XX. THE PROCESSION.

41 0 0
                                    


CHAPTER XX

THE PROCESSION.

In the evening, by the light of lanterns hung from windows, to the

ringing of bells and bursting of bombs, the procession started for

the fourth time.

The Governor General left the house on foot, in company with his two

adjutants, Captain Tiago, the Alcalde, the alferez, and Ibarra. The

Civil Guards and the officials of the town preceded them and cleared

the way. His Excellency had been invited to witness the procession

from the house of the gobernadorcillo, in front of which a platform

had been erected for the recitation of a loa, or religious poem,

in honor of the Patron Saint. Ibarra had previously declined with

pleasure an invitation to hear this poetical composition, as he had

preferred to witness the procession from the house of Captain Tiago

with Maria Clara and her friends. But, as His Excellency wished to

hear the loa, there was no other remedy for Ibarra but to console

himself with the hope of seeing her at the theatre.

The procession was headed by three sacristans carrying silver

candlesticks. The children of the school, accompanied by their

teacher, followed. Then came the small boys, with colored paper

lanterns fastened to the ends of pieces of bamboo, each more or

less adorned according to the caprices of the boy, for this part

of the illumination was paid for entirely by themselves. However,

they fulfilled this duty with a great deal of pleasure.

In the midst of it all, men serving as police, passed to and fro to

see that the files of the procession were not broken or the people

jammed together in a crowd. For this purpose they used their wands

and inflicted some hard blows, thus managing to add to the brilliancy

of the procession, to the edification of souls and to the glory of

religious pomp.

At the same time that the officers inflicted these sanctified floggings

with their wands free of charge, others, to console those who had

been punished, distributed wax and tallow candles, also free of charge.

"Señor Alcalde," said Ibarra, in a low voice, "do they inflict those

blows to punish the sinners or merely for pleasure?"

"You are right, Señor Ibarra," replied the Governor General, who had

overheard his question. "This spectacle ... barbarous ... astonishing

to those who come from other countries, ought to be prohibited."

Although it cannot be explained, the first saint who appeared

was San Juan el Baptisto. On seeing him, you would say that the

cousin of Our Saviour did not enjoy any great renown among these

NOLI MI TANGEREWhere stories live. Discover now