The record-union., 1897-11-05
TOMB OF JULIET.
Quaint Old Memorial of Shakes
peare's Heroine at Verona.

In all Italy-some would say in all
Europe-there is no more picturesque
monument than Juliets tomb, in the
world old city of Verona. Go to We
roma to-day and you will find in one
of the deserted streets an old, smoke
stained hostelry, in which macaroni
and sour wine are dealt out to Ia
borers amid much shouting and swear
ing, says the writer of the Herald ar
ticle Rather a disreputable looking
place, and yet it was once the palace
Of the Capulets. Over the stained door
way may still be seen the little hat, or
cappaletto, which has for centuries
been the escutcheon of this famous
family. Here Juliet lived, loved and
died. Near the palace is a court yard,
and at the end of it is a tomb, which is
said TO contain the remains of Romeo
and Juliet. 1t is a. mere fragment of
stone, and yet every year thousands
make a pilgrimage to it.
Juliet though one of the most re-
nowned heroines in all literature plays
hardly any part in history, and hence
there las long been somewhat of a
suspicion that she and Romeo are
largely mythical personages. On this
point, Lord Byron says in one of his
letters from Verona: THE Veronese
are tenacious to a degree of the truth
of Juliet's story, insisting on the fact,
giving the date 1903, and showing a
tomb. 1t is a plain, open and partly
decayed sarcophagus, with withered
leaves in it, in a wild and desolate con-
ventual garden-once q cemetry, now
ruined, to the very grave. The situa-
ton struck me as very appropriate to
the legend, being blighted as their
love"
Since Byron's day the tomb has been
removed to the garden of the Orfano-
troflo dele Franceschine, where it is
shown to tourists for a fee of twenty
five centesimi five cents in American
money!. Apparently it is always guard
ed, and for an excellent reason. How
ellis, in his italian Journeys" asks
pertinently: Does not the fact that
this relic has to be protected from the
depredations of travellers, who could
otherwise carry it away piecemeal,
speak eloquently of a large amount of
vulgar and rapacious innocence drift
ing about the world?" The same writer
proves conclusively that the Capulet
family has fallen far from it's former
greatness. Speaking of the old palace,
he says: There was a great deal of
stable litter and many empty carts
standing about in the court: and, If
I might hazard the opinion formed
upon these and other appearances,
should say that old Capulet has now
gone TO keeping hotel, united with the
retail liquor business, both in a small
way" Sic transit gloria mundi.
The English speaking world is in
debted to Shakespeare for it's knowl-
edge Of Juliet, and Shakespeare evil
IDENTIFY got the wonderful love story
from Paynter's palace of Pleasure .
as well as from a poem by Arthur
Brooke, which was published in 1862
under the title 'Romeus and Juliet
The latter work contains the follow
ing quaint lines descriptive of the low
ers' resting place:
For query household If it be of any fame,
Doth, hyde tomb, or digge vault, that
bears the householde's name;
Wherein Qf any of that kindred hap to
dye)
They are bestowde: els in the same no
other corps may I've.
The CaplletS her corps in such a one dyd
lay.
Where Tybalt, slaine of Romeus, was
layde the other day.
The bodies dead, remoued from vault
where they did dye,
In stately tombe, on pliers great of mar
bic, rayse they hye
On euery syde aboue were set, and eke
beneath.
Great store of cunning Epitaphes, in
honor of theyr DEATH
And euen at this day the tombe is to be
seen;
So that among the monumentes that in
Verona been
There is no monument more worthy of
the sight
Than is the tombe Of Juliet and Romeus
her knight.
Thither, clothed in rich attire and
with her face uncovered, the fair maid
was borne after her lamentable death.
So the old poets and the story writers
tell us, and somehow we are inclined
| to give more credence to them than to
those who insist that Juliet is more
or less myth and that the tomb shown
in Verona is a delusion and a snare.
In spite of all the Dryasdusts, such
names as Romeo and Juliet, Eloise
| and Abelard must remain immortal.
All the world loves a lover" and until
love dies the names of unfortunate low
ers, and especially of those whom poets
have sanctified, will live long after
they themselves have passed away.
Their life stories, though sad. have yet
a strange attraction for us. When we
think of them we appreciate more fully
Browning's lines:
Dust and ashes," SO you creak it and
/ want the heart to scold,
Dear, dead women, with sucn halr, too
what's become of all the gold
Used to hang and brush their boSomS?
] feel chilly and grown old
Cleveland Leader.