but he may learn them, and it is enough for him to understand their exact meaning in his own language. If the acceptance is voiced before the offer, the contract is invalid; if it comes afterward, it remains valid so long as both parties stay in the same session and are not distracted by something that breaks it. Should they disperse before acceptance, the contract is void.

Section
The contract has conditions. 1) Precise identification of the two spouses: if the guardian points to the bride, names her, describes her in a way that clearly singles her out,1 or says, “I marry my daughter to you,” when he has only one daughter, the contract is valid.

Section
2) Their consent—except in the case of an adult who is mentally incompetent, an insane woman, a minor,2 or a virgin even if she has reached legal responsibility; not, however, the previously married woman. The father—and the guardian he has appointed for marriage—may marry these categories off without their permission, just as a master may do so with his female slaves and his under-age male slave.
Other guardians may not marry off a girl younger than nine, a minor boy, an adult woman of sound mind, or even a nine-year-old girl, except with their permission. The virgin’s consent is expressed by her silence, while the previously married woman must speak.

Section
3) The guardian himself must meet the following criteria: legal competence, being male, freedom, sound judgment in contracts, sharing the ward’s religion (with the exceptions that will be mentioned), and upright character. Accordingly, a woman may neither contract her own marriage nor that of another.