Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-21
STEALING JULiET'S TOMB.
The Euglishmau Who Tried to Run
Away With u Large Piece.

A correspondent at Rome writes as follows to
the Glasgow Herald: 'Of the strange fortunes
that may come to men of great name after
death many authors have written. Sir Thomas
Browne tells US that the Egyptian mummies,
which Cambyses or time hath spared avarice
now consumeth. Mummy is become merchan-
disc, Misralm cures wounds, and Pharaoh is sold
for balsams. That may account for the dis
appearance of a dead body, but some other
feeling must actuate those who carry away part
of tomb. One Of the choicest attractions Of
Verona for strangers, especially for those who
know the works of Shakespeare, is the so-called
tomb of Juliet in the garden Of the Franciscan
nuns, in the vicinity of the swift-howing Adige
large portion-no less than six pounds
weight-of this tomb was broken off and was
almost carried away by person described as
an Englishman. The story, as told in the We
roma papers. relates that an English lady aud
gentleman went to visit the tomb of Juliet and
Romeo three or four days ago. Before leaving
the spot the Englishman handed note of IOf
to the custodian of the place in order that the
ordinary fee might be deducted and the change
handed to the visitor. While the custodian
searched in his pockets for change the tourist
produced a hammer from his pocket, and by a
sharp blow on the rude sarcophegus of red We
roma marble which Is said to have enshrined
Juliet broke off piece Of about three kilo-
grammes. or six pounds in weight. Then he
moved away rapidly from the scene of destruc-
ton and Dissertation. The custodian who had
observed the deed, pursued him and suggested
the propriety OF his giving up the plumber.
The Englishman protested, and it was only
after heightened debate that the visitor
finally delivered up the fragment broken off the
Juliet sarcophagus Such is the story now
going the round OF the papers. In Gustave
Dore's illustration to L'spagne' of Baron Davil-
lier there Is an illustration entitled The Rob-
beers Of Azulejos (tiles) at the Alhambra.' rep
resenting an En2ishman of the continental
type, accompanied by his wife and engaged in
hamnering off the colored tiles from the walls
of that Incompatible building. This is the
idea that many French and Spanish and Italian
people have of the Englishman abroad. The
report OF the attempt to carry of three kilo-
grammes Of Juliet's tomb will confirm the old
idea. 1t matters but little that no one who
knows the history Of the place regards the
tomb as gunnine; for the people of Verona it is
at least as effective in inducing strangers to
visit their city as il it were the indisputable
sepulcher of the unfortunate daughter of the
Capulets. Murray notes that lit certainly was
shown in the last century, before Shakespeare
became generally known to the Italians. =
Maria Louise got bit of it, which she
caused to be divided into hearts and gems, ele-
CANT necklaces, bracelets. &C.. and many other
sentimental young and elderly ladies have fol-
lowed her majesty's example, It is all very
well for aroyal parsonage, such az Maria Louise.
to get bit of this trough-like tomb, but an I'M
known English traveller who attempts to carry
OH SIX pounds OF red marble in a surreptitious
manner, even for the qualification OF sentiment,
IL treated with scorn by the journalists of the
whole country and deservedly So"