the golden bough-第118章

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through　the　town　by　a　troop　of　mummers　in　the　course　of　the　afternoon。　When　evening　comes　on；　four　of　the　mummers　hold　out　a　quilt　or　sheet　by　the　corners；　and　the　figure　of　the　Carnival　is　made　to　tumble　into　it。　The　procession　is　then　resumed；　the　performers　weeping　crocodile　tears　and　emphasising　the　poignancy　of　their　grief　by　the　help　of　saucepans　and　dinner　bells。　Sometimes；　again；　in　the　Abruzzi　the　dead　Carnival　is　personified　by　a　living　man　who　lies　in　a　coffin；　attended　by　another　who　acts　the　priest　and　dispenses　holy　water　in　great　profusion　from　a　bathing　tub。

At　Lerida；　in　Catalonia；　the　funeral　of　the　Carnival　was　witnessed　by　an　English　traveller　in　1877。　On　the　last　Sunday　of　the　Carnival　a　grand　procession　of　infantry；　cavalry；　and　maskers　of　many　sorts；　some　on　horseback　and　some　in　carriages；　escorted　the　grand　car　of　His　Grace　Pau　Pi；　as　the　effigy　was　called；　in　triumph　through　the　principal　streets。　For　three　days　the　revelry　ran　high；　and　then　at　midnight　on　the　last　day　of　the　Carnival　the　same　procession　again　wound　through　the　streets；　but　under　a　different　aspect　and　for　a　different　end。　The　triumphal　car　was　exchanged　for　a　hearse；　in　which　reposed　the　effigy　of　his　dead　Grace：　a　troop　of　maskers；　who　in　the　first　procession　had　played　the　part　of　Students　of　Folly　with　many　a　merry　quip　and　jest；　now；　robed　as　priests　and　bishops；　paced　slowly　along　holding　aloft　huge　lighted　tapers　and　singing　a　dirge。　All　the　mummers　wore　crape；　and　all　the　horsemen　carried　blazing　flambeaux。　Down　the　high　street；　between　the　lofty；　many…storeyed　and　balconied　houses；　where　every　window；　every　balcony；　every　housetop　was　crammed　with　a　dense　mass　of　spectators；　all　dressed　and　masked　in　fantastic　gorgeousness；　the　procession　took　its　melancholy　way。　Over　the　scene　flashed　and　played　the　shifting　cross…lights　and　shadows　from　the　moving　torches：　red　and　blue　Bengal　lights　flared　up　and　died　out　again；　and　above　the　trampling　of　the　horses　and　the　measured　tread　of　the　marching　multitude　rose　the　voices　of　the　priests　chanting　the　requiem；　while　the　military　bands　struck　in　with　the　solemn　roll　of　the　muffled　drums。　On　reaching　the　principal　square　the　procession　halted；　a　burlesque　funeral　oration　was　pronounced　over　the　defunct　Pau　Pi；　and　the　lights　were　extinguished。　Immediately　the　devil　and　his　angels　darted　from　the　crowd；　seized　the　body　and　fled　away　with　it；　hotly　pursued　by　the　whole　multitude；　yelling；　screaming；　and　cheering。　Naturally　the　fiends　were　overtaken　and　dispersed；　and　the　sham　corpse；　rescued　from　their　clutches；　was　laid　in　a　grave　that　had　been　made　ready　for　its　reception。　Thus　the　Carnival　of　1877　at　Lerida　died　and　was　buried。

A　ceremony　of　the　same　sort　is　observed　in　Provence　on　Ash　Wednesday。　An　effigy　called　Caramantran；　whimsically　attired；　is　drawn　in　a　chariot　or　borne　on　a　litter；　accompanied　by　the　populace　in　grotesque　costumes；　who　carry　gourds　full　of　wine　and　drain　them　with　all　the　marks；　real　or　affected；　of　intoxication。　At　the　head　of　the　procession　are　some　men　disguised　as　judges　and　barristers；　and　a　tall　gaunt　personage　who　masquerades　as　Lent；　behind　them　follow　young　people　mounted　on　miserable　hacks　and　attired　as　mourners　who　pretend　to　bewail　the　fate　that　is　in　store　for　Caramantran。　In　the　principal　square　the　procession　halts；　the　tribunal　is　constituted；　and　Caramantran　placed　at　the　bar。　After　a　formal　trial　he　is　sentenced　to　death　amid　the　groans　of　the　mob：　the　barrister　who　defended　him　embraces　his　client　for　the　last　time：　the　officers　of　justice　do　their　duty：　the　condemned　is　set　with　his　back　to　a　wall　and　hurried　into　eternity　under　a　shower　of　stones。　The　sea　or　a　river　receives　his　mangled　remains。　Throughout　nearly　the　whole　of　the　Ardennes　it　was　and　still　is　customary　on　Ash　Wednesday　to　burn　an　effigy　which　is　supposed　to　represent　the　Carnival；　while　appropriate　verses　are　sung　round　about　the　blazing　figure。　Very　often　an　attempt　is　made　to　fashion　the　effigy　in　the　likeness　of　the　husband　who　is　reputed　to　be　least　faithful　to　his　wife　of　any　in　the　village。　As　might　perhaps　have　been　anticipated；　the　distinction　of　being　selected　for　portraiture　under　these　painful　circumstances　has　a　slight　tendency　to　breed　domestic　jars；　especially　when　the　portrait　is　burnt　in　front　of　the　house　of　the　gay　deceiver　whom　it　represents；　while　a　powerful　chorus　of　caterwauls；　groans；　and　other　melodious　sounds　bears　public　testimony　to　the　opinion　which　his　friends　and　neighbours　entertain　of　his　private　virtues。　In　some　villages　of　the　Ardennes　a　young　man　of　flesh　and　blood；　dressed　up　in　hay　and　straw；　used　to　act　the　part　of　Shrove　Tuesday　（Mardi　Gras）；　as　the　personification　of　the　Carnival　is　often　called　in　France　after　the　last　day　of　the　period　which　he　personates。　He　was　brought　before　a　mock　tribunal；　and　being　condemned　to　death　was　placed　with　his　back　to　a　wall；　like　a　soldier　at　a　military　execution；　and　fired　at　with　blank　cartridges。　At　Vrigne…aux…Bois　one　of　these　harmless　buffoons；　named　Thierry；　was　accidentally　killed　by　a　wad　that　had　been　left　in　a　musket　of　the　firing…party。　When　poor　Shrove　Tuesday　dropped　under　the　fire；　the　applause　was　loud　and　long；　he　did　it　so　naturally；　but　when　he　did　not　get　up　again；　they　ran　to　him　and　found　him　a　corpse。　Since　then　there　have　been　no　more　of　these　mock　executions　in　the　Ardennes。

In　Normandy　on　the　evening　of　Ash　Wednesday　it　used　to　be　the　custom　to　hold　a　celebration　called　the　Burial　of　Shrove　Tuesday。　A　squalid　effigy　scantily　clothed　in　rags；　a　battered　old　hat　crushed　down　on　his　dirty　face；　his　great　round　paunch　stuffed　with　straw；　represented　the　disreputable　old　rake　who；　after　a　long　course　of　dissipation；　was　now　about　to　suffer　for　his　sins。　Hoisted　on　the　shoulders　of　a　sturdy　fellow；　who　pretended　to　stagger　under　the　burden；　this　popular　personification　of　the　Carnival　promenaded　the　streets　for　the　last　time　in　a　manner　the　reverse　of　triumphal。　Preceded　by　a　drummer　and　accompanied　by　a　jeering　rabble；　among　whom　the　urchins　and　all　the　tag…rag　and　bobtail　of　the　town　mustered　in　great　force；　the　figure　was　carried　about　by　the　flickering　light　of　torches　to　the　discordant　din　of　shovels　and　tongs；　pots　and　pans；　horns　and　kettles；　mingled　with　hootings；　groans；　and　hisses。　From　time　to　time　the　procession　halted；　and　a　champion　of　morality　accused　the　broken…down　old　sinner　of　all　the　excesses　he　had　committed　and　for　which　he　was　now　about　to　be　burned　alive。　The　culprit；　having　nothing　to　urge　in　his　own　defence；　was　thrown　on　a　heap　of　straw；　a　torch　was　put　to　it；　and　a　great　blaze　shot　up；　to　the　delight　of　the　children　who　frisked　round　it　screaming　out　some　old　popular　verses　about　the　death　of　the　Carnival。　Sometimes　the　effigy　was　rolled　down　the　slope　of　a　hill　before　being　burnt。　At　Saint…L？　the　ragged　effigy　of　Shrove　Tuesday　was　followed　by　his　widow；　a　big　burly　lout　dressed　as　a　woman　with　a　crape　veil；　who　emitted　sounds　of　lamentation　and　woe　in　a　stentorian　voice。　After　being　carried　about　the　streets　on　a　litter　attended　by　a　crowd　of　maskers；　the　figure　was　thrown　into　the　River　Vire。　The　final　scene　has　been　graphically　described　by　Madame　Octave　Feuillet　as　she　witnessed　it　in　her　childhood　some　sixty　years　ago。　My　parents　invited　friends　to　see；　from　the　top　of　the　tower　of　Jeanne　Couillard；　the　funeral　procession　passing。　It　was　there　that；　quaffing　lemonadethe　only　refreshment　allowed　because　of　the　fastwe　witnessed　at　nightfall　a　spectacle　of　which　I　shall　always　preserve　a　lively　recollection。　At　our　feet　flowed　the　Vire　under　its　old　stone　bridge。　On　the　middle　of　the　bridge　lay　the　figure　of　Shrove　Tuesday　on　a　litter　of　leaves；　surrounded　by　scores　of　maskers　dancing；　singing；　and　carrying　torches。　Some　of　them　in　their　motley　costumes　ran　along　the　parapet　like　fiends。　The　rest；　worn　out　with　their　revels；　sat　on　the　posts　and　dozed。　Soon　the　dancing　stopped；　and　some　of　the　troop；　seizing　a　torch；　set　fire　to　the　effigy；　after　which　they　flung　it　into　the　river　with　redoubled　shouts　and　clamour。　The　man　of　straw；　soaked　with　resin；　floated　away　burning　down　the　stream　of　the　Vire；　lighting　up　with　its　funeral　fires　the　woods　on