The London Pageant of 1621 including

Thomas Middleton Thomas Middleton (baptised 18 April 1580 – July 1627; also spelt ''Midleton'') was an English Jacobean playwright and poet. He, with John Fletcher and Ben Jonson, was among the most successful and prolific of playwrights at work in the Jac ...

's ''The Sun in Aries'' followed the inauguration of Edward Barkham as

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...

on 29 October 1621. Edward Barkham was sworn into the office of Lord Mayor on 29 October 1621 at the

Guildhall A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in som ...

, as part of the traditional annual

Lord Mayor's Show The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the best-known annual events in London as well as one of the longest-established, dating back to the 13th century. A new lord mayor is appointed every year, and the public parade that takes place as his or her in ...

held on that date. The performance was sponsored by the London Company of Drapers. Middleton's play was published in 1621 by

Edward Allde Edward Allde (''Alde'', ''Alldee'', or ''Alday''; born c. 1560, died 1627) was an English printer in London during the Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen ...

. It celebrates the mercantile values professed by the City of London. The scenery was built by the carpenter Master Garret Christmas. Barkham returned from Westminster by boat to

St Paul's Churchyard St Paul's Churchyard is an area immediately around St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London. It included St Paul's Cross and Paternoster Row. It became one of the principal marketplaces in London. St Paul's Cross was an open-air pulpit from whic ...

, where there was a pageant chariot illustrating the theme of Honour. Examplars included

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...

and the golden fleece (appropriate for the drapers),

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

with the silver pilasters, all-conquering Alexander and the globe, and

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

with his gilt laurel circlet. Jason gave a speech declaring, "The barke is under sayle". The next tableau was the triumph of the Tower of Virtue, kept secure by Integrity. The tower was garrisoned by six knights in shining gold and silver armour, who were the champions of former luminaries of the Draper's Company and City. Fame herself made a salutation, explaining the "six warders" in armour were Clear Conscience, Providence, Watchfulness, Constancy, Zeal, and Care. The motto was ''Fortunae Mater Diligence'' or, diligence is the mother of good fortune. An actor in dishevelled clothing leaning against the Tower of Virtue threw off his robe (presumably revealing more seemly attire) and declared that King James and the five Tudors had restored his ruin. The shepherd Phoebus Apollo as the sun sat surrounded by signs of the zodiac on an artificial mountain built near St Lawrence's lane with grazing woolly sheep.

Aries Aries may refer to: *Aries (astrology), an astrological sign *Aries (constellation), a constellation of stars in the zodiac Arts, entertainment and media * ''Aries'' (album), by Luis Miguel, 1993 * ''Aries'' (EP), by Alice Chater, 2020 * "Aries" ...

explained how the sun would shine on Barkham and make gladness run. Barkham was followed home by Hope with a silver anchor, Harmony with a swan, and a "whole army" of similar figures with lighted tapers. Fame's speech concluded the event. A reconstruction of the event was organised for the 400 year anniversary in October 2021.Triumph 1621: Lord Mayor's Show 2021 Reconstruction
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References

External links

Translations: Thomas Middleton, Edward Barkham and the City, c.1621
{{DEFAULTSORT:London Pageant of 1621 1621 plays Plays by Thomas Middleton English Renaissance plays 1621 in England 17th century in London History of the City of London Parades in London