THE PAGEANT AT ST. ALBANS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12903, 7 September 1907, Page 7

THE PAGEANT AT ST. ALBANS.

A BEAUTIFUL SPECTACLE,

(from otjr own correspondent.)

LONDON, July 26.

How many pageants, one cannot help wondering, have there already been in England this year? It has been impossible to keep count, and there are others pending in various parts of the country at not far distant dates. Some have been an unqualified success all round—financially and artistically; others have suffered considerably on account of extremely unfavourable weather. But from tho point of view of artistic merit and from tho fact that throughout tho whole week of its duration perfectly ideal weather conditions prevailed, the latest yet ot all tho pageants—that held at St. Albans —would bo hard to surpass. In a centre full of thrilling historic associations, the authorities were faced witii the dilemma what to loave unrepresented. But tho final selection was an entirely pleasing one, eight 'Episodes ,, being presented out of no fewer than twenty-threo which in the first instance were doemed of eufucient importance for dramatic representation. The historic grounds upon which the pageant was held was reputed to b« exactly tho earao spot on which, in th<» year 54 8.C.. Julius Cscsar invaded Britain ana captured tho City of Verulamium. It u> claimed that no town in Great Britain can produce an episode of Kuch remote antiquity or can represent a scene which occurred noarlv twenty centuries since, upon the actual spot where it was enacted. This encounter between Romans and Britons formed the subject of the first episode. The route to this ground lay lully a mile from the railway station, and what a picturcsquo procession thither was formed ' by ■ the streams of visitor* to the Cathedral City, wearing th< i daintiest of modern dross, minghnu with the "pageanters" of all periods who were on tbftir way to the sccno of action clothed in full war-paint— indeed, in the case of the early Britons, the paint was the chief article of their clothing!— supplemented rnerety by a draping of skins about tho body. On their account one felt tnank-

■ul rb'o majority of these' »ncient vor© on foot,, but it wu not unusual toisS too one here »nd tb*i» :w*BdingAlulss&K way to the ground mounted bicycle—those ■ indeed ; were . •, foreseeing "■>%% iiicioot Britons., and no mistake! '■■*^W The whole enterprise vu carried .oet>* %■s jn a large scale; there wen some 3000 :: ;.■'£; Ejorformere, and the oorored it«a4 pro-j-Sil rided seating acoommodation lot A(&0 ■.<■■■■,;<: risitoxs. The pageant took plaxtt Oβ- v saoh afternoon throughout the iroek, and wu always tully Attended.'-'■>;''■> rho arona spread orer an «k- i| tensive valley, though the im- '■'£# mediate stage consisted of a large noll-woodod meadow on the lite of !!l Verulaniiuni, portions of whose old Ro- : roan, walk were still a prominent de« > ii tail of the landscape. From fireti to . ; laet the Episodes were aoted with '-■•', ij vigour and spirit, and the specially* i written musio vac delightful, : ; Julius Cneaar was a striking person ; ' in the first Episode; tho second one ■' carried us on to the time of Queen. llondioea, who wee very charmingly impereona Uxl, and wlio skilfully drore on to tho eoonw her team of throe horses. The subject dealt with, the end ■ of her career, when, being deserted by' V all her followers, and after she had re- : f c-ited her woll-delivercd lines, she put • im end to hor life by taking poison to • ' prevent capture. This final aot of hers wee very gracefully performed, ■','.'■ Iminodiaitely aftor the death of the;': Queen, the Roman general entered,' followed by a courier from ithe Palestine announcing that the Emperor Noro had been pleased to confer upon ' '•<' the town of .Vorulain the highest hon-> ''.'■. oure by enroling it as a mmicipiuni, whoso inhabits ate might thenceforward echo St. Paul's proud boost that they were born freemen and oiiinma of tho Empire. Tho third Episode related to the martyrdom of bt. Alban, and brought , us to the year 803, when the saint was V led off to hie death, tt was followed ' by tho sceno representative of the foundation of the Abbey and Monastery ' of St. Albana in 793, by which time th# '; remains of the saint had been discover* ' ed by King Off a; and tJie eight of the™ ,'' vholo company of acton sinking; te V their knees as the Arohbiehop ofC*n« ; terbury reverently raised from ifcr coffin tho skull of St. Alban and held it aloft for veneration, waa striking its solemnity. As a speotaole, however, •■''■'.<!■'. perhaps the fifth episode was the M mo*v ''-' magnificent of all, making •• it did • very forcible impression, for it repre-<f : sentod tho funeral progress of Queeai Eleanor, who died near Lincoln, »ndL/''S'v whose body rested at St. Albans for »'L!\'> night on its way to London. right of the arena, in the far distance* ; could be seen approaching at slow «nd';pvs impressively solemn rate, » long pwW;:%|l* ceseion of headed. by hop with staff, by censers swinging lighted incense, by acolytes bilrieii S lighted tapers. As . tbe oame nearer, on* tii •truck ; th*'#l£ richness" of the colour.; scheme, 'iuJtliiv'^^ 1 church dignitaries wearing kmg either of flaming scarlet, : - or ,of ■■•.th*'Sw. most vivid-violet or of: rich/laa»artn ;r §li blue. 'How dreadful' these ; «r eound, all together. "swear"' at one anotherPOn the contrary, and harmonious, artictio. and> , 'iitJ[Ki||tfff| to a ■ degree, and/ not:,the leMtvtJ'«»Si¥ pioion .of - : Each full ooi>e was breast with, gorgeous - ;-orm*'lM; reent;. of bare, except perhaps for ». slight tection under the so^'rf;the:io<^i ; >WM«| tv re, therefore, this :;i*poss^ ;j 'ptf*is»<%S|| sion 'moving .' with' ,: slow tread, toward the middb'ef th».*r*eg;|l from the - right, to procession making ■'• ii» gy^titf■Klfef||i trance '' from - l»H4«ed, : hpeded : by a at intervale. a dumal UU7ttU*i3 WE saw several horace makiiig;«iryi;ASßi™ ed in Week .'right,tO'the.'^undj"fipi were -drawing the which was. covered with clothMS B| end . hung' : with blaMUfd, •hi«W*il| 1991 palled coffin reeting;on ; v ! ri«ge. Clow behind, came King; lookin&va ssd an^; de>«^'|}sS Hi seated on a black followed; by dames,. wearing black nghly-coloured ing on their he.d. the drees of. the ■ period; atl>*w. t fito<^ai^^ w?men' e^klrte 7 black. cloaks;', «ion' wa. broußht :up-,by iMy.;fr*S*M sentatives' of the otdineryjf while ' the villagers:'in came as BiKK:tAtori.\- : .ln:.th* *lddl#MPi the arena 'tho'riwo^ti and. then tho Abbot of formed' .the'' f^reniohy'-./«f solemnly/ walking , ronnd 1 the'W*Kift( mjjm inconeing it. Thon .aftet>n .ieptWi MM progress . round.'- the funeral Wfjw the procession' wae -to-f frimm Uio clergy, ■ whose viyid visible acros. the whole vast natural stage; tho eiaiy)||M «reaa while' merging' "Dies Irae." : The flraoe: < •»d,ii4ieei «3™ of movement which chara«tert»»d||| H| solemn funeral ■ march to W remembered I it Vμ and -well end, and it-m-a*-proof of ness of the statement ■ of England do.tt(^,kno^:h<HK^|g^ag Pl ßuTlSond '^'^^i^o^m^^M arathig «V^^' : brought us to, the year 1461; second battle, of St. Henry VI. waa restored tq'ii|MianlHi|| Queen .Margaret.;,;tests • of tho' Jbastrians was quite - thrilling, : the mounted .soldiers w«r»'. in the dress of.,t^» ■'. faj/t'l-. being richly sod© was triumph of the..who|B ji eJ«(Nrf»il WTS^m another acroes the arena- a«d«ee*rf_fi tho distant valley; delivering their • flight* , 'bf : they had been used tion all through their.'Uf^ A of men in chain armour of patterns carrying ■ pike* ;*M+'«4k&sMm straago weapons 'and' bae»el<.:*£P«Bl*ii,C|3 in the etree* of th» "oonfWi,ti:fii»|WM citement' througflout --iti intense,-and at it* close th* : »e#rtelv;i#j men of tho victorious h*acmtri*m,iatyw& madly about the extensive indulging in some the banks of the.far-distant .ti^Mm j fW3& very few of the hones, by' took the jump quite olean, ity giving their plunge bath oa their ' hind; splashed into tie. Imposing too in splendour : :Wsi'!filpi'|« visit of Quean Hirilirth" tr''%thj|l' fa bury, accompanied. in.Bt»t#- i ;; ; lqr' ; beautifully-attired conrtier* and -;e*tall*ell dante, ohiefly mounted. At Francis Bacon was a tiny boy ) h* wm'jsm charmingly represented ty a utfaimA£M§ of about-five, years of age. tho hayings of Sir Nicholas ' gardiog the smallnew of hit mmnm*i;: for the acoommodation of so importaet »*ii) a person are historic, s>nd thw» ■- pmtm'CM duly made the most of. Durittf th» progrese of this episode, •out* of couuty ladies and gonfclemee took pnt'Mm in that stately and dignified dance, tsttSf||j Pavane; they were all dressed in Week with white trimmings, or dee in wkttll'pi! with touches of black, the be',as of the richest, an 4 tJM ivere cf course all oorrscdy the ruffles were in the pink of tion, and the hats were of Waektrfve* of high-crowned shspe, plumes. Then, in oontrasi to ts» aieW %if and stately movement of these pm)fi.i>w|p came the bright Morri* daao»,--|>er-. formed by the aforementioned hU&;;*Zsi maidene. with obvious wan a cuiarming spectacle.,iadeed//jw|Mß|i|l was perfectly porformed. -' _' V.^SlflSH