Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-11-08
Medieval and Modern HumOrists.

The jester is the legitimate middle
age representative of the modern news
paper humorists-of the "fuDny men"
of the Detroit Free Press and other
journals which make a speciality of origi-
nal humor. For centuries the fool, So
called, had recognized place in every
royal and noble household. "FOol"
was his official title, but the cap-and
bells often covered more brains than the
crown of the monarch or the miter of
the prelate. In an age when freedom
of discussion or remonstrance was sup
pressed with an iron hand, vailed by no
velvet glove, the Jester was the one
privileged character, whose tongue was
free to wag against ROYALTY itself with
impunity. The jokes of non-profession-
al testers, however. sometimes cost them
dear, as in the case of that unfortunate
citizen of London put to death by Ed
ward ". for saying that he would make
his son heir to the crown, in facetious
allusion to the sign which distinguished
his place of business. "There is no
slander in an allowed fool" says Viola,
in "Twelfth Night" and the brotherhood
generally availed themselves of their
privileges to the full. We may wetl
suppose that monarchs and mobiles found
insufferable the dull decorum and SIM
ulated reverence, never varied by candid
criticism or an unpalatable truth, and
tolerated the TESTERS liberties as poor
substitute for the free play of opinion
which We now enjoy. But the dignity
of rank must be preserved, so the term
fool was bestowed on the class as sort
of legal fiction, implying that their i'm
munity was due to a disordered intel
lect. When freedom of speech became
general the fool disappeared. An cpl
gram on the subject says:
"Why, pray, of late do Europes kings
No jester to their courts admit?
They've grown such stately solemn things
To hear joke they think not fit,
But though each court jester lacks,
To laugh at monarchs in their face,
All mankind do behind their backs
Supply the honest TESTERS place."
There is mention of court fool in
England during the reign of Edmund
Ironside early in the eleventh century,
while the last domestic fool retained in
an English family died as recently as
1746.
1t is difficult to select specimens of
the recorded wit of the testers. Many
of their Jokes were of coarse, practical
kind, and others, however pointed they
may have seemed at the time by reason
of contemporary or local associations,
fall very fiat on modern ears. Some of
the best, moreover, are still in circula-
tion, reappearing from time to time
with incidental variations as original
American humor. Brusquot, French
jester of the sixteenth century, when
| party of his countrymen were debating
as to the general most likely to take
Calais, named certain bribe-taking
Judge. saying, "Why not send himP
He will take anything" Marot, another
Frenchman of the same period, was
threatened with the vengeance of a
bishop whom ne had satirized. 81 am
in no anxiety" said he. 81 will easily
escape him. I will go and sit in his
library" Here is an epigram by John
Haywood, jester to Henry VIII:
"Where am 1 least, husband?" Quoth he,
''In the waist.
Which cometh of this thou art vengeable
strait-lace
"Where am biggest, wife ?" " In the waste,
too" quoth she,
/" For all is waste in you so far as l can see J
These Jokes modified and modernized
may he recognized as having been in
circulation within the last year or so in
the humorous columns of the press. A
good Joke is immortal.