_ and _Julius Caesar_, not only
the spirit, but manners of Romans are exactly drawn: and still a
nicer distinction is shown between the manners of the Romans in time
of the former and of the latter. His reading in the ancient
historians is no less conspicuous, in many references to particular
passages, and the speeches copied from Plutarch in _Coriolanus_ may,
I think, as well be made an instance of his learning as those copied
from Cicero in _Catiline_, of Ben Jonson's. The manners of other
nations in general, the Egyptians, Venetians, French, &c., are drawn
with equal propriety. Whatever object of nature or branch of science
he either speaks of or describes, it is always with competent, if not
extensive knowledge; his descriptions are still exact; all his
metaphors appropriated, and remarkably drawn from the true nature and
inherent qualities of each subject. When he treats of ethic or
politic, we may constantly observe a wonderful justness of
distinction as well as extent of comprehension. No one is more a
master of the poetical story, or has more frequent allusions to the
various parts of it. Mr Waller (who has been celebrated for this last
particular) has not shown more learning this way than Shakspeare. We
have translations from Ovid published in his name, among those poems
which pass for his, and for some of which we have undoubted
authority, (being published by himself, and dedicated to his noble
patron, the Earl of Southampton.) He appears also to have been
conversant in Plautus, from whom he has taken the plot of one of his
plays. He follows the Greek authors, and particularly Dares Phrygius,
in another; although I will not pretend to say in what language he
read them. The modern Italian writers of novels he was manifestly
acquainted with; and we may conclude him to be no less conversant
with the ancients of his own country; from the use he has made of
Chaucer in _Troilus and Cressida_, and in the _Two Noble Kinsmen_, if
that play be his, as there goes a tradition it was; and indeed it has
little resemblance of Fletcher, and more of our author than some of
those that have been received as genuine.

"I am inclined to think, this opinion proceeded originally from the
zeal of the partisans of our author and Ben Jonson; as they
endeavoured to