n, who have
looked on at the valour of Horatius, men who from the crowded banks of
the Nile have watched the living body of Cleopatra step into her gilded
barge, men who, standing idle in the streets of Florence, have seen the
love-light start in the great Dante's eyes, seen his hand move to his
laden heart, as the little Beatrice passed him by among her maidens.
Base men of the past, by the indulgent accident of time, have been
granted to behold these wonders, and now for you, O men of Verona, a
like wonder has been born.

* * * * *

Romeo and Juliet lay receiving their guests in the vault of the
Capulets, with a strange smile of welcome for all who came.

It had been an innocent little desire, yet had all the world come
against it. It had been a simple little desire, yet too strong for all
the world to break.

Strange this enmity of the world to love, as though men should take arms
against the song of a bird, or plot against the opening of a flower.

But now, what was this strange homage to a love that a few hours ago had
no friend in all the daylight, a fearful bliss beneath the secret moon?
But yesterday a stupid old nurse, a herb-gathering friar, a rascally
apothecary, had been their only friends, and now was all the world come
here to do their bidding.

No need to steal again beneath the shade of orchard walls, no need again
to heed if lark or nightingale sang in the reddening east. For the world
had grown all warm to love, warm and kind as June to the rose.

* * * * *

Three days lay Romeo and Juliet receiving their guests in the vault of
the Capulets, with that strange smile of welcome for all who came.
Three days the world worshipped the love it could not understand, but
still came dense and denser throngs to worship. For the news of the
wonderful flower that had blossomed in Verona had gone far and wide, and
travellers from distant cities kept pouring in to look at those strange
young lovers, who had deemed the world well lost so that they might
leave it together.

Then the governor of the city decreed, as the time drew near when the
two lovers must be left to their peace, and it was ill that any should
lose the sight of this marvel, that on the fourth day they should be
carried through the streets in the eyes of all the people, and then be
buried together in the vault of the Capulets--for by this burial in the
same tomb, says the old chr