, 1872-11-06
A ROUND OF VERY OLD Jokes.

FT0771 AH the Fear Round.
In recent number Of Al the Year Round,
character Of anecdote and humor, and of the
curious fidelity with which the same joke, al
though localized and assigned to particular in
diVidual in one country, ia found to reproduce
itself among other races and nationalitieB.
It is less commonly known through how long
q line oi traditions these "merry jests" have
como down to our day, and how many Of the
dro1leies, still popular among ourselves, are al
most literal reproductions Of the fun and humor
which ahook the sides Of generations past and
gono in remote ages Of antiquity.
Probably one Of the very last quarters to
which modern hu1norist in search Of speci-
mems Of the wit and humor OF the ancents
would think of turning, would be the works Of
perhaps the least promising would seem to be
the spiritualized and dreamy school OF the Neo-
Platonsts. One might, with equal appearance
Of probability, expect to find rechautfe Of Joe
Berke1ey's Minute Philosopher, or look for a
string Of puns and comicalities, such as Hoods,
in Wordsworth's E1cursion. Nevertheless, if
the readers curiosity be active enough to
encounter the trouble of looking through a
little known and very unattractfve volume,
of Hleroc1es, 3 Neo-P1atonist philosopher, who
lived at Alexandria about 450-he will find,
strangely associated with Book on Providence,
Fate and Free will, Commentary On the Golden
Verses Ul ~ fyLuAbOIu6, anu befHu DOCKS Ou Luz
ties to the Gods, to Parents, and to Society, a
little collection Of Asteia or Pleasantries which,
with g few notifications of name and place,
would in almost every respect fall in with the
tone Of 4 modern jest-bool, and might take it's
place most app1opropriately as q supplementary
chapter to Joe Miller. Perhaps it is only rover
ent to the memory Of the grave of Neo-platoniet
to add that, although printed among his acknowl-
edged works, and formerly ascribed to him as
author, the verdict Of modern criticism has set
S,la1 aci1 uY911 1n1 4+4&1
ship of the Asteia to another Herocles, Of later
date and of very inferior fame.
But whoever may have been the author Of this
little collection Of comicalities it is impossible
notto be struck by the fidelity with which their
spirits, and almost their very terms have been
handed down to,us through all the Intervening
centuries. Even the hero, or more properly,
perhaps, the victim, Of these pleasantries for
they are almost invariably at his e1pense), is
identical with his representative in modern anec-
dote. He is certain Scholasticus or "school-
man," the Dominic Sampson of Sir Walter
6cott's novel, whose simplicity, awkwardness,
and want OF perception OF the fitness OF things,
betray him into all kinds of b1unders and absur-
dities. No special nationality is assigned to
Schalasticus in the Asteia, but his blunders are
for the most part Of the class which the modern
anecdotist would ascribe to an Iishman, and
which among the Greeks were popularity repre-
eented as characterizing the people Of Abdera.
Every one, for example, has heard the Irish
One Of two twin-brothers died. Scholasticus
soon afterwards CHANGED to meet the survivor.
WAS it you that died." said he, s'or your
brother ?" Again, there is a story still popular
among our story-tellers, Of a gentlemen writing
letter at his club, and breaking off in the mid
die of the page by telling bis correspondent that
he had great deal moro to write, but can 20 no
further, on account OF confonnded Irishman,
who is looking over his shoulder and reading
every word as he puts it on the paper. where
upon the Irishman eonyicts himsely by solemn
II declaring that he had not read one single line
of the letter. Who can fail to sec the germ OF
this antedote in the analogous blunder Of Schol-
asticus?
"When Scholasticus was in Greece friend
wrote to request that he would buy some books
orhinn. Scho1asticus neglected the commission.
After some time, when he returned home, he
met bis friend. sBy-the-by,' said he, 1 never
received that letter which you wrote me about
the books when I Was in Greece"
There is another Well-known Joe Miller story
about an Irish soldier, who, during battle, Was
carving on his back q wounded comrade to have
his leg amputated by the surgeon. On their
ysay to the ambulance, q cannon-ball without
the Irishman's perceivlng it, carried away the
wounded mans head, and the surgeon when ne
saw the headless body, rated the I1ishman for
bringing him such case. " By the powers,