The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-10-21
The Philosophy of Jokes.

There is philosophy in fun What are jokes in
one age are truths in the next. Our grandfathers
grinned at geology, fanCied steam puff, and gas
the " flare up" OF day so we, IN our tlme laugh
at the Wellington statue, bestOw smiles on Sib-
thorp, and try to "put down. Sir Peter Laurie !;
yet posterty may look up to thatstatue as master
piece, reckon Sibthorp Demosthenes, and rever-
ence Sir Peter as the Scion of the CITY, There is a
philosophy in fun. Turn to the industrious feas,
we laugh as matter of course, look at them philo-
sophiculy magnify their movements, view them
through the opera-g glass of TRUTH see them Ceasing
to hop on their own account, yet transferring their
powers to the current coin of the realm and caus-
ing sbillngs out of number to hop into the pockets
of their owners In fact, this little band of heas
supports the very hand that feeds them.
Look at marriage. Is any one about to marry,
or are a couple just united, again we laugh. See
the pair on their way from church, they saluted
with smiles-yet is marriage joke Ask any mar
red man, his answer will be a gloomy look and a
decided No.
We say there is philosophy in fun that jokes in
one age are truths in the next. MIR. John Cooper,
of Theatres Royal Dury Lane, Covent Garden, the
Surry, the Princess, in fact, the Mr.. Cooper. OF
"the Globe well remembers the first establish
ment of the drama, when he, himself, then pro-
missing young man, took part in one of the ancient
mysteries (Mr. Cooper was a member Of the COM
pany of Thespis, to whose daughter, we are given
in confidence to understand, Mr.. c. was engaged
but the match was broken off in consequence o.
Mr.. Cooper's refusing to sing quartet by himself
he not feeling equal to take more than three voices
on that Occasion)
That plays should ever expOund mighty truths
and instruct as well as amuse mankind, would have
been thought a joke, and no one knows better thar
John Cooper that the aristOcracy of Attica, who
had private boxes in the van of Thespis, wOulC
have ridcued the idea yet Cooper has lived to SEE
the writings of a Shakespeare illustrated by the &c
MUS of a Garrick Kembe. SiddOns and a kean
And in support of the proposition we have laiC
down, we assert Mr.. Cooper will live to see-we d.
mot say in this or the succeeding Century-but ht
will eventually live to see a truly national theatre
erected, perhaps, on the spot now occupied by thu
so-calIed National Gallery for, without doubt, {
few more periodical scrubbings, and the pictures
will be cleaned away. About the year two thou
sand odd we fancy we see DTury Lane In ruins
Covent Garden refuge Of the destitute, and thu
Haymarket ragged school, restaurant, or Ca
sine. The statues of Shakespeare, Garrick ant
Kean will find refuge from . the pelting Of tn
pitiless Storm" beneath the roof Of Sadlers Wells
those of Van Amburgh, FitZball and Bum adorn
ing the vestibule of the new national theatre. w
picture our friend Cooper himself will of course b.
principal actor and manager Of the house, helpin!
TO entertain an audience from halfpast six until
quarter to four in the morning. The bill OF lar
suited to the tastes of the times. For the ilFst lou
hours and three-quarters, numbering tragedy In
staple dish in which Cooper will be seen WadInl
M TO his chin in blood, after an interlude of tw
hours and quarter, consisting Of a variety o
singing dancing, brOadsword combats, banjo sere
nading, fireworks, tight-rOpe dancing and real wa
ter we picture him more in the atterplece, tn
house splitting its sides with laughter at " the I'm
diving one grinning through a horse collar (fO
that night ony) the performances being for the sol
benefit Of the ever juvenile WIddIcomb-Hand
Book of Joking.