Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-11-07
A Practical Joker.

There was low comedian familiacly
called Dick Hoskins. whom | occasionally
encountered at several OF the small country
theatres in the north of England and who
was an inveterate and practical joker on
the stage. He was always very well behaved
with me, but when he came in contact with
a tragedian for whose talents he entertained
a contempt, OF whose person or manners
displeased him, woe to the unhappy subject
of his fun. All his tragedy was turned into
farce when Dick was in the humorous vein.
Thus. he played the grave-digger one night
at, think, the Rochdale Theatre, in Lam
cashire. to the Hamlet of Mr.. O., q
most solemn and mysterious tragedian OF the
cloak and dagger school. This gentleman .
tragedy was, in Dicks eyes, much more in
tensely comic than his own brOadest stroke ed
of farce, accordingly Dick held no terms
with it, and showed The unfortunate object
of his merriment no quarter on the stage.
When, therefore, Hamlet approached the
grave to hold his dialogue with Dick in it,
the latter began his antics, and extemporized
all sorts of absurd interpretations in the text
which he spoke in his own broad Lancash-
ire dialect. There was not good house,
aud Dick allowed himself full license. MIR.
g - scowled fearfuly. but Dick was un-
abashed. At length he put a climax on his
audacity that topped the Infinite of in
suit"
The tLeater was built on the site of an old
Dissenting chapel, which had formerly stood
there, in which preacher named Banks haI
held forth, and in the small graveyard attach
ed to which the DVctor-ior he Was pOpu-
larly dubbed DR.. Banks-had been buried
twenty years ago, and his name was tamil
liar yet. So, after answering Hamlets ques-
ton
allow long will man lie in the earth ere
he rot?'
Dick proceeded in due course to illustrate
bis answer by Yorick's skull; and taking it
up, he said, in the words of the text
Now, here's a skull that hath lain you
in the earth three and twenty years. Whose
do you think it was."
Nay, know not" replied Hamlet, in
his sepulchral, tragedy tone.
This skull, sir - said Dck-pursuing the
text thus far, and then making a sudden and
most unlocked for alteration
This was DIR. Banks skullw
And the word skull was pronounced like
bull.
OF course the house was in an uproar of
laughter and confusion. The victimZed
tragedian stamped and foamed about the
stage, as well he might, exclaiming, 4or-
ick's, sir, Yorick s ~
mo" said Dick. coolly. when the tufnult
had suhsided, taking up another skull, aud
resuming the text
Tn, is Yorck's skull. the Kings jester
but, going off ag in" t'other's Doctor
Banks, as told you"
This was too much. this was the last straw
on the tragedian's back! He jumped in-
to the grave. seized the very low Comedian
by the throat, aud a most fearful contest,
never before-or since hope-introduced
into the play. ensued, in which Dick held
his own bravely, and succeeded at length in
overPow, ring. in double sense, the worsted
tragedian. whom he held down IN the grave
with one hand. while he fourished. DIR.
Banks skull 4" in triumph above his head
The curtain was dropped. amidst roars and
shrieks of laughter; in which King. Queen,
Monk and Couriiers-who, in the vain hope
of arresting the row. had been sent on with
Ophelia's empty coflin-w"re compelled TO
join, forming a tableau, which finished the
play for that night.