What an exception is.

An exception is a defence, by which someone summoned to judgment tries to fend off the plaintiff and prevent him from launching his action and succeeding in it.

Peremptory and dilatory exceptions.

I f peremptory exceptions are proved they totally annul actions or suits which have been undertaken, but dilatory exceptions only postpone them. And some dilatory ones are known as declinatory, being taken from the observation of judgments made on the basis of the persons, the place, the time and the rescript, and they try to avoid judgment.

Real and personal exceptions.

Real exceptions are tied to the matters under litigation in such a way that they apply to all those to whom the matters under litigation extend. For an exception which is appropriate for the accused is also appropriate for his guarantor. But personal exceptions are so definitely particular to a certain person that they do not extend to others.

Peremptory exceptions may be presented at any time.

Peremptory exceptions are permanent. For they block the plaintiffs for ever, nor are they restricted in such a way that they may not validly be objected against the plaintiff at any point in the judgment.

Quae exceptiones sint temporariae.

Dilatoriae atque declinatoriae exceptiones temporariae sunt. Nam illis qui utuntur, causarnm/i solent tempus (aut solutioni condictum, aut intra quod leges agere prohibent), nondum elapsum esse, vel conditionem appositam nondum extare, vel iudicem non esse competentem, et alia id genus. Exceptiones huiusmodi actorem in perpetuum non vêtant [203r] quin agat, sed ob mutationem rerum et temporum facile potest contingere, ut amplius locum non habeant. Sunt etiam ea de causa temporariae, quoniam si quis eis non utatur tempore [133b] a iure praescripto, illis deinceps uti non poterit.

Declinatoriae exceptiones quando sint opponendae, et quando probandae.

Omnes exceptiones declinatorias (cum processum iudicii impediant, non autem causam perimant) ante litis contestationem, vel primum causae actum, si lis non sit contestanda, proponi volumus; et si quis ante litem contestatam vel primum actum eas proponere omiserit, illis postea non utatur: quoniam eas praetereundo actis videtur consensisse. Atque huiusmodi exceptiones cum obiectae [203v] fuerint, probari a reo volumus, priusquam vel ad litis contestationem vel ad primum causae actum veniatur.