or supreme Judge in the City: For among these People there was no Difference of Sexes observed in the Distribution of publick Posts; but an Election being made, the Affairs of the Republick were committed to the wisest and most worthy. And in order to form a right Judgment of the Proficience, or of the intellectual Endowments of every one, there were proper Seminaries instituted, the chief Directors of which were styl’d _Karatti_ (a Word that strictly signifies Inquisitors.) It was their Office to inspect into every one’s Abilities, to inquire nicely into the Genius of the Youth, and after such Inquiry to transmit annually to their Prince an Account or List of such as were to be admitted to all Duties and Posts of Government, and to point out at the same Time, in what Particular every one of them was most likely to be of Service to the State. The Prince upon the Receipt of such Catalogue ordered their Names to be inscrib’d in a Book, that he might never be at a Loss what Sort of Persons to prefer to the vacant Posts. The aforesaid Virgin four Years before had obtained a most honourable Testimonial from the _Karatti_, and upon that Account was by the Sovereign appointed President of the City in which she was born. This Rule they observe constantly and inviolably, because they believe that the Welfare of any Place will be best consulted and pursued by those who are Natives of it. _Palmka_ (that was the Name of the Virgin) for the Space of three Years govern’d this truly _Spartan_ Commonwealth with the highest Applause, and was esteem’d the wisest Tree in all the City; for so great was her Dulness of Apprehension, that she hardly ever conceiv’d a Thing without its being thrice or four times repeated. But what she once apprehended she thoroughly understood, and with such Acumen solv’d every Difficulty in it, that her Decrees were deem’d so many Oracles. _Novit enim justum gemina suspendere lance Ancipitis libræ, rectum discrevit, ubi inter Curva subit, vel cum fallit pede regula raro._