s noble bounties, which Timon
showed to mankind, and this the last sight of him which his countrymen
had: for not many days after, a poor soldier, passing by the sea-beach,
which was at a little distance from the woods which Timon frequented,
found a tomb on the verge of the sea, with an inscription upon it,
purporting that it was the grave of Timon the man-hater, who "While he
lived, did hate all living men, and dying wished a plague might consume
all caitiffs left!"

Whether he finished his life by violence, or whether mere distaste of
life and the loathing he had for mankind brought Timon to his
conclusion, was not clear, yet all men admired the fitness of his
epitaph, and the consistency of his end; dying, as he had lived, a hater
of mankind: and some there were who fancied a conceit in the very choice
which he had made of the sea-beach for his place of burial, where the
vast sea might weep for ever upon his grave, as in contempt of the
transient and shallow tears of hypocritical and deceitful mankind.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

ROMEO AND JULIET

The two chief families in Verona were the rich Capulets and the
Montagues. There had been an old quarrel between these families, which
was grown to such a height, and so deadly was the enmity between them,
that it extended to the remotest kindred, to the followers and retainers
of both sides, insomuch that a servant of the house of Montague could
not meet a servant of the house of Capulet, nor a Capulet encounter with
a Montague by chance, but fierce words and sometimes bloodshed ensued;
and frequent were the brawls from such accidental meetings, which
disturbed the happy quiet of Verona's streets.

Old Lord Capulet made a great supper, to which many fair ladies and many
noble guests were invited. All the admired beauties of Verona were
present, and all comers were made welcome if they were not of the house
of Montague. At this feast of Capulets, Rosaline, beloved of Romeo, son
to the old Lord Montague, was present; and though it was dangerous for a
Montague to be seen in this assembly, yet Benvolio, a friend of Romeo,
persuaded the young lord to go to this assembly in the disguise of a
mask, that he might see his Rosaline, and seeing her, compare her with
some choice beauties of Verona, who (he said) would make him think his
swan a crow. Romeo had small faith in Benvolio's words; nevertheless,
for the love of Rosaline, he was persuaded to go. For Romeo