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Original of Military Honour from the Trojans andGrefkT, among whom, as Knights of great Renown,»dij. ' were HeSlor, Troilus, JEneas, Antenor , Agamemnon, Me-ifflj, nelatts, Peleus, Tydeus , &c. And thus Homer ufes the

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5. 3. Upon a more fubftantial Balls we fhall defeendto the Romans ; among whom, in the very Infancy oftheir Military Glory, a Society of Knights was inflituted,immediately after their Union with the Sabines. Romulusinrolled Centuria tres Equitum , three Centuries ofKnights, out of the chiefell Families, whom he ap-pointed to he his Life-guard, and called them Cderes,from their Activity and Difpatch in Martial Affairs.

Tarquinius Prifcus made an Addition to thele Centu-ries ; the like did Servius Tullius, who ordained, thatthofe who fhould fucceed in that Body, lhould beeleiled ex cenfu, viz. from a confiderable and certainValuation of their Eftates, who had the greateft Cenfe,and were of the mod Noble Families, fays Dyonyf. fla-licarn. And foon after, the Equeftrian Clafs began to beformed and conftituted one of the three Orders of theCommonwealth, which were thus rank’d, according toLivy: Senatus, Ordo Equejlris cr Plebs ; which in the Ro-man Literal Notes is fet down after this Manner :CON. SEN. E. ORD. P. Q. R. And forafmuch asthis Degree is placed between the Patricians, or Senators,and the Plebeians, it anfwers exafldy the State of ourKnights between the Nobility and Commonalty : Andfrom this Order,to the Height of Nobility which reddedin the Senators, was the Way prepared; Junius Brutusbeing the firft who was railed to a Senator from theEqueftrian Order.

It was a Conftitution, as old as Tiberius's Reign, thatnone fhould be admitted, unlefs Free-born, or a Gentle-man for three Generations; and, indeed, for a longTime none were elected Knights but the beft Sort ofGentlemen, and Perfons of Extraflion, as was the il-luftrious Maecenas.

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