Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-31
GODlyA,s RIDE.
How the old Tradition Was Revived
This Year ut Coventry.

l
described In Tennyson's poem. A CORES
It pondent of the New York Herald writes
/. ,,,, ~ tho oro,, p,r n oood MANY oen
."u' VI 'Ae
! turles past coventry mas peeh ceieora'co III
g and wide for its pageants. The most re
: markable of them IL. of course. the Lad,
I God; va nrocession. TO relieve The people o
taxation Inv her cruel lord. Lady Godiya rod
naked ibroigb The town Such was ibe con
1 dillon he had imposed for the remission o
/ their taxes and such the origin of the custom
, that was today revived
The first pageant In which we can b,
tolerably sure mn imnersonator of the gentle
Countess figured took place in the wear Of
grace 1879 at Coventry fair. The Lad,
, Godiya on tina, occasion was perfectly nude
For those were the times of the ''Merr,
Monarch and his example had been imita
ted in a good many matters of morality
and i'm m ,ralitv. Tho exact details of III,
show have been handed down to us in q
handful of the period. The various com.
pauies of Coventry and the corporation were
represented nv boys or FOLLOWERS" "eacl
compapv having new slreamcrs." Lady
Godya rode before the MAYOR TO ''proclain,
the fair" For sometime after 1878 the
pageant WINS repeated annually with slight
variations.
In 1920 the CORPORATION and the
masters of the civic conpapies took mart in
the fair for the last time. and soon after the
| glory of tho nroccssion hogan TO fade. and
| from being al, annual event became an occas-
| ional one.
Long before this, | need hardly say, the
practice of exhibtinp n nude Godiva to the
crowd which tbronged TO the festival had
| been discarded as contrary to decency and
the law In 1877. after a lapse of several
years, the show was again revived despite
much virtuous opposition; but from that
time till this morning the "Lady," as they
afIectionately call her down here, was seen
no more in the streets of Coventry. A
spirited committee took the matter IN hand
privately some weeks ago. Subscriptions
were invited, money flowed in, and the be-
nevolent neutrality of the MAYOR having been
secured the Lady Godiya show was to. day
revived
The all.important question "Who shall
he Lady Godiva?" had been happily ans
''star" from the Theatrc ROYAL. Astley's-
Miss Maud Forester. She is n blonde,
weighing 1913 pounds, and looking every
pound of it. She carries off her size bravely
when she is on horseback. but when YOU SIT
next her in a draw inr-room. or are privileged
to admire her unmoilpted IN the deshaSjlle nf
Lady Godva costume. her charms 10 GER
tainlv impress an ordinary mortal as slightly
overpoweriug. Miss Forester was proceed
ing to inform me that She had been offered
an engagement by a New York manager.
when an indignant ma,ron requested me moi
to keep the people waiting any longer, and
had to retire.
But there was plenty of fun down stairs in
the courtyard. ST. George mounted on a
steed borrowed from the neighbours green.
grocers. WAS ploomily cursinp A refractory
visor which had fallen over his nose. Earl
Leofric, who seemed i'll at ease ia his purple
velvet. was, anxiouslv strokinp down The
head of "Gothcr Rosinante that was pin. |
ing for oats. Bluff King Hal, with frowniup
vermilion eyebrows was anachromatically |
touching his hat to burly policeman.
When all the rabble of the cottege had been |
at length clad and marshallod the gates of |
the court were thrown open to admit the
gallant gray which was to bear Godiya. lie
looked o vicious beast, although pretty
enough with bis gray trapplngs of crimson
and Veil ow and the noddinr White nlumes
which tickled thu, top of his forehead. But
the little bows outside in the street had bee n |
sticking pins mi o him, and no sooner did the |
Lady" (who had now come DOWN. try to
hitch herself on to The saddle. than he began |
to paw the grc und and slide away to The |
sharp corners, in consequence of which |
antics Stirrup broke and Gouiva had to
wait Till it was mended
AT last her In iyship was seated. The mus |
lin drapery hatl done much for propriety, |
but she was st i'll SO much like real life "un- |
adorned" :ancl SO "adorned the most" that
she:would scarcely have dared to venture ON |
Il stage either in London or Paris. witbou,
adding to her costume She is sipguarly |
fine woman, of rather a pronounce character. |
and sat her horse with a consummate |
elegance which showed she had not thrown
away the experience gained in the circus, |
Then the bands of music scattered at differ
ept points IF the nrncnssion strucl, I'm th.ir
loudest and the bells rang ont from The
Coventry steepcs. A mounted policeman and
a gentleman in scarlet hunting costume were
sent on ahead to clear the way. The Kings
and queens clapped their tinscl crowns on
their heads and clutched their horses names
more firmly, and as the clock struck twelve
in ST. Michael's tower, the cortegc rode for. |
ward, cheered at every slep bv a seethinp
populace.
First came the city guards in the ancient |
armOr belonging to the city. Next the Rugby |
town band and some tiny three.year. odd |
tastefully dressed as princes and |
princesses, on horseback. Then came 81
George, gliltering in scale armor. with n
painted dragon on his chest and lis visor