The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-09
MOMUS.
THE GRAND PAGEANT.
The Knights of Menus in
u Deyilish Good Satire.
Living Pictures Illustrated
by DemOnology or the
Commonwealth
of Hades.

The godu MocktfY ana Seheute. NE the seas
goes, he was chosen by Neptune, Minerva and
Vulcan to decide upon the merits of Their re-
speetiyc work., and, censurpg than all, he was
kicked out OF Haven.
tincs then, the tradition is, Ia has dwell upon
earth repinipg not at al over his exile, but play
ing among naurtals the prauks his iamiliars in
high Olympuy 10. used 10 tolerate, and having
withal
sA very merry dancing, drinking,
Iau Ching, gu. fipg, and uhhinhtng time.
Our god ID not much given 10 uns1eauipg nirtb,
or to whtt IL called Innocent pleasantly. HIS VII
has over q sting, ard hia buuloE IL full OF satire
and rniLiery, and the weaknesses ne "e!la crimes
af men are The subjects he loves best TO az pct
In ha pageants. This year no hah choset MS the
subject OF hi4 mocktry a series OK eVou's vnliap-
pity familiar to US all. being nothing CHE than
the rorruptions and frauds that Lave cons ,ituted
the hiaiu,y 81 the administrator Of Grant. Fol-
lowing 80 OFT trick OF Virgil and Dante, he has
visited L AIDES aud summoned thence the princes.
po,o tEse3 aad powers OF the Kingdom OF Bark
noas 10 :, oolise In all their hdeous deformil!,
the crilnos he had witne, sed upon Earth. Sur
rounded By all the lurid pomp OF He'll, We saw
faoes ioDg familiar to US.
The Beelzebub that sat high upon his throne
OF state bore marvellous resemblance to Grant,
while in the ministers about him we recognized
ceuntenances that told too plainly the theme OF
the satirich god.
Before entering upon the minute details OF the
representation, it may be of interest TO Tho read
or to learn some thing Of the general design. as
well 81 tho source from which 1t was drawn. De-
monoiegy plays prominent part III all The old
religions OF the East. More ancient in India than
tho VedaF, II has maintained itself alike ia Brah-
pninisn, Buddhism and 1slam,sm 1t is also
found among all the nations OF Northern Europe,
snd traces OF it are found ev~n among the Chris-
tiana. Milton and Goethe, in Paradise Lost and
Faust ayai.pd Themselves OF ite weird md fam
taste legendp. Indeed, 1t IL only within very
lew yeai, that dempnology has ceased to COM
mand this faith of men Of education aud intellect.
paans old Bur on, who wrote in the beginning
Of tho eeyeutt enih century. has left long Dis
QUESTION upon the nature and power OF demons,
La which he says in all seriousness, show far the
power Of rpri,s and devils Goth extend IL &C.
rious question, and worthy to he considered"
But he was not the last solemn but learned au-
thori.y upon this queer superstition. Almost
Within our own day witches were burned in pious
and godiy New England for being possessed OF
these evil spirits. Indeed, the spirtualism OF
the present dsy is scarcely anything more than
fpecies Of demonology.
In the representation this year, M0mus has
adopted the elaborate system OF orders aud
ranks, and he general order Of the demoniacal
commonwealth, as given by Johannes Wllrus and
other tundits Of the fifteenth and sixteenth CEN
turies A ,;snersl outline OF this state structure
NAV BIZ found in Tho "BDok ct Days. in the
ehapter on December 20. Theee demon ptinces
and officers state are made to assume the
ooun.enanets u the various villains that have
taken conspicuous part in tina; vast dfdoit7se
called Grsntlsm.
First in the proct salon came
vcracief,
Master Of Ceremonies, who's, duty, according to
the deuonographers, twas to cDlvey the WI ches
10 the ssbsatt OH the "wld Walpurgis night"
This Off ,ial was clad in his robes OF state an .
mounted Oh a aorgeousy appare ed charger
BY II most cru.l but appr pirate irony he was
made TO assume tho phyaiognomy OF
Gen. Lewis Dent,
one If the obirueive brothers.ia-law. The lko-
ness was g very strll ng one. and must have met
The recognition IF all to whom sight of the
gorgeous original had ever bsen vouchsafed.
Following this dienitary cane
Leonard,
also mounted, and clad 10 his official robe as To-
spector general or Magic and sorcery, and
Grand Master of the sabbst, Knight OF the
Fly Master Leonard. in his favorite gu'se OF a
three-horned goat, presides at the witches TAB
bat, and on W&lpurgis night stolen children are
supposed to be brought to him, and made to
swear, through their aod-parents, TO renouoce
God, the Holy Virgin, and the Saints, and are
marked By one oil his horns with the sign OF their
noyitiate Upon this occatiou he forswoIe his
usual form, and assumed set OF villainous
features that bore striking resemblance to one
Alex. R. shepherd,
az Washington real estate pool noto,ie:y. This
worthy rode Immediately IN front Of tie
FIRST OAR.
which was devoted to the
Department Of stair.
In chair Of state, placed Oh dais raised
upon an octagonaI car, sat the great
Adramaleci,,
Grand Chancellor Of his Iofernal Majesty
Bee,zebub, and Grand Gross OF the Knight!
Ter Of the Flv. He too appeared in cour
n. DC, while in front of him, at the foot OF >bi
,oasn. state, o demon secretary was enthrsi
,hair os nping the broaa seal OF state upol
.at,cally ssa. ,ment. Perhaps it was devilIsi
an official doc ede this imp assume the feat
On Fish,
hees " on' Esanrsll. ~cumstance nothing i,
but ws could lee IN the @. 'sof things" w
siol.sion Of tbe "euraal f;ne> sol the demon
- sod at the ,ssglessnsA alf that for
.x.,v xro,,..... -al bltsA
shss would Willingly take ~.
,ssa;nr countenai o.
aiao'ns ~ SECOND CAR.
Depart.nen: OF Finance Aiss
- 'a ~ an iron safe, - ~
lbs osa d large le,lers .siael Friday -
VS. inscr'1sa !. = II 10 cd,ng. aid ont 81 tne
w