The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-21
THE TOMB OF THE
FAIR JULIET.
Resting Place of the Heroine Of
the Sad Love Story.
Ths Romantic Tale Founded on Fact-Whers
Shakespeare Get His Ideas of the Play.
Modern Scene in the Town of Verona

JEFS town with the tragic fate of the fair
daughter of the Capuletti. Surrounded by
the vast and rugged battlements of the Alps,
intersected by the broad blue waters of the
Adige rushing under old Roman aTched
bridges, its narrow Sun-baked streets over
looked by medieval buildings and houses
with painted facadeS, its cathedral with
cloisters six centuries old. its churches sur
mounted by quaint shaped towers, its gar
dens planted with stately and venerable
expresses, Verona seems fitting scene for
what is, IN sooth, the SaddeSt love story of
which mankind has heard.
That the tale was founded on fact we
learn from GirolamO de la C0rte's History
Of Verona" The romance writer's of Italy
speedily laid hands on the tragedy as fit
ting theme for their pens, and poetic YER
sion of the story by one Arthur Brooke was
first published in England in 1862, entitled
THE Tragicall Historic of Romeus and
Juliet, Contayning in it a rare Example of
true Cons tancie: with the subtill Counsels
and Prastises of an old Fryer and their i'll
Event" Some five-and-thirtY years later
was printed William Shakespeare'S play,
which has fixed the fate of the Ner0nese
lovers forever in the worlds memory.
THE BALCONY SCENE.
Guides are anxious to show the strangers
the house, now known the Palazzo Sam
bonifazi, in which Juliet lived, and the bal
cony which Romeo scaled close upon 500
years ago. he building has nothing re-
markable in its appearance. Its walls are
diScolored by time, its stucco work crum-
bling from age, no air of romance diStin-
gushing 1t from its neghbOrs To reach it
one must pass through the Piazza dele Erbe,
once the forum of the republic, now the
fruit and vegetable market. The square,
SurrouniaI Ia mol oPpS and hnnSpS decorated
with frescoes by Cavall, is much as ii was
when II ran red with blood during the fierce
fights which took place between the
Guelphs and the Ghibellines-familIes who
for long rendered Italy savage and unman-
ageable."
To-day it is peaceful enough, and is full of
light and color. Under the shade of huge
umbrellaS-led, blue green and Orange-are
stalls piled high with melons and pOme-
grauattS, fresh gathered figs and apples;
beneath the striped awnings OF portable
shops wearing apparel OF gaudy hues fam
ing in the bright sunlight here and there
sacred pictures, crucitXeS and statues are
exposed Tor sale.
THE TOMB.
Passing the Roman amphitheater, still in
excellent repair, now given over to eXhib-
tons of rope-dancing and displays of fire
works, the visitor takes his way by yellow
walled streets, through which Dante may
have walked what time he sought refuge III
Verona on his Punishment from Florence,
until passing the outside of one of the an
Gent gates, suppressed franciscan mo-
mastery, surrounded by high walls and
fair garden. is reached. Above the entrance
is large signboard, bearing in crude let
tiers the words 'Juliets Tomb" | eX-
pected to find underneath Admission half
a iranc," but instead saw the propretors
name. Ringing at the gate, 1t was speedily
opened by rough looking labOrer, who
smiled gracouSy at the prospect of receiy-
ing fee. With an air Of pride he pointed
TO the cabbageS growing in MS garden, say
ing his vegetables were the finest in all
Verona, for the ground from which they
sprang had been for full 800 years the burial
place OF monks.
The church is closed, like so many others
all over Italy, waiting to be let or To be sold
as a corn store, wine vault stable or fac
tory. But one of its small chapels, bricked
up and eat off from the larger building. is
approached by a garden path, and here is
red marble salcophaguS called the tomb OF
Juliet. The chapel, little larger than a
recess, is chill and bare. The Whitewashed
walls are dIscOi0rei and damp, decorated
by faded laurel wreaths and half covered
by visiting cards nailed on its surface. The
tomb is likewise half full of cards, for Wis
itOrs being unable because of the red stone
to crafty the desire which so strangely stlrs
them on seeing famous shrines and historic
places 10 write their names have mad to sat
by leaving cards as records OF their visits.
AN INCREDULoUs VISITOR.
1t struck me the tomb, highly polished
and smooth, looked suspiciously new, aud
| then remembered that more than fifty years
ago Byron described it in a letter TO Moore
as "a plain. op-n and partly decayed sarc0-
phsgus, with wlthered leaves in 1t, IN a wild
and desolate conventional garden" And,
moreover, l had heard it was then the
fashion to chip away fragments of the stone
which, having been set as brooches and
bracelets, were worn by ladies who posed
plain-the so-called tomb was a deception
and snare.
Therefore W hen the guide rolled out his
hackneyed sentences about this being the
last resting place of the noble Lady Juliet /
frankly told him | had no faith in what
he said. An awful pause ensued, during
which he looked at me with an expression
OF horror and anaZement, as ii his ears had
been prOfaned. But quickly recovering
himself he replied, ''oignor, whit | say is
fact. l assure you. Tie lady was placed
after death III this very tomb"
How do you knOw?'' l asked.
He shrugged his shoulders in pity, threw
up his hands in protest and elevated his
black bTows in wonder at my sudacity.
" hundreds come here yearly" he re-
marked. resolving to strangle in its birth
a doubt that, if allowed to flourish, might
seriously interfere with his income. "TEey
come from England and from America to
see this tomb, and they have no doubts, Sig
nor, for ii is really and truly, as every one in
Verona will tell you, the restlng-place of the
Inflated Juliet"
I contented myself with shaking my
head and he remained silent, until suddenly
his face flashed with brightness and | saw
new idea had dawned on him. 'Signor," he
said gravely, but firmly. Il will prove to You
is Juliet's tomb, for here" he added, turn
ing trlumphantly to picture of monk,
painted at a comparatively recent period,
which hung on a side wall, rs the portrait
of Friar Laurence, who married the lady
and her lover and gave her the poison"
He expected this remarkable example of
logic would surely silence me; nor was he
disappointed. Without another word | left
the spot, and the proprietor of Juliet's tomb
received my silver coin with the yrtuous air
of man who had overcome tie darkness of
doubt and let light shine upon the be-
nighted.-Cor. London Graphic.