His statement, “and if he keeps it”: that is, he preserves it.

His statement, “in a place less secure than that, he is liable,” means that the owner specified the secure place, but he kept it somewhere less secure. Even if the place in which he kept it would customarily be considered secure for such an item, he is still liable. For example, if the owner gives him a book and says, “Keep this book in the iron chest”—that is, the strong, heavy safe used for gold and silver—and he keeps it in an ordinary bag, then a thief comes and steals both the book and the bag: although a bag is customarily a secure place for a book, he is liable here, because he kept it in a place less secure than the one specified by its owner.

If the depositary says, “I kept it in a place customarily secure for such an item. Everyone puts books in bags, and they may even place them visibly on shelves,” we say: but the owner of the book specified a place. Why, then, did you not tell him no when he said, “Put it in the iron chest”? If you accept it on the understanding that you will place it where he specified, then keep it somewhere less secure, you are liable.

His statement, “or in an equally secure place”: then there is no liability.

His statement, “or if he keeps it in a more secure place, then no”: that is, there is no liability. For example, he may say, “Take this book and put it in this chest,” specifying a particular chest; then the custodian takes it and puts it in an equally secure chest. In this case, there is no liability—unless the chest specified has some additional security, such as being inside the house, for example, or the like. In that case, he is liable.

But if the owner specifies a place and he keeps it somewhere more secure, there is no liability. For example, the owner says, “Keep it in this chest,” but the chest is small and thieves could carry it away; then the custodian keeps it in a larger chest. He is not liable, because he has kept it securely.

If a man has six iron chests from the entrance to the far end