[Footnote A: The Fates were the three sisters, Cloʹtho, Lachʹe-sis, and
Atʹro-pos, powerful goddesses who controlled the birth and life of
mankind, Clotho, the youngest, presided over the moment of birth, and
held a distaff in her hand; Lachesis spun out the thread of human
existence (all the events and action's of man's life); and Atropos, with
a pair of shears which she always carried, cut this thread at the moment
of death.]