any person of the rank of the common people. It is chiefly used in speaking of the ancient Romans, who were divided into senators, patricians, and plebeians. The distinction was made by Romulus the founder of the city; who confined all dignities, civil, military, and sacerdotal, to the rank of patricians. But, to prevent the seditions which such a distinction might produce through the pride of the higher order and the envy of the lower, he endeavoured to engage them to one another by reciprocal ties and obligations. Every plebeian was allowed to choose, out of the body of the patricians, a protector, who should be obliged to assist him with his interest and substance, and to defend him from oppression. These protectors were called patrons; the protected, clients. It was the duty of the patron to draw up the contracts of the clients, to extricate them out of their difficulties.