New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-11-11
A Royal Practical Joker.

Gundling was born in 1878, and was the son
of q curate at Hersbruck, near Nuremberg, lie
had rooms allotted to him at Potsdam, was sup
Piled with food from the table Of Frederick Will
liam First of Prussia, and accompanied the
king wherever he went. SO as to be at hand to
assist the monarch with his instructive CONVEX
sation. Grumbkow had put up sort OF pulpit
in his dining room, especially for Gundling's
use, whence the eourt-reader expounded the
newspapers while the guests sat at meat. Gun
ding was, therefore, in his way, person of
some mportance-so much so that both the Rus
sian and Austrian courts thought it worth their
while to win him to their side Seckendorf
wrote to Prince Eugene, on the I'D October,
1T26 that no one did the Austrians more harm
than CERTAIN priyy councillor, Gundling, who,
much against his will, was forced to act the
part of q merry andrew, but who was always in
the kings company that he was looked upon as
an oracle in pubHcis. Whenever Austrian affairs
were discussed, this man insinuated into the
kings ear faisa prineipid-that he was worth
winning by the present Of golden chain and a
miniature of the emperor iGundling, accord
ingly, was presented with q miniature set in
4 diamonds.
In order is render learning-which Gundling
really possessed he was forced tC
act the part of jester for the kings amusement
The king revived for him the office Of master OF
the ceremonies, and bestowed upon him the
dress of that ofhce-a red frock coat embroidert
with black satin, with large French cuffs and
gold button holes, large peruke, with long pen
dant curls made of white goats hair, large
hat with an ostrich's feather, straw colored
brooches, red silk stockings, with gold clocks to
them, and high red heeled shoes. Gundling,
moreover, was made president of the Academy
of Sciences, o post formerly held by Leibnitz.
He was also raised to the dignity of a count.
The king then made Gundling one of his cham
A berlains. One day, when Gundling was drunk,
they cut his chamberlain key off his coat the
Z king threatened to treat him like o soldier who
had lost his musket. After poor Gundling had
been forced to wear, by way of punishment, a
large wooden key yard long, the lost key was
restored to him. The careful chamberlain had
it firmly attached to his coat by II blacksmith
All these honors were bestowed upon Gundling
only to make him and them ridiculous. Among
other things, Gundling was appointed by tn,
king to superintend all the mulberry trees il
his dominions; he was made finance councillor
l. the ministers were ordered to introduce hin
formally into their office, to provide him will
the cofa sessions, and to hand over to him th,
department of all the silkworms in the Who'll,
monarchy. In the smoking room the coarses
and toughest jokes were played off upon him
Soldiers were the only people whom the king
held in any respect; learned men he called
pedants, paper-stainers and smearers; thes
were to be taught how superior soldiers were t.
them in everything
1T was, as we have already said, the king,
great pleasure to make his guests drunk, and
Gundling was piled with liquor till he was in
sensible When they had thus gained the vic
tory over learning, poor Gundling was exposed
to the heavy coarse jokes of the king and his
officers. Figures of donkeys, apes, and oxen,
were pinned to his coat, and his upper lip was
adorned with a cork mustachie He was
made to read the most atrocious libels on him
self, which the king had caused to be inserted
in the newspapers. An ape dressed exactly like
Gundling, and with a chamberlain's KEY, was
placed at his elbow, and the king insisted upon
his embracing this, his natural son, before the
whole company. At Winsterhausen some tame
bears were kept in the courtyard, and some Of
these were placed in Gundling's bed their hug
made him keep his bed and spit blood for several
days. Once, in mid winter, Gundling was reel
ing home, over the draw bridge, when he was
seized by four stout grenadiers, and dropped,
with cord, down into the frozen moat, until
his weight broke the ice This excellent Joke
was repeated for the especial amusement of the
king, and COMMUNICATED by picture Another
time, Gundling was invited to dinner, and the
sedan chair was purposely made to let him drop
through. They more he cried to the bearers to
stop, the faster they went, and he was compelled
TO run all the way. Frequently, when Gundling
got home, he found the door bricked up, and he
was hunting for it all night; at other times he
was besieged in his study with squibs and
crackers.