Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-10-02
Tne Lazy e.oaivs Fsssslss

Lady. Godivs, wife of Leofris, SxM Il
Coventry we are told, consented 10 nds
naked through the streets of Coventry m
order to bind her husband to bis word, that
II one female in the city could be found TO do
this he would remit heavy tax laid on the
inhabitants. This event has been duly oele-
brated until seven years back, when the celia.
bration was discontinued. This year the Lady
Godiva procession in Coventry was revived,
and the streets were crowded with excursion
lists and others TO the number of about 13, 600.
The corporation, as formerly, did not sup
port the procession but lent part OF the city
Grmory and banners.
On the chief parsonage, as matter of
course, the chief interest fixes itself and on
this occasion she was represented by "a lady
from the establishment Of Messrs. Sanger, OF
Ashley's Amphitheatre" High noon was APP
pointed for the starting of the procession,
but long before that the blithe clash of bells
from one or other of the churches with the
'three tall spires" made the air musical and
merry, and flags, mostly of tricolor red, white,
and blue. with fringes and tassels dependent,
were flung ont from many houses, and the
paycments were hidden by holiday makers in
holiday clothes Shertly after twelve the
head OF the co,t(ge came into view headed by
two Lurly mounted constables. Behind them
came two heralds in tabards, with trumpets
with bannerets attached, which trumpets they
did not play After the heralds came the
city guards" ten men at arms, who looked
as # they would not have deteriorated by u
months drill in the local militia, disguised in
iron with the helms of CromwelPs ironsides,
all bearing altogether u very warllke ap-
pcaraucc. Next came an elephant with i'm
pertinent trunk and great curious-s shaped flop
ears followed by n younger one, who was
toned down and did not cast his proboscis
about: and in the wake of these geological
giants trotte three camels b0rnessed tandem
to a huge cur carrying the band of Edmunds
menagere which was lately Wombwelrs.
ST George, armed cnp-a-pie, followed, the
explanation Of his presence being that he
81 mt his youth, somewhere in the fourth
century, in Coventry. After him came fol
lowers" The followers are personated by
children, elegantly dressed; and so fresh,
fair. pleased, and pretty did they look that If
there were any lingering prejudice against
the Godiva pageant they surely must have re-
moved IT, Banners in abundance were In the
long cayalcade, banners so many that one
could not follow them, but all were sumptous,
and some 50 fresh in their colors that they
must have been new. Behind ST. George
and his attendant, knight in the white robes
with red cross of the TeInplars, rode or
walked the representatives of the Licensed
Victuallers' Protection Association, John
Barleycorn, with rubicund cheeks and flow
ING tresses; the Volunteer Fire Brigade
many of them on horseback, and their engine
bright and speckless as Captain Shaw could
demand, and an admirably got-up ire-king
standing over them, and behind the Odd
Fellows, Druids, United Patriots and Fore
sters The Foresters were very imposing
there were representatives on horseback III
exact attire of Robin Hood, Maid Marian,
Will Scarlet, Little John, and Friar Tuck.
The companies of the city followed, the
Overs, conspicuous by section OF fol
lowers" in vivid verdigris green, ghstening
with gold The yeomanry and the volunteer
bands, with party Of fremen in brass helmets
and on horseback, surrounded Godiva the
cynosure of every GLANCED Seated on q cream
colored horse, caparisoned with spsngled
white cloth and bearing q scarlet and white
plume on her head, 1.-THE lady representative
of the naked countess, simply covered with
feshingsc. bore herself gently and meekly, as
if she really might have acted the great part
that is handed down by tradition. Godiva
was succeeded by train of personages great
in rank or intellect, or in the creation of in
tellect. such as the Black Prince, Richard H.,
Henry ", and the bluff monarch Hal,
with Elizabeth in her ruff, and Mary OF Scots
in her Golf, VIII Shakespeare (who was re-
ceived with cheers and plump Jack Falstaf,
and, with many gaps and solutions Of con.
tinuity, the wind-up of the cavalcade arrived
in the shape of grand pastoral grouping on
q car drawn by four horses, ridden by pos
tillions in saffron, typifying the life and
Lahore If Arcadia