asis 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 Caesar'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
Justi