The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-27
GREAT PLANS FOR
LONDON PAGEANT
Object Lesson in Picture OF Stir
ring Events Will Be
Presented.
CHEER FOR OLD CHANGER
To End III Glory Portraying En-
pirc Whose Power Has
Not Waned."
CHEER FOR OLD CHANGER
Especial Gable to Tho Times plspatoh.1

Especial Cable to Tho Times-Dispatch.1
London, February 26.-Tho Pageant
of London, which is to be performed
this summer. Will be a noble object
lesson OF stirring events. and Will at
the beginning revive in living pictures
the days OF Roman London. There
are still standing parts of that Roman
wall which was laid when the hawks
eyes of Roman generals Gazed over
the valley OF the Thames
one will see sacrifice offered to
Diana. and understand why in the
British Museum to-day there are
crumbling little statues of the great
goddess. found in the slime Of Lon
don mudbankS Then tho old ghosts
scene.
The Saxons had to fight for their
liberties against the Danes. who. again
and again, burnt up to the gates OF
London Bridge, and could get no
further But at last. as the old
nursery rhyme tells, London Bridge is
broken down." and over the lakes OF
tho Crystal Palace the spectators win
see model OF the great bridge break
in the middle. and it's defenders hurled
into the water. where those who are
not drowned arc prodded by the spears
OF the fcrocious Danes storming the
last defense OF London. The Viking
Club OF London is to arrange this
scene. which will end with the pass
Ing OF the dead Olaf up tho river.
Last of the snxons.'
Harold, "the last OF the saxons,"
marches out OF the city with his Lon
don archers, but comes not back gain.
1t is William OF Normandy who comes
next to London, with those knights
who share the good land OF England
for their spoil.
Norman chivalry reigns here also,
and the citizens turn out on holidays
to watch the jousts in Cheapside. Tho
and his beautiful queen, Phillippa. and
to the applause OF great multitude
the victors of the tourney receive their
prizes.
SO the pageant will pass on from
scene to scene. There VIII be a cheer
for old Chaucer IS he rides out with
his Canterbury Pilgrims, and for Dick
Wilmington as he goes with young
King Richard to face Wat Tyler and
the sturdy rebels OF Kent
Henry V. will come in triumph 10
his loyal London after Agincourt, and
surely somewhere behind him We shall
sec old Falstaff that ton OF flash"
and Bardolph OF the flaming nose.
The War Of the Roses and the
passing OF medIaevalism will appear
on the living scroll of history. and
then comes that great quickening of
London life and OF London ideas. when
the veil is rolled back from the New
World, and when the citizens OF Lon
don see Sebastian Cabot. who sailed
with men of Bristol city westward
Ho.' and came back TO Henry SII
with tale of great discovery.
Then Comes bluff" King Hal.
bluff King Hal. pluckins his red
beard. and counting up his murdered
wives on his fat fingers, will sit
watching the sports of his merrie men
in London. and the archers of Fins
bury Fields tip their arrows with
whistles SO that they sing as they
fly.
The Virgin Queen follows in the
golden days of England, and she Will
be seen passing to her coronation with
all those gallant gentlemen who made
love to her in verse and prose. and
hid their wives from her. and turned
the other check, or swora in their
spade boards, when she boxed their
cars
Shakespeare and his players n.
Banksidc show tho glories OF the Eng.
l.sh theatre in its greatness. Poor
littie Princess Pocahontas, received
by jamie with his loll!ns tongue, and
by that gallant dog Steenie," on
whose shoulders he leans, will be a
reminder of the empires birth when
Raleigh dreamt Of an imperial Eng
land, and lost his head in trying 10
make the dream come true.
The pageant passes. Old London
gives place to the new with great
plague and great fire. History moves
quickly. There is no time for all the
great scenes. London hears the news
OF VOTES heroic death on the Heights
of Abraham, and of Canada added to
the empire; and Captain Cook leaves
Leptford for the South Seas. IT IS the
way to Australia and New Zealand.
London gives its blood and its money
IN the great French War, and after
Waterloo London goes mad with ioy
and settles down to the great peace.
Ends i'll ~ Pageant OF Empires,
go through the centuries, London
pays her great part in English and
Imperial history, and this pageant
WRlch summons up old ghosts will end.
as 1t should end with "The Gathering
OF the overseas Dominions ana tn.
Mother Country" and pageant a,
empire, showing London still great.
sim the throbbing heart OF a treat
people, whose destinies are NOT Vol
ended. and whose power has not YER
waned ~
Briefly. here is the plot OF the great
Pageant or London. which will be
enacted this summer at the CRYSTAL
Palace. with Frank Iascclles as
pageant master.