness] makes semi-full faith by his deposition, Sichardus ad d. l. 3, n. 14, C. de reb. cred.; Mascardus, q. 11, n. 2 & 3, because the law of the part is the same as that of the whole, l. 76, in pr. ff. de