Show OLD tia I 1 XMAS the wild wila rv 1 andul indulged I 1 e a in former centuries ill iii spite of clerical protests protest in spite of anathemas ana themas in spite of the condemnation of the more thoughtful and ami the more virtuous christinas in the earlier days clays frequently reproduced all the worst J orgies tile the debauchery and indecency of the bacchanalia and the saturnalia says the new york journalist journal st even thi ihn clergy were whirled in the vortex A special celebration called the feast of fools had bad been instituted in their behalf with a view said ead the doctors of the church that the folly which is natural to and born with us might exhale at least once a year if even among the clergy heathen traditions survived so strenuously what wonder that tile they survived eur among the laity the wild revels indeed of the christmas period in olden times almost stagger belief license was carried to the fullest extent of licentiousness even in the seventeenth century when the festivities haj bad been slightly n toned down master discovered in ill them the Yet vestiges of paganism which are apparent enough to the historians of today to day if we compare 7 hesayo he says in the history our bacchanalian christmas and new years tides with willi these saturnalia and feasts of janus we shall find aeh near alfin affini itye tye between them both in regard of time they acin being 0 both in tile end of december and on the bt of january and in their heir manner solemnizing solemn izing both beim being 6 spent in re velling 0 wanton nesse idl enege dancing drinking stage blaies masques and carnall pomp and jollity that wo we must neds conclude the one to be but tile ape or issue of the other yet yentho tile practices which stubbed and Ir condemned were mild and ud ta tame ne compared with the excesses practiced at the french court for cun centuries inebriety ran rampant NO ko wonder vender that in the period of torches and wooden palaces accidents frequently occurred which more than once involved provinces it in mourning memorable above all other oilier episodes of this sort fort was the catas batas which occurred at paris in 19 lya the christmas festivities had been partaken partaker par taken of in the wildest spirit of riot arid and disorder but the court was not yet satisfied sir do dc aguisan the most CL loss among all the reckless spirits of tile the period suggested 0 that as an excuse for prolonging the merriment a madriago mar riago should bo be arranged between two of the court attendants this was eagel eagerly ly a agreed decd recd upon the management was to sir himself lie ile was well fitted for anything wild and unusual ile iio win boned and ail ad I 1 by the dib disorderly orderly as ardently us he was baled haled d and fea feared redby by thu the oi derly for it yas was his pleasant habit to exercise cx erciso his wit upon tradesmen and me mechanics mechanizes chanies whom lie be would accost in the street prick with his bis spurs and compel to creep on oil all fours and birk like ilo iloa dogs 11 A before lie be released them such were the traits which endea endeared him to the courtiers or of his most gracious inn majesty jesty arid and christian hir hire g of france tile the marriages marriage passed in a blaze of glory with an ail accompaniment of attendant gargantuan pleasantry at the height or of the ceremonies sir aiu t anin quietly withdrew with the king rind four fou r other wild ones scions of lie hie noblest houas in ill france with ft a pot of tar and a quantity of tow tile the six conspirators were i speedily changed change 0 l into very far imitations of the dancing bears then very common in mount mountebank ebanks booths A mask completed the transformation five were then bound together 6 ether by means or of a 1 rope cut from the tapestry the sixth tile the kins king himself led them into the hall ball their appearance created a general sensation who Whoa arc rethey they was the cry no one could answer at this moment en entered terel tile the wildest of all the wild dukes of orleans who are they lie echoed between hiccoughs coughs vall wel 1 well soon find out seizing a brand from one of the toreN bearers ranged along the wall lie ile staggered td forward yomo some gentlemen attempted to sany him but lie ho was 0 obstinate arid and quarrelsome main force could not bo be thought of against a prince of the blood ile he war given his way ile he thrust his torch under the chin of the nearest odthe of the maskers the tow caught fire in a moment the whole group was enveloped in flames presence of mind or common sobriety might 0 have saved them but there wa was none of the latter there and but two instances of the former the young t duchess of berry seized the kh king ia and enveloped him in her ample robe kobe thus lie ho was saved another masker the lord of Nanto villet noted for strength and agility rent the rope with willi a of his strong teeth pitched himself like a fl flaming arning come comet through ii the first window and dived into a cistern in the court whence lie ho emerged black and smoking but almost unhurt As for the other oilier four th they ey whirled hither and thither through the horrified me mob struggling witti with each other fighting 0 0 with the flames cursing shrieking with pain women fainted by score men who had never faltered in a hundred fi fights 0 lits sickened at tile the hideous spectacle all paris was I 1 loused by the uproar and gathered an excited mob about the palace all sorts of reports were current that the princes were engaged cil in deadly strife being 0 tile ono one most credited at last the flames burnt out the four nl maskers askers lay a black arid and writhing heap 1101 on oil tile the floor one was wa a mere cinder A second survived till daybreak A third died at noon the next lay day the fourth ro other oilier thansis iliin sir Ilu 1 himself stir survived for for will while nil all paris iaria rejoiced over his agonies bark dog clos bark was tile cry with the citizens saluted his lii charged abild mangled corpse it was at ai last boi boino no to tile grave |