The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-09-20
A sINauLAR TAnLEAU NIYANr

From time mmemorial sort Of flblsg,, rjy,,,,
representing the Passion and CrucifNion OF onr
Saviour used TO be enacted in the streets Of
Monaco on Good Friday. Abel Rendu gives tho
following graphic description of Il: :-
As the clock strikes nine, the city, illumin itcd
bursts out into blaze Of light aud the chapel of
the palace is seen, decorated as il for festival
tribune and his guards, helmet on head and lance
In hand, open the procession. Christ, renresented
by dignihed inhabitant OF the principaIity. fol-
lows them IN deep ailitction, his eyes suscd with
tears.
The trCaCherous Judas approaches his master
and betra' him to his followers, who bind his
hands, scourgC him with rods, and throw over
him in mockcry the purple robe. Herod, prouder
Of his absurd p'TasOl than pacha OF three tails.
Peter brandishing bis sword MalChus with his
bleeding ear; the chief priests and ancients clam
oring for our SaviOur's blood; PLATE washing his
hands the soldiers casting lots for the garments
OF Christ; and the eXecutioner preparing himself
Tor his cruel Office, all appear in succession Then
Jesus pale and sinking, Is laden with his heavy
creSs, he is nailed to It, and soon gives up the
ghost.
The accusing cock, the cries of death, the
sponge dipped in the gall, the sharp lance, the
weeping Magdalen, st. John and his lamb, are
all represented but that is not enough, the
tragedy soon merges into farce.
A group difficult TO describe unexpectedly pre-
sents itself-it consists Of First Parents of the
Tempter, and of the Angel with the flaming
sword Then come Judith and her maid, ST.
Lawrence and his gridiron, St. PhilOmene and
Apostles.
carrying the various instruments of their MARTYR
dom. In the midst waves the banner of Rome
All these notabilites, resusCtatcd for the occa-
sion, hasten to assist at the solemn inhumation
of Christ.
The body of the Saviour is carried along on
bier, covered bva dais, and surrounded by torch
bearers The drums beat The holy women
weep. The people mutter prayers as the process
sion enters the chapel and escorts the victim TO
his tomb. sermon on the Passion concludes
the strange eXhibtion--soemn and impressive
to the actors, grOtesque and unedfying in the
eyes Of strangers.
About the year 1913 she Bishop Of Nice, shocked
at the profanity of the show, forbade its repcti-
ton, and for some years it remained in abey-
auCe. But under the auspices of the enterpris-
ing NJ. Blanc, the Sacred Mystery has been
revived, improved and utilized, and the Jour
nal de Monaco OF the 27Ih of March, 1864, an-
nounCed that on Good Friday last entirely
new dresses. decorations, and accessories of a
magnificent and ingenious character had been
provided for it at the expense of the Sociefe
AnonyWe de Jelr, which also literally imported
for the occasion brass band, and chartered a
steamboat capable of conveying eight hundred
pilgrims from Nice to the Rock, on the sagacious
calculation that many OF the strangers who came
to scott would remain 70 pray. The description
given by the Journal dc Monaco of the evenings
amusement tallies pretty nearly with that given
by Abel Rendu sixteen years ago with the eX-
CeptOn that, on this last OCCASION large apple-
tree.was borne before Adam and Eve, from which
our first parents plucked apples, and cast them to
he scrambled for by the surrounding crowd as
the procession moved on.