The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-04-24
THE BARD OF AVON.
The Anniversary Of His
Birth.
How the Disciples Of Thespis
Celebrated It.


There was the same old crowd on the
streets last night that always gathers on
every occasion Of this kind. There was the
same hurry and hustle, the same jamming of
big people and little people, excited people
and collected people, the same lost innO-
cents and frantic, miserable searchers that
have, time and time again, been told Of.
There was a general understanding that
there was to be great parade, grand dis
play. There were some people, and qnite
number of them, who knew that the Dis
cples Of Thespis would make their first ap-
pearance, and there were other people, a
limited number of them, that had an idea
who Thespis was, where he sprung from,
and why he had chosen the particular night
for the particular event of his first appear
ance.
As usual, there was considerable specula-
ton regarding what the pageant would rep
resent, and how it would be represented.
There were certain individuals who looked
wise and expressed sage opinions on the
subject, based on the sight which they had
had of mysterious float drawn by two
mules too stubborn to be the same driven
wildly about the streets the night preco
ding by frantic teamster, whose sole object
in life, it would appear, was to make noise
and thereby attract attention.
But all this was cut short by the sudden
appearance of the Disciples away down
Rampant street.
There is for time nothing but lights and
music, but slowly, so slowly the procession
comes on, until at the head can be seen the
book shaped transparency which announces
The Works OF Shakespeare,
"of the greatest dramatic genius that ever
lived" A fit subject it is for pageant on
the anniversary Of his natal day.
1t is a long time to look back over, but
three hundred and ten years ago, on or about
April 23d-the question is open for debate
was born at Stratford- upon-Avon, William
Shakespeare.
His coming into the world created, it is
supposed, the usual commOtion among
friends and sympathizers of the family, al
ways abundant on such occasions; but it is
not recorded that there was more than the
customary excitement.
Biographers give up Shakespeares youth
in despair, and the most important event in
his life, outside of his birth, that is recorded
as being known up to the time he was mar
ried to Ann Hathaway, at the mature and
respectable age of nineteen, is his christen
ing, which took place on the Goth of April
A. d. 1864.
William Shakespeare, it would seem, was
by no means moral youth, for tradition
says that he had to "jump the town." to
escape the consequences Of being detected
in deer stealing. Shakespeares fault, it
would appear, was in being caught, for he
had stolen many other deers, and never got
into trouble.
The present, in this respect, is not much
changed from the o.den times
Shakespeare died in 1916, at the age of
ifty-two, on the 23d Of April (supposed to
be the anniversary of his birth).
At the head Of
THE PAGEANT
comes Thespis, reused from the grave il
which he was placed some time before the
Christian Era. He is dressed in the old
time costume of the Africans, and looks as
fresh as before the day he was laid away to
slumber for 10! these many years.
Th,sPis,
it is stated, and it must Of necessity be
taken tor granted by the present genera
ton, first saw the light in Icaria, in Attica,
and was in fourishing condition few
years B. C.-not many-say about $40.
He is called the Father of Tragedy, for no
known reason save that tradition has hand
ed down the assertion that he wrote plays of
tragical nature. There are some people
that 60 SO far as to deny to Thesps the title
entirely, saying that Cain was the author of
a tragedy short time before Thespis was
born.
Thespis goes by, and gazing down the
carved and white figures of beings that have
been.
The mighty master is there, and on his
right stands History, with her scroll and
pen, recording passing events. On his left
is Painting, with her brush and pallet, while
just in front is Melpomene and Thalia.
Now come the courtiers the warriors,
the rebels and the Commons Of the court
and time of
King Henry w.
The King is here in all his royal state,
seated upon throne. He is a king who
has
Broke cath on oath, committed wrong on wrong,
And, in conclusion, drove us to seek out
This head Of safety, and withAl TO pry
Into his title, the which We and
Too indirect for long continuance.
The noble Earl of Surrey is here, and by
his side stands Warwick. That dropping
figure We know as Lady Percy, the happy