The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-06
REX
THE GREATEST DAY PAGEANT YET
PRESENTED IN NEW ORLEANS,
A Gorgeous and Artistic Burlesane on
a4s. Heathen Mythology, Witnessed by
Countless Mnltitudes.

ia. Heathen Mythology, Witnessed by
Countless Multitudes.
The weather was all that could have been
desired for the grand parade of the gre at King,
Rex who, for several years, has placed New
Orleans under his protectorate, and selected
the Crescent City for his annual celebra tion of
Mardi Gras PhBbus seemingly de sirous
of proptiating the occasion as far as in his
power lay, shone in all his brightness, and
Zephyr profnsey lent gentle puffs to dissipate
the effects Of the too ardent rays Of the sun.
About noon, amidst the respectful shouts
and enthusiastic plaudits OF the countless
multitude that formed living wall all along
both sides Of the streets, heralded by the
blare Of trumpets, the clash Of cymbas and
the warIike armony Of brass instruments
advanced the procession Of Rex, 50 long and
anxiously expected by millions Of loving
subjects.
The march was opened by detachment Of
royal troops, whose brightly polished arms.
splendid uniforms and admirable discipline
shone as an example to other soldiers, and
showed how superior in appointment is the
army of Rex to the hordes which are entertain
cd by other potentates with money wrung from
the sweating brows Of ofoppressed nations. These
soldiers do not fight or parade for pay-it is
all for the love Of the thing, and that patriotic
burning In the breast which prompts young
men to brave the darts Of Apollo and tho
suffocating dust of Cybele SO that fair ones
may smile upon them from exalted balconies,
and children with their nurses may be made
gleefully ecStatie.
| rhrf,, han Ie this rrtInr r5 Tyf
detachment from the Orleans Battalion Of
Artillery under command Of Capt. Sanbola,
two companies OF Col. Borland's regiment, in
their handsome suits OF gray, and company
of the Kings Own, attired in new uniforms
of blue and gray kepis.
| Following these sturdy warriors came the
famous kings Of whom Homer sang In Inn
mortal verse, all seeming rather improved
than deteriorated by old age, treading the
| ground with that elasticity Of movement and
carrying themselves with that martial aban-
don and nonchalant grace of which heroes
and demi gods alone have the secret.
On they came, graceful and majestic resus-
citated from the fields OF Elysium by the
| indefinite power OF Rex,
Prothsanar, the leader OF the Boetians,
AscaIaphus, renowned for his strength; Epis-
trophus the Phoeian chief; fierce Ajax and
Tydedes, chief Of tho Argives; Menelaus, the
unfortunate Spartan King; the wise Nestor
from Pylos; bold Agassenor, the Arcadian
6rete; Crete the fiery Achilles, swift q foot, chief
Of the M Myrmidons; Medon, Of Lenlnos, and
many others invincible In the field as well as
wise in council.
which belongs alone to him, came In mag
nifieent chariot, drawn by four milk-white
steeds, the king OF men, our own
BELOVED REX,
who had deigned for the occasion to take the
form and royal paraphernaiia OF Agamefn-
robes Of the great Atrides become the god
like shape OF the immortal Rex, and cheer af-
ter cheer rang in deafening enthusiasm from
the crowd Of subjects that pressed on the gor-
geous sides of his triumphal car.
To show that he rs as terrible TO his enc
mics as "debonnaire'' towards his law-abiding
people, behind him rode, heavily chained, two
Asiatc rnonarchs, his prisoners OF war. These
clan warriors, with resplendent arms and
faces flushed with recent victory.
The Buriesqne.
JovE THE THUFDERER.
He whose all-conscious eyes the world behold,
Th' eternal thunderer sat enthrond In gold
e HsroiGally ST. stradding y, monster r. eage,
Of Olympus, shying his bronzed thunder at
the heads Of the multitude.
The form under which Comus represents
MIN SHOWS tnAt
'Joye can't resist tho testers cries
4 They bring him down cen from the skies"
to present him in the shape Of a fat greasy,
bloated, cross-eyed, barefooted old codger,
over whose shoulders the mantle OF divine
royalty has been thrown. His nnkempt
|! beard and bnshy hair cOntrasted ludicrousIy
with the glittering, jeveed crown encircling
| his brow.
The fumes of bad whisky seem to pervade
the atmosphere around him, and truly even
T,lnn t1rb, hnun 6ft undo
| the influence OF nectar, would scarcely have
recognized her god-like spouse
! JUNO.
| -"Jovisaue
Et soror ct eonjux."
| Then came the beauteous and Jealous Juno,
| on q gorgeous chariot drawn by three pea
cocks, with outspread tails
The bending ct ncaye formed an arch bsfore;
| Silver the beam, the extended yoke was gold,
| And golden reins the immortal courserB hold"
AS the apparition gAdes through cerulean
mists,
Tho car behind an arehng figure bore"
looking for all the world the counterpart of
Madame de Pompadour as she is pictured In
her rich robes and characteristic head gear,
eurrnounted by a diadem, and welding the
thoughts OF the Bastile- From the deter
mined looks Of the goddess one would think
that Jove, though q thunderer, had found his
match in the Queen OF Heaven.
| She was followed by
| NHPTURE
Shaking his trident. urges on his steeds.
| Who, with two feet. beat from their brawnY
| breasts
The foaming bIllows, but their hinder parts
| Swim and go smooth against the curling surge
IL
High on the waves his azure car he guides,
| us axles thunder and the sea subsidies,
And the smooth ocean rolls her silent tides"
This car is hailed with shouts Of laughter,
| the point between the sublime and the ridicu-
ious having been happily hit The vast coach
OF the God Of Waters is drawn by four horses,
with dolphin tails beating the waves: a
typical son OF Erin, with his dudeen ernerg-
ing from the corner OF his mouth holds the