⚫ heir to his eftate, but, that all evil may be re

moved, let him allow a maintenance to the reft;

164. And, when the fon of the body has ' taken an account of the paternal inheritance, 'let him give a fixth part of it to the son of 'the wife begotten by a kinfman, before his fa'ther's recovery; or a fifth part, if that fon be eminently virtuous.

165. The son of the body, and the fon of the wife may fucceed immediately to the pa⚫ternal estate in the manner juft mentioned; but 'the ten other fons can only fucceed in order ' to the family duties and to their share of the inheritance, those last named being excluded by any one of the preceding.

166. HIM, whom a man has begotten on ' his own wedded wife, let him know to be the 'first in rank, as the son of his body.

167. He, who was begotten, according to law, on the wife of a man deceased, or impotent, or disordered, after due authority given to her, is called the lawful fon of the wife. 168. He, whom his father, or mother with ' her husband's affent, gives to another as his fon, provided that the donee have no iffue, if the boy be of the fame clafs and affectionately difpofed, is confidered as a fon given, the gift • being confirmed by pouring water.

169. He is confidered as a fon made or adopted, whom a man takes as his own fon, the boy being equal in clafs, endued with filial virtues, acquainted with the merit of performing obfequies to his adopter, and with the fin of omitting them.

170.

In whofe manfions foever a male ⚫ child shall be brought forth by a married wo• man, whofe husband has long been abfent, if the 'real father cannot be difcovered, but if it be probable that he was of an equal clafs, that child belongs to the lord of the unfaithful wife, and is called a fon of concealed birth in his man• fion.

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171. A boy, whom a man receives as his own fon, after he has been deferted without juft caufe by his parents, or by either of them, if one be dead, is called a fon rejected. 172. A fon, whom the daughter of any man privately brings forth in the house of her father, if the afterwards marry her lover, is ' defcribed as a fon begotten on an unmarried 'girl.

173. If a pregnant young woman marry, whether her pregnancy be known or unknown, the male child in her womb belongs to the

bridegroom, and is called a fon received with • his bride.

174 He is called a fon bought, whom a

man, for the fake of having a fon to perform his obfequies, purchases from his father and mother, whether the boy be equal or unequal to •himfelf in good qualities, for in clafs all adopted 'fons must be equal.

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175. He, whom a woman, either forfaken

by her lord or a widow, conceived by a second hufband, whom the took by her own defire, though against law, is called the fon of a wo'man twice married:

176. If, on her fecond marriage, fhe be ftill a virgin, or if she left her husband under the 6 age of puberty and return to him at his full 6 age, fhe must again perform the nuptial cere

mony, either with her fecond, or her young and deferted, hufband.

177. He, who has loft his parents, or been abandoned by them without just cause, and ⚫ offers himself to a man as his fon, is called a • fon felfgiven.

178. A fon, begotten through luft on a Sú'dra by a man of the priestly clafs, is even as a corpfe, though alive, and is thence called in law a living corpse:

179. But a fon, begotten by a man of the ' fervile clafs on his female flave, or on the fe'male flave of his male flave, may take a 'fhare of the heritage, if permitted by the other

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180. These eleven fons (the fon of the wife, and the rest as enumerated) are allowed by wife legiflators to be fubftitutes in order for • fons of the body, for the fake of preventing a failure of obfequies ;

181. Though fuch, as are called fons for that purpose, but were produced from the • manhood of others, belong in truth to the father, from whofe manhood they feverally fprang, and to no other, except by a just fiction " of law.

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182. IF, among feveral brothers of the ⚫ whole blood, one have a fon born, MENU pronounces them all fathers of a male child by means of that fon; fo that, if fuch nephew would be the heir, the uncles have no power to adopt fons:

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183. Thus if, among all the wives of the fame husband, one bring forth a male child, MENU has declared them all, by means of that fon, to be mothers of male iffue.

184. 'On failure of the best, and of the next best, among those twelve fons, let the inferiour in order take the heritage; but, if there be many of equal rank, let all be fharers of the eftate.

185. Not brothers, nor parents, but fons, • if living, or their male iffue, are heirs to the deceafed, but of him, who leaves no fon, nor a

wife, nor a daughter, the father shall take the inheritance; and, if he leave neither father, nor mother, the brothers.

186. To three ancestors must water be given at their obfequies; for three (the father, his 'father, and the paternal grandfather) is the fu'neral cake ordained: the fourth in defcent is

the giver of oblations to them, and their heir, if they die without nearer defcendants; but the ' fifth has no concern with the gift of the funeral • cake.

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187. To the nearest sapinda, male or female, after him in the third degree, the inheritance next belongs; then, on failure of Sapindas and of their iffue, the famánódaca, or distant kinf

man, fhall be the heir; or the fpiritual preceptor, or the pupil, or the fellowftudent, of the deceafed:

188. On failure of all thofe, the lawful heirs are fuch Bráhmens, as have read the three Védas, as are pure in body and mind, as • have fubdued their paffions; and they must confequently offer the cake: thus the rites of obfequies cannot fail.

189. The property of a Brahmen fhall never be taken as an efcheat by the king: this is à fixed law: but the wealth of the other claffes, on failure of all heirs, the king may take. 190. If the widow of a man, who died