HISTORY HERSELF AGAIN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 9

HISTORY HERSELF AGAIN.

■'..;■;; /TAGEANT- OT- LONDON. • v. V; ■ : 'After, niuch. historical' researph, tlie.iull list • lias';.been'.' coinpletcdvof scenes. for '.the!■ great •'pageaiit'>of'tondbn.';-''Heart ; of'theEmpire," tb.Vloe the central feature'; of 'the > Festival', of Empire at -the. Crystal- Palace .next 'summer. , "'Fifteen thousand, persons ..will take part. ' . V

The -pageant-., will, be (divided into three parts, of eight scenes each, arid will open with>th6 Ancient' Britons- in prehistoric London.'. In thisscene .will.be introduced the only 'character' in. tlie ..pageant- ; for , whose''.'au thenticity ■>' the ';• histprians'''.will not.lμ Tcsponslble^rKing! Eudr'A{tcr/ v this scene conies' the' Eonian occupation;' and in Scene 3 will be shown the life ; of Saxon London, and'a citizens'.Folkmoot.

. One of the most'dramatic scenes of the whole :pageait'will be' : provided by.": the representation of .the.Daiiish ; invasion in' .the largo lakes of. the Crystal Palace: The ■journey of;the Danes up;-the .Thanies will bo -rfrenacted,' and. spectators:' wilL'.seo .London 'Bridg(j—the great obstacle tho enemy had to contend in tho ■middle, and the defenders hurled into the •.water. The scene,-which closes with, the passing of the dead Olaf up the river, will be. superintended' by, the Viking Club. . .'■ ThVfinnl picture in Part 1..wi1l show a tournament in Cheapsido- before Edward 111. and Queen Philippa. ;■: Lord Eoboi-ts will supervise.'the military.' de-. tails, and Mr.. Walter Crane will design the co'stuines. . .''■■'■■ ""; ' - ' ..: ."■■:•■'

~The "second part, of the- pageant opens with a dramatic rendering of Chaucer's Caiiterbury Pilgrims;, and. is followed: by Wat Tyler's descent ;upon the, city.-Then will come the return of Henry V., after : his defeat, of the French .in 1415, and. tho presentation of a petition:,to. tao House of Lords '-.by '.women of Lpndan.; ' i 'i The -final,- part will xomhiencb: 'with Shakespeare'' and. his; play's: at Bankside- 1 . a scene: which ! will bo superintended by Mr. Sidney Lee. The'beginnings of. Empire and ■ tho piissing of- Old :London with; the Great Plague and'the'Fire■ will fol-.' low,'' and the'.-whole pageant 'will- be wound up by the'. "gathering of the chit, dren round the mother." ; '> y ~-> /.'