New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-02
MIDDLE AGES REVIVED
Transformation of the Latin
Quarter of Paris.
Paris, June 90.


inhabitants OF the Latin Quarter and the
surrounding district on the afternoon OF
Friday, June Is. Twelve mounted her.
aids, bearing trumpets and clad In Co.'S
tunes of the thirteenth century. an
nounced to the surprised public at each
corner that on the two following days
would be celebrated the ancient "fete du
Lendit."
The "fate du Lendit" had its origin,
dating back to the earliest Middle Ages,
in a penitential pilgrimage to saint
Denis. Just outside Paris. where now
Glands tho celebrated mausoleum OF the
French kings. The clergy, characters
tically Selling upon the opportunity Oh
deriving practical advantage from ,he
zeal of the faithful, were wont 70 repair
thither in solemn procession in order u
sell nieces of the Cross which had peen
broueht back from Jerusalem in 1loS
Merchants Of different orders soon
learned to profit by this excellent chahce
of selling their wares, and the IeIe ou
Lendit" rapidly became one OF the most
i'm norta Mt fairs in the district surround
INC, tho capitaL Thus it came about that
each year the university. conducted III
uornp by the rector, came to purchase
simply OF parchment. AS, however, the
student body was at that time no less
ehuIlient and rollicking than at present,
their yearly visit gave rise to CONSIDER
ahli4. disorder-so much so that in the
sixteenth century the various ceremonies
were suppressed and the great "fete
gradually degenerated into a "banal
country fair.
Following the trend of movement
which has arisen in the last few years.
ord has become especially marked iaieH5
e. revive old French traditions and GUS
.o,,e etieed by the new spirit of democ-
acv and "egalite,' certain section VI
the student of Paris Determined "
rosuscitate this picturesque ceremony
,o,,oiri,g however, within their own
territory.
Thus it was that on the evening u
Saturday. June II. the Place du ran
theon presented a scene OIL ur
hustle and brilliancy. The massive pro-
rortions Of the stately temple loomed
;nnresslvely grand in the blue ana eiee"
glare Of the "feux de Bengale' aS nun
areds of students, in the charactell''',
81, of the different faculties anu
7.,,oo,. assembled for torchlight pro-
..,o, which wendell its way down 'ile
gev boulevard Saint Michel ana iii oue .
tho ouaiut old streets or the Moh'as ~
e,a,,ta cenevieve. At the main corners
tho onarter orchestras were statioheu'
- ,,o ronulation, with the gayety anu
"o,train" that only the French are oep"
-, % danced on the streets I'LL the VIC
81, hours" The cafes and Sidewalks
S. 81 orovded with good humored foiK'
I'm, in the 10y of the younger genera
ton. only regrettinS that they couiu mo-
+ho,,selves. on account OF dignity 10 DC
maintained, or, perhaps certain sun
,,ose If limb, trip the proverbial hsht
fantastic toe" Everything combined 10
-, Tho snectacle one Of soul-refresh-
ing gayety-the clear June night' n'aoe
bright by the Nominations; the prolu-
sion of flowers, to be had for penny
bunch from black eyed damsels lrresist-
TIL, yyinsome. and. above all, the good
t,,r,or Of the crowd: for the French
when "out for fun" are as merry ana
iovous as the Partisan mob mas SHOWN
itself grim and ferocious when its inter-
csts were at stake.
II was on the following afternoon
however. that the characteristic cere-
rony took place-the historic procession.
Some hundreds of students, all IN tnlr-
teenth century dress. paraded the streets,
preceded by detachment of me kepup-
licon Guard. First came the heralds,
then the mem alarms, with steel heimetS
and coats of mail, and the archers ana
knights, many of whom had with lhem
on horseback young women or the quar-
ter I'm costumes of the period. The Pro-
vost and magistrates, in their red robes
and ermine, followed, and lastly the
"roi de Ia Basoche," rendered so famous
by Hugo's "Notre Dame" accompanied
nv a grotesouely clothed horde of rlotous
students. Down the "Bour Mlch',' past
the gardens Of the Musee de Cluny-in
which the old. weather worn statues or
the Middle Ages seemed to be startled at
the strange familiarity Of the figures,
whose like had not been seen for CEN
turies-through the narrow, winding Rue
do In Huchette and the Rue de la Bu-
cherie. past the ancient school OF medl-
Gina. OF world wide fame, now trans
formed into a students club, and on TO
the Place Maubert, of CHASTITY memory
which was, in the days Of Villon, at
once the place of public executions and
the general rendezvous of the more adj
venturous students, who doubtless felt a
certain grim pleasure in thus showing
their carelessness Of the laws majesty
and I'D the Montague Salnte Genevieve
a gain to the Place du Pantheon.
On the Place were various attrac-
lions of the Middle Ages-peep shows,
acrobats' booths and others OF similar
nature-and a children's ball In the
evening, dancing i'm the streets again.
and IL was not until almost daybreak
that the crowd OF merrymakers dis
pused, heartily congratulating one an
other on the happy idea of the revival
of the tote du Lendit.' c. /. b.