Hence,  a  large  part  of  the  edictal  mlea  weia
finmded  on  the  ta-called  jna  gentium  (  and  the  ae-
eeaaity  of  tome  niodi£cBtioni  of  the  itrict  mlei  of
the  aril  law,  and  of  additional  mlea  of  law,  would
beoom*  the  more  ^iparent  with  the  ezteniion  of
the  Roman  power  and  their  intereoniie  with  other
nation*.  But  the  method  in  which  the  ptaHor
introduced  new  role*  of  law  wat  altogether  con-
formable la  the  ipitil  of  Ronum  inititntiont.  The
proccat  waa  ilow  and  gradual ;  it  waa  not  effected
by  the  deitructioa  of  that  which  eiiated,  but  by
adapting  it  to  circmnttancei.  Accordingly,  when
a  right  exitted,  nr  ws«  recogniied,  the  pcaetor
wonld  gire  an  action,  if  there  wa*  none  ;  he  would
interfiere  by  way  of  protecting  poaieaaion,  bat  ha
could  not  make  paaaeuion  into  ownerabip,  and,
accordingly,  that  waa  eflected  by  the  law  [Uaq-
CAFUi]  :  he  udad  plamli&  by  flctioni,  ai,  lor  io-
itance,  in  the  Publiciana  actio,  where  the  fiction '
waa,  that  the  pouetsor  had  obtained  Ihe  ownenhip
by  uiucapion,  and  to  wat  quati  ex  jure  Quirilium
dominua  (Oaiua,  it,  36)  ;  and  he  alto  aided  partiea
by  eieeplionea,  and  in  inlegnm  reatitntio.  [Jus.}

The  old  forma  of  procedore  were  few  in  number,
and  they  were  often  ineonrenient  and  biled  to  do
jutice.  Accordingly,  the  praetor  extended  the
remediea  by  action,  at  already  intunaled  in  iho
caae  of  the  Publieiaaa  actio.  Thia  change  pro-
bably commenced  after  many  of  the  legit  aetione*
were  aboliahed  by  the  Aebutia  lei,  and  the  necet-
lity  of  new  form*  of  actloti*  arote.  Theae  were  in-
troduced hy  the  piaeton,  and  it  ii  hardly  a  matter
of  donbt  that  in  eitablubing  the  formalae  they
followed  the  analogy  of  the  legit  actione*.  It  k
the  conduaion  of  an  ingeniona  writer  (iUan.  Miu.
