did he search in vain: and as he saw all without being seen, he discovered the most hidden wiles and failings of the sex. He visited all the courts; where he found the ladies insincere, fond of admirers; and so enamoured with their own persons, that their hearts were not capable of entertaining any true love for a husband. He went likewise into all the private families: he found one was of an inconstant volatile disposition; another was cunning and artful; a third, haughty; a fourth, capricious; almost all faithless, vain, and full of idolatry to their own charms.

Under these disappointments, he resolved to earry his inquiry through the lowest conditions of life. Whereupon, at last he found the daughter of a poor labourer, fair as the brightest morning, but simple and ingenuous her beauty she disregarded; and which, in reality, was the least of her perfections; for she had an understanding and a virtue which outshone all the graces of her person. All the youth of the neighbourhood were impatient to see her; and more impatient, after they had seen her, to obtain her in marriage; none doubting of being completely happy with such a wife.

King Alfarute beheld her, and he loved her. He demanded her of the father, who was trans

ported with the thought of his daughter becom ing a great queen. Clarinda (so was she called) went from her father's hut into a magnificent palace, where she was received by a numerous court. She was not dazzled nor disconcerted at the sudden change: she preserved her simplicity, her modesty, her virtue; and forgot not the place of her birth when she was in the height of her glory. The king's affections for her increased daily; and he believed he should at last arrive at perfect happiness; neither was he already far from it, so much did he begin to confide in the goodness of his queen. He often rendered himself invisible to observe her, and to surprise her; but he never discovered any thing in her that was not worthy of his admiration: so that now there was but a very small remainder of jealousy and distrust blended with his love.

The fairy, who had foretold the fatal consequences of his last request, came so often to warn him, that he thought her importunity troublesome; therefore he gave orders that she should no longer be admitted into the palace, and enjoined the queen not to receive her visits for the future. The queen promised to obey his commands, but not without much unwillingness, because she loved this good fairy.

It happened one day, when the king was upon a progress, that the fairy, desirous to instruct the queen in futurity, entered her apartment in the appearance of a young officer, and immediately declared in a whisper who she was, whereupon the queen embraced her with tenderness. The king, who was then invisible, perceived it, and was instantly fired with jealousy. He drew his sword and pierced the queen, who fell expiring into his arms. In that moment the fairy resumed her true shape; whereupon the king knew her, and was convinced of the queen's innocence: then would he have killed himself, but the fairy withheld his hand, and strove to comfort him: when the queen, breathing out her last words, said, "Though I die by. your hand, I die wholly yours."

Too late, now Alfarute cursed his folly, that put him upon wresting a boon from the fairy, which proved his misery.

He returned the ring, and desired his wings might be taken from him. The remaining days of his life he passed in bitterness and grief, knowing no other consolation but to weep perpetually over Clarinda's tomb.

FREE-THINKER, No. 84, Jan. 9, 1718.›

No. IX.

Potentiæ paucorum decus atque libertatem suam gratificari.

SALLUST.

They sacrificed virtue and their liberty at the shrine of rank and power.

I SHALL entertain the public this day with a

short account of the civilities and ceremonies of politeness in use amongst the Romans; leaving to my readers the satisfaction of running the parallel between the modern customs, and those which were fashionable at so great an interval of time; as likewise the pleasure of observing, how like one wealthy luxurious nation is to another, notwithstanding the distance of ages and climates.

The great men, who, in the infancy of Rome, were no otherwise distinguished from the lesser people, than as they owned them for their protectors, and who were respected by them only from a principle of gratitude, towards the declension of the republic, became lords over a multitude of voluntary slaves, consisting of avaricious citizens and self-interested clients. At which time the servility of the dependents, and

the haughtiness of the patrons, conspired to carry ceremony to a great excess.

The man who purposed to make his court effectually, was obliged to go every morning to the levees of those persons of distinction whom he pitched upon for his patrons. The citizen, and often the magistrate himself, went about from door to door to pay his morning compli ments to a great man; who in his turn went out to tender the same homage to another, greater than himself. In bidding good-morrow, the usual gesture was to lay the hand upon the mouth, in advancing towards the person they saluted: in which manner too they paid their adoration to the gods; but with this difference, that it was not necessary to be uncovered to the deities, whereas the grandees expected you should stand always bare-headed before them.

It was likewise a mark of respect to kiss the hand of him you waited on. The military men performed their salute by bowing their weapons, when they were armed. But it does not appear that the usual salutation was accompanied with any inclination of the body, or bending of the knee these kinds of submission were not introduced till long after the overthrow of the commonwealth.

Those who were levee-hunters, went always