Chapter: Concerning a dower that rises or falls in value while in the wife’s possession, is lost, found defective, or successfully claimed by another—and the circumstances under which the dower is forfeited after the contract.

If the husband designates a slave or any specific item as the dower, she takes possession of it, its value subsequently rises or falls, and he divorces her before consummation, she is entitled to half of that item, whether its value has increased or diminished. Any increment in its value is shared between them, while any depreciation is borne by them both; and if the item is destroyed, the loss is likewise shared.

Should the dower be a slave and one of the spouses emancipates him before consummation, the manumission is effective. If the emancipator is solvent, he must pay the other party the assessed value of that party’s share. There is another opinion: if the woman emancipates the slave, the manumission of the entire slave is binding on her—provided she is able to pay—whereas if the husband emancipates him, he is not so obliged.