curtailed, so that under the latter emperors, fathers were not allowed
to have more authority than was perhaps expedient.

[Sidenote: Evils of slavery.]

The recognition of slavery as a domestic institution was another blot,
and slaves could be treated with the grossest cruelty and injustice
without redress. But here the Romans were not sinners beyond all other
nations, and our modern times have witnessed a parallel.

It was not the existence of slavery which was the greatest evil, but the
facility by which slaves could be made. The laws pertaining to debt were
severe, and it was most disgraceful to doom a debtor to the absolute
power of a creditor. To subject men of the same blood to slavery for
trifling debts, which they could not discharge, was the great defect of
the Roman laws. But even these cruel regulations were modified, so that
in the corrupt times of the empire, there was no greater practical
severity than what was common in England one hundred years ago. The
temptations to fraud were enormous in a wicked state of society, and
demanded a severe remedy. It is possible that future ages may see too
great leniency shown to debtors, who are not merely unfortunate but
dishonest, in these our times; and the problem is not yet solved,
whether men should be severely handled who are guilty of reckless and
unprincipled speculations and unscrupulous dealings, or whether they
should be allowed immunity to prosecute their dangerous and disgraceful
courses.

[Sidenote: Evils of divorce.]

The facility of divorce was another stigma on the Roman laws, and the