ar's
words, confessing his marriage with Juliet, imploring the forgiveness
of his parents, acknowledging the buying of the poison of the poor
apothecary, and his intent in coming to the monument, to die, and lie
with Juliet. All these circumstances agreed together to clear the friar
from any hand he could be supposed to have in these complicated
slaughters, further than as the unintended consequences of his own well
meant, yet too artificial and subtle contrivances.

And the prince, turning to these old lords, Montague and Capulet,
rebuked them for their brutal and irrational enmities, and showed them
what a scourge Heaven had laid upon such offences, that it had found
means even through the love of their children to punish their unnatural
hate. And these old rivals, no longer enemies, agreed to bury their
long strife in their children's graves; and lord Capulet requested lord
Montague to give him his hand, calling him by the name of brother, as
if in acknowledgment of the union of their families, by the marriage of
the young Capulet and Montague; and saying that lord Montague's hand
(in token of reconcilement) was all he demanded for his daughter's
jointure: but lord Montague said he would give him more, for he would
raise her a statue of pure gold, that while Verona kept its name, no
figure should be so esteemed for its richness and workmanship as that
of the true and faithful Juliet. And lord Capulet in return said that
he would raise another statue to Romeo. So did these poor old lords,
when it was too late, strive to outgo each other in mutual courtesies:
while so deadly had been their rage and enmity in past times, that
nothing but the fearful overthrow of their children (poor sacrifices to
their quarrels and dissensions) could remove the rooted hates and
jealousies of the noble families.

HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK

Gertrude, queen of Denmark, becoming a widow by the sudden death of
King Hamlet, in less than two months after his death married his
brother Claudius, which was noted by all people at the time for a
strange act of indiscretion, or unfeelingness, or worse: for this
Claudius did no ways resemble her late husband in the qualities of his
person or his mind, but was as contemptible in outward appearance, as
he was base and unworthy in disposition; and suspicions did not fail to
arise in the minds of some, that he had privately made away with his
brother, the late king, with the view of marrying h