This noble image is taken from the Olympic games. This majestic world is a fine periphrasis of the Roman Empire; majestic, because the Romans ranked themselves on a footing with kings, and a world, because they called their empire Orbis Romanus; but the whole story seems to allude to Cæsar's great exemplar, Alexander, who, when he was asked whether he would run the course of the Olympic games, replied, 'Yes, if the racers were kings.'--So again in Anthony and Cleopatra, Act I. Scene I. Anthony says with an astonishing sublimity, Let Rome in Tyber melt, and the wide arch Of the razed Empire fall. Taken from the Roman custom of raising triumphal arches to perpetuate their victories. And again, Act III. Scene IV. Octavia says to Anthony, of the difference between him and her brother, "Wars 'twixt you twain would be As if the world should cleave, and that slain men Should solder up the reft"---- This thought seems taken from the story of Curtius leaping into the Chasm in the Forum, in order to close it, so that, as that was closed by one Roman, if the whole world were to cleave, Romans only could solder it up. The metaphor of soldering is extreamly exact, according to Mr. Warburton; for, says he, as metal is soldered up by metal that is more refined than that which it solders, so the earth was to be soldered by men, who are only a more refined earth. The manners of other nations in general, the Egyptians, Venetians, French, etc. are drawn with equal propriety. An instance of this shall be produced with regard to the Venetians. In the Merchant of Venice, Act IV. Scene I. ----His losses That have of late so huddled on his back, Enough to press a royal merchant down. We are not to imagine the word royal to be a random sounding epithet. It is used with great propriety by the poet, and designed to shew him well acquainted with the history of the people, whom he here brings upon the stage. For when the French and Venetians in the beginning of the thirteenth century, had won Constantinople, the French under the Emperor Henry endeavoured to extend their conquests, in the provinces of the Grecian empire on the Terra firma, while the Venetians being masters of the sea, gave liberty to any subject of the Republic, who would fit out vessels to make themselves masters of the isles of the Archipelago and other maritime places, to enjoy their conquests in sovereignty, only doing homage to the Republic for their several principalities. In pursuance of this licence the Sanudo's, the Justiniani, the Grimaldi, the Summaripa's, and others, all Venetian merchants, erected principalities in the several places of the Archipelago, and thereby became truly, and properly Royal Merchants. But there are several places which one cannot forbear thinking a translation from classic writers. In the Tempest Act V. Scene II. Prospero says,