Laws promulgated, i. e., enacted, by the Roman Emperor. They were of various kinds, namely, the fol-lowing: (l) Edicta; (2) decreta; (3) rescripts, called also, “epistol#.” Sometimes they were general, and intended to form a precedent for other like cases; at other times they were special, particular, or individual, (personates.) and not lntended to form a prec-edent. The emperor had this power of irresponsible enactment by virtue of a certain lex regia, whereby he was made the fountain of Justice and of mercy. Brown.
