THE WONDROUS PAGEANT AT COLCHESTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 80

THE WONDROUS PAGEANT AT COLCHESTER.

♦ By E. P. Prentys. : (Special to the Witness.) ' Perhaps in no other land are the cities ' more deeply steeped in romance and tragedy— in aP that makes for the drama ' of life— thaai are the cities of England. Chief among them/ on account of the stir- ' ring an-d poetic times through which it hae 1 parsed, stands Colchester, the oldest town in England, on the site of which the first ' British colony was founded 550 years be- ' fore Christ. Colchester has been invaded ( by the Romaans, ravaged bj the Danes', ( possessed by the Saxons, and conquered i 4>y the Normans. It has suffered,, the dis- " ! e?nsions of civil war and withstood eeven l sieges. Earthquakes have ' shaken its ■ fourvd-ationi;, and plagues decimated its ( galalnt people. Then there was the- glory < of military triumphs, royal visits, and nuptials celebrated in what was Britain's 1 capital for five oentirries — all was made 1 incarnate in the wonderful, historic f pageant. s Onoe xgain thi setting could hardly ( have been excelled. The huge grand "' <-tand, &lightly cincular, faced upon a ] smooth stretch of ground which gradually * undulates towards the river, banking which is a raided, winding path, follow" f ing the bend of the sta-eam, and losing itself among th 3 stately trees. Beyond, ' again, are peaceful hills, upon which the l life of England Is displayed. Some hills were green with waving wheat, in others r haymaking operations had already com- s menoed, yet others lay fallow, the rich chocolate foil making a dark botch of * colour among the vivid green of June. a Over all was sunlight, brilliant sunlight, t glittering oa lh<? crowds of the panorama, tho goige-uis robes of queens, the chain aimour, t'-i? weapons, the white pillarr of the Uiceco-Roman temple. , Every incident in the amazing concep- '< tion was based either on authentic history V or wel'-founded local tradition. Events m've dt'asl, and in thi-ee hours thf pagea.nt 1 lciehed its grand, ever memorable conclusion. ' It opened lightly. Cymbeline. his queen l! and courtLetfe, and a group of Britons were shown keenly interested in» three -^ mpicliants wlio had brought wares from Plicenieia. "rich fabrics, woven of camel's hiir, a.nd gems with all the fire of the e intern "-un in them, and ma, /it. ua well." n Suddenly a me?.-eno£i- hiuled himself from the distant trees, dashed do\Mi the

slope, and .flung himself &b Qymbeline rsfeet. His- cry of "Woe! woe!" attracted tVS people even, from the discovery and tasking of the first oysters j bhey thronged exoitedly about him. "To arms I — to arms! Aulus Plautius is upon us Trith his legionaries." All was instantly haste and confusion ; the women ram hither and thither, some weeping and wringing their hands, others helping the men to bind on their armour. But white j they were yet preparing the enemy swept upon them from eyery eide, and the laet little handful of Britons was overpowered* Almost immdiately the geat Roman Emperor Claudius (himself <pia» upon the scene to receive tike triumph his sol* diets, under Plautius, 'had secuired. This formed the premiere of the great processions. > First rode a detachment of Roman soldiery in armour, then marched greyj bearded magistrates in purple robes, trunw . peters in white tunics with scarlet girdles, j thongs binding their legs, sounding a , ' jubilant paean as they passed, singing girla [ in- varying shades of ohrpme, dstacing girls 'in roseV lavender,. andv>mauv«, boys «wing- ! ing censers ; then"; in sharp contrast, slaves , 'in chains. Again a change — white oxen ■led by .garlands, their horns gilded for^, 4he saprince, children scattering roses, and - pth©»:gwat ;Clauditiß- in his circular, trium- *.' I phal ca-r drawn by four white horses led . by Nubians. As he descended from his 1 chariot the great' assembly bowed to the . j ground, and lie passed through kneeling crowds to make his offering at the temple, a' solitary, splendid, warlike figure, typical ,oi .power , and despotism. , . . .--i. - Then the Emperor desired information concerning the newly conquered land, and! j two soldiers brought a prisoner before "How call you this plaoe?" asked dau« dius. ■ ' j " Ca,malaunuidtin— the town on the huj at the winding of the river^ answered the prisoner, standing as' proudly as the Roman. "Into the- duet!" crued" Claudius fieroely. " Thou art speaking to a god !'| "I have not learnt to bow to the "foe," came the quick retort, as the Briton folded his manacled arms. " Slave !" exclaimed the Roman, lunging ai him with a dagger. "Thou — Emperor," gasped the prisoner as be fell, " great Caesar . . mighty lord of the world — within a year— thou too — shall be carrion!" He stiffened out in last convulsions, and soldiers raised him high on their shoulders to carry him to the river \as. Claudius -turnsd- with a scornful laugh", unheeding of the prophecy. "This Camulcdlunam/' h: began to a magistrate^"was it soothe fool called it?!' • " Such is^ its name, since Claudius utters it," replied the trembling greybeard. But C«sai-'s jthoughts were turned by the entrance of a runner bearing news from Rome that Agrippina and Nero were conspiring for the Emperor's overthrow. "My chariot! ... To Rome 1 To vengeance!" cried the infuriated Claudius, shouting brief orders to the legions lue left behind as he sprang upon the car. "Rule them with iron — show no mercy !" But, as the leaders knew well, the ■vteterans were growling already. There must be blood-letting to keep them loyal. Accordingly, the most untruly were led off on raiding expeditions, the rest remained to guard the captive B»itons. Their attention was distracted from their task by the dancing girls, left behind 1 by Claudius ; unnoticed, the Britons crept together. To them oame a man in the guise of a pedlar, bringing word that Boa-dioea was near. Meanwhile the dancing girls ranged themselves across the arena in line of shading yellow. Before them bounded! and sway-ad the leader, a scarlet-clad? maiden with bare feet and antiound hair. Small wonder that the legions forgot their scorned prisoners in watching the poatry of their motions. Suddenly weird cries broke out. Someone yellsdi that it was the groan of dead man rising from their graves; the statue Df Victory crashed * forward '. from thfetemple steps, and wailing, black-robed, ghastly -figures flitted across the arena, striking, terror into -'the -hearts of the superstitious. ' At the* same instant ihe • British ■ turned upon their fear-stricken ■ • ronquerors, yelling y/ B6adicea ! Boadi-* ' jea!" Af they shouted, Boadicea herself appeared — a" gallant form vn royal purple, with red gold hair falling to her knees. She galloped fuwouflv down upon the started Romans, driving three coal-black :har^3is. Her blwe-painted, ekin-clad ivarriors charged with her, and this Romans fir&t gave ground, th-en fled irt terror. For an instant the Queen rein«d in her iery f-toed<3. "Ye ar« slaves no more!" she cried. 'Leave their temole to rot. I oumraon )ack the old godV . . But I cry rsngeance, and thrke vengeance ! Cease lot from slaughter nr.itil every Roman be lain. ... To Londinium-" "To Londinium !" shouted the multi;ude in quick echo, and they ' &urged Lroiuid her as she drove off to lead them o victory or death. (To be continued.)

- Tom : "I confess I'd prefer riches to 3vo. A kiss, for instance, may . be 6weet, put it isn't worth anything." Dicfc: "Well, t's always worth its face valuje." i'here was a sound of agony by night Of sneezing, wheezing, groaning, and of tears ; t woke adjacent slumberers in a fright And made them quake with superstitious fear= ; ret 'twa6 no spook that rent the midnight air, Or ghost, or . goblin 'scaped from. sepulchre — Fnas onl\ Binks. declanning in despair; Hi 3 coM was wor=e, and he'd no Woods' Peppermint Cure.