e Venetians with the use of arms; and symbolical
that their great council never undertakes a war of its own accord, nor
for any other object than to obtain a good and secure peace. The
satirist has unintentionally given the republic the highest praise which
could flow from his pen. Happy, indeed, would it have been for mankind,
if Governments had never been actuated by any other policy. De la
Houssaye informs us also that the Venetians exchanged the patronage of
St. Theodore for that of St. Mark, from like pacific motives; because
the first was a soldier and resembled St. George, the tutelary idol of
Genoa.--_Sketches of Venetian History_.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 90: _The Duke cannot deny_, &c.; As the reason here given
seems a little perplex'd, it may be proper to explain it. If, says he,
the duke stop the course of law, it will be attended with this
inconvenience, that stranger merchants, by whom the wealth and power of
this city is supported, will cry out of injustice. For the known stated
law being their guide and security, they will never bear to have the
current of it stopped on any pretence of equity whatsoever.--WARBURTON.]

[Footnote 91: _For the commodity that strangers have With us in Venice,
if it be denied_, &c.; _Id est_, for the denial of those rights to
strangers, which render their abode at Venice so commodious and
agreeable to them, would much impeach the justice of the state. The
consequence would be, that strangers would not reside or carry on
traffick here; and the wealth and strength of the state would be
diminished. In the _Historye of Italye,_ by W. Thomas, quarto, 1567,
there is a section _On the libertee of straungers_, at Venice--MALONE.]

[Footnote 92: _--hear other things_.; _Id est_, she'll say no more in
self-praise, but will refer to a new subject.]

[Footnote 93: _--with imagin'd speed_; _Id est_, with celerity, like
that of imagination.]

[Footnote 94: _Unto the tranect_,; Probably this word means the tow-boat
of the ferry.]

[Footnote A: Doglioni fixes the erection of these columns in 1172,
Sabellico in 1174, the common Venetian Guide-books, a few years later.
The Abbate Garaccioli, writes the name of the engineer Starrattoni.]

ACT IV.

SCENE I.--VENICE. A COURT OF JUSTICE.(A)

_The_ DUKE, (B) _the_ MAGNIFICOES[95] ANTONIO, BASSANIO, GRATIANO,
SALARINO, SALANIO, _and others_.

_Duke_. What is Antonio here?

_Ant_. Ready, so please your grace.

_Duke_, I