PROLOGUE. TWO WO households, both alike in dignity, (1) Do, with their death, bury their parents' ftrife. The (1) Two boufebolds, &c.] The fable of this play is built on a real tragedy, that happen'd about the beginning of the 14th century. The story, with all its circumftances, is given us by Randello, in one of his novels; as alfo by Girolame de Corte, in his hiftory of Verona. The young lover, as this hiftorian tells us, was call'd Romeo Monteebi; and the lady, Julietta Capello. Captain Breval in his travels tells us, that when he was at Verona, he was fhewn an old building, (converted into an houfe for orphans) in which the tomb of thefe unhappy lovers had formerly been broken up; and that he was inform'd by his guide in all the particulars of their ftory: which put him in mind of our Author's play on the fubject. The captain has clos'd his account of this affair with a reproof to our exceMent OTWAY, for having turn'd this flory to that of Caius Marius; considering (fays he) how inconfiffent it was (to pafs by other abfur"dities) to make the Romans bury their bodies in the latter end of the confular times, when every school-boy knows, that it was the custom to burn them firft, and then bury their afhes."I cannot help obferving in refpect to Otway's memory, that both interring and burning were at one and the fame time ufed by the Romans. For inftance, Marius was buried; and Sylla, his enemy, was by his own exprefs orders burnt; the first of the Cornelian family, that had been fo difpos'd of. Pliny gives us the reafon for fuch his orders: Idq; voluiffe, veritum talionem, eruto Caii Marii cadavere. (Nat. Hift. 1. vii. cap. 55.) He fear'd reprisals upon his own body, his foldiers having dug up and committed indignities on the body of Marius. To The fearful paffage of their death-mark'd love, The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. this fear of his, Cicero has likewife alluded in his fecond book De Legibus. I had almost forgot to obferve, that Pliny exprefly fays, burning of dead bodies was not an old inftitution among the Romans; but their dead were interr'd. Ipfum cremare apud Romanos non fuit veteris inflituti: terrâ condebantur. Dramatis Perfonæ. ESCALUS, Prince of Verona.oy Paris, a young Nobleman in love with Juliet, and hinf man to the Prince. Montague, Capulet, } Two Lords of ancient families, enemies to each other. Romeo, Son to Montague. Mercutio, Kinfman to the Prince, and Friend to Romeo. Benvolio, Kinfman and Friend to Romeo. Tybalt, Kinfman to Capulet. Friar Lawrence. Friar John. Balthafar, Servant to Romeo. Page to Paris. Lady Montague, Wife to Montague, Lady Capulet, Wife to Capulet. Juliet, Daughter to Capulet, in love with Romeo, CHORUS. Citizens of Verona, feveral men and women relations to Capulet, Mafkers, Guards, Watch, and other Attendants. The SCENE, in the beginning of the fifth Act, is in Mantua; during all the reft of the Play, in and near Verona. Enter Samplon and Gregory, (with fwords and bucklers) two fervants of the Capulets. G SAMPSON. REGORY, on my word, we'li not carry coals. Greg. Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of the collar. Sam. I ftrike quickly, being movido Greg. But thou art not quickly mov'd to ftrike.. Sam. A dog of the houfe of Montague moves me. Greg. To move, is to flir; and to be valiant, is to ftand: therefore, if thou art mov'd, thou runn'ft away. Sam. A dog of that houfe fhall move me to ftand: I will take the wall of any man, or maid, of Montague's. Greg. That fhews thee a weak flave; for the weakest goes to the wall. A 4 Sam. |