Year: 1877

For eight hundred years and odd the
people of Coventry have kept with pomp the
memory Of the day when Countess Godiva
'clad in her own innocence" rode through
its streets that she might do away with the
vexing tax that Earl Leofric had put upon
it. Tennyson's exquisite poem is the only
knowledge which many of US have Of the
brave and beautiful Lady who knew not
shame. But as strong and picturesque as
the measures of the modern poet is the
sinewy English of the old chronicler who
quantity says that ''the Countess Godiva
bearing an extraordinary affection to
Coventry often and earnestly besought her
husband that, for the love of God and the
blessed Virgin, he would free it from that
gIievons servitude whe1eunto it was subject;
but he, rebuking her for importuning him
in manner so inconsistent with his profit,
commanded that she should thenceforth
forbear to move therein; yet she, out of her
womanish pertinacity, continued to solicit
her; insomuch that he told her if she would
ride on horseback, naked, from one end of
the town to the other, he would grant her
request. Whereunto she answered, But will
you give me leave so to dol? And he replying,
yes the noble lady, upon an appointed day,
got on horseback, naked, with her hair loose,
so that it covered all her body but her legs,
and thus performing the journey, returned
with joy to her husband, who therefor
granted to the inhabitants charter of free
dom.'


The ride whereby Coventry gained its lib
erty has been repeated in the town for CEN
turies. On the fourth Of June of each year
a daughter of the place clad in a close-fitting
linen suit-apparently modern substitute
for the innocence of the generous dame
rides through the streets escorted by the city
guard in ancient corporation armor and by
various legendary and historic personages
such as st. George, Robin Hood, Maid Mar
ian and Friar Tuck, combination of saint
and freebooter as remarkable as that sug-
gested by Randolph. But this year there
was much opposition to the pageant from
many sources. The pre-Raphelites insisted
that the linen costume was not historically
correct and that the representative of the
Patroness should appear with no covering but
her own long hair. There were objections to
this proposal however, and it had few sup
porters. Others wished to cling to the very
text of the legend, and claimed that at the
stroke of noon the people should hide in the
houses and veil their eyes. 1t was contrary
to all accepted tradition, they argued, that
every man in town should make Peeping
Tom of himself. But there was great out
cry against this reasoning, ,and only two men,
one blind and the other bed-ridden, accepted
it. Still others wished to do away with the
show altogether as useless and absurd. The
opponents Of the pageant however were so
divided among themselves that their objec-
tions were of no avail, and on the fourth Of
June the pageant came off. The Patroness
from whom the brutal caprice of Leofric ex-
acted the memorable act was personated by q
young circus rider who wore bodice and
skirt of white silk, white lace veil, and the
golden hair traditionally ascribed to Lady
Godiva, If the noble deed of the high-born
dame is thus to be travestied it is as well to
do away with the observance forever,