PROLOGUE. Two WO households, both alike in dignity, (1) 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 Bandello, in one of his novels; as alfo by Girolame da Corte in his history of Verona. The young lover, as this hiftorian tells us, was call'd Romeo Monzecchi; 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 ftery: which put him in mind of our Author's play on the subject. The captain has clos'd his account of this affair with a reproof to our excellent OTWAY, for having turn'd this story to that of Caius Marius; confidering, (fays he) "how inconfiftent it was (to pass by other abfur"dities) to make the Romans bury their bodies in the latter end of "the confular times, when every fchool-boy knows, that it was the "custom to burn them firft, and then bury their afhes."I cannot help obferving in respect to Otway's memory, that both interring and burring were at one and the fame time ufed by the Romans. Fer 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, cruto 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 |