The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-07

the Play-Medern Scenes in the Town
Of verona-Frequented by Visitors.
The great number Of English speaking
people who visit Verona associate the town
with the tragic fate Of the fair daughter OF
the Capuletti Surrounded by the vast
and rugged bsttlements Of the Alps, inter
sected by the broad blue waters of the
Adige rushing under old Roman arched
bridges, its narrow sun baked streets over
looked by medievai 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 aCorte's History
of Verona" The romance writer's OF Italy
speedily laid hands ON the tragedy as a fit
| ting theme for their pens. and poetic YER
| sion Of the story by one Arthur Brooke
was first published in England in 1862, en-
titled 1.-THE Tragicall Historic OF Romeus
and Juliet, Containing in it rare Ex-
ample of true Constancie; with the subtill
Counsels and Practises of an old FRYER
and their i'll Event" Some ffve-and- thirty
years later was printed William Shakes
peare's play, which has fixed the fate Of
the Veronese lovers forever in the worlds
memory.
WHERE THE BALCONY SCENE WAS ENACTED.
Guides are anxious to show the strangers
the house, now known as the Palazzo Sam
bonifazi in which Juliet lived, and the
balcony which Romeo scaled close upon
500 years ago. The building has nothing
remarkable in its appearance. It's walls
are discolored by time, its stucco work
crumbling from age, no air of romance dis
tinguishing it from its neighbors 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, surrounded by palaces and houses
decorated with frescoes by Cavalli, is much
as it was when it ran red with blood dur
ing the fierce fighes which took place be-
tween the Guelphs and the Ghibelhnes-
families who for long rendered Italy say.
age and unmanageable.
Today it is peaceful enough and is full of
light and color. Under the shade of huge
umbrellas-red, blue, green and orange
are stalls piled high with melons and
pomegranates, fresh gathered figs and ap-
pies; beneath the striped awnings of port
able shops wearing apparel of gaudy hues
flaming in the bright sunlight here and
there sacred pictures, crucifixes and stat
ues are exposed for SALE
THE TOMB.
Passing the Roman amphitheatre. still
in excellent repair, now given over to ex-
hibitiols Of rope dancing and displays of
fireworks, the visitor takes his way by yell
low walled streets, through which Dante
may have walked what time he sought ref
uye in Verona on his banishment from
Florence, until, passing the outside one OF
the ancient gates, a suppressed Franciscan
monastery, surrounded by high walls and
a fair garden, is reached. Above he en-
trance is a large signboard, bearing in
crude letters the words "Juliet's Tomb"
expected to find underneath admission
half franc" but instead saw the pro-
prietor's name. Ringing at the gate, ID
was speedily opened by a rough looking
labOrer, who smiled graciously at the pros
pect of receiving a fee. With an air Of
pride he pointed to the cabbGses growing
IN his garden, saying his vegetables were
the finest in all Verona, for the ground
from which they sprang had been for full
500 years the burial place Of monks.
The church is closed, like so many others
all over Italy, waiting to be let OF to be
sold as a corn store, wine vault, stable or
factory. But one of it's small chapels,
bricked up and cut Off from the larger
building, is approached ky garden path,
and here Is a red marble sarcophagus
called the tomb of Juliet. The chapel, liz
tie larger than a recess, is chill and bare.
The whitewashcd walls are disooIored and
damp, decorated by faded laurel wreaths
and half covered by visiting cards nailed
on its surface The tomb is likewise haIs
full of cards, for visitors being unable be-
canse of the red stone to crafty the desirs
which so strangely stirs them on seeing IA
nous shrines and historic places TO write
their names have had to satisfy their vuI-
gar vanity and foolish egotism by leaving
cards as records of their visits.
An RCREDUJoUs vIsIToR
It struck me the tomb, highly polished
and smooth, looked suspiciously new, and
! then remembered that more than fifty
years ago Byron described it In a letter 70
Moore as "a plain, open and partly deeayed
saTcOphagus. with withered leaves in it, IN
a wild and desolate convensual garden"
And, moreover, l had beard il was then
the fashion to chip away fragments Of tho
stone, which having been set as brooches
md bracelets, were worn by ladies who
posed IS sentimentalists. The inference
WIS plain-the so called tomb was a de-
eption and snare.
Therefore when 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 /
be said. An awful pause ens1ed. during
which he looked AT me with an expression /
IF horror aud smazement, as il his ears
had been profaned. But quickly recc@er- I
ing himself he replied: "Signo-, what I .
say is a fact, assure you. The lady was 4
placed after death in this very tomb"
How do you know" / asked
BE shrugged his shoulders in pity. threw 4
Up his hands in protest and elevated els .
black brows IN wonder a. my audacity. /
Hundreds come here yearly" he re-
marked. resolving 70 strange m US birth 4
\ doubt that, If allowed 20 flourish, might /
interfere with his income. They
ONE from England and from America to
'ee this tomb, and they have no dOub1s-
,ignor. for it is really snd truly, as every
me in Verona will tell you, the resting
place Of the III fated Juliet"
l contenred myself with shaking nv
lead, and he remained silent until sud
lealy bis face flashed with brightness and
saw that a new idea had dsvned on him.
'Signor," be said gTavdy but firmly, Il
vii prove 20 you il Is Juhet's tomb. fas
lers," he added. turning t-TuInphAutiy e
picture Of a monk, painted AZ a oompar-
ISvely recent pe-iod, which hung en-
sde wall, ''is the portrait q Friar Lsur-
noe, who married the lady snd her lover
md gssve her the poison"