Page:Romeo and Juliet (Dowden).djvu/240

196 his master is within; the Friar enters and finds the body of Romeus. Juliet awakens; the Friar shows her lover's corpse; exhorts her to patience, and promises to place her in some religious house. She weeps, falls on Romeus' body, covers it with kisses, and laments her loss. Hearing a noise, the Friar and servant fly. Juliet, with a speech welcoming death, plunges Romeus' dagger in her heart. (2689–2792.)

Watchmen, supposing that enchanters were abusing the dead, enter the tomb, find the corpses, arrest the Friar and Peter, and next day inform the Prince. (2793–2808.)

Crowds visit the tomb. By the Prince's order the bodies are placed on a stage. Peter and Friar Lawrence are openly examined. The Friar in a long speech justifies himself, and explains all that had happened. His account is confirmed by Peter and by the letter of Romeus. Prince Escalus banishes the Nurse and lets Peter go free. The apothecary is hanged by the throat. The Friar retires to a hermitage and five years later dies, aged seventy-five (see line 2843). The bodies of the lovers are placed in a stately tomb, supported by great marble pillars:

And even at this day the tombe is to be seene; So that among the monumentes that in Verona been, There is no monument more worthy of the sight, Then is the tombe of Juliet and Romeus her knight. (2809–3020.)