The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-01-21
PRACTICAL JOKES AT COURT
There Were Some Merry Souls in the
Time of King George.

one Ill WnlCn nefrlnenl Is produced OF
sought, not by words, but by action,
practiced upon a fellow-creature-con
mCnly an offensive or annoying action.
Even if harmless, it holds up the suffer
er to ridicule, and intelligent human be.
ings do not need to be told that such
conduct is reprehensible. But if the
joke be well contrived, sufficiently hui
Horous in idea, and neatly executed,
we do not care so much as we should
if it fall under the ''practicaN class.
Who would not have liked to be present
at the royal masquerade when Heideg-
ger, master of the revels to George L.,
was confronted by his double? Tie
duke of Mantagu had obtained a cast of
the great mans face, from this he
caused a wax mask to be fashioned
ard co!ored. Ileidegger's tailor sup
piled the fac-simile of the new and gor-
gcous dress he was to wear, and the
duke engaged an actor to play the part.
He told the band, at the last moment,
to strike up Charley Over the Water"
at his majesty's appearance instead of
God Save the King" They hesitated.
but it was undeniably Heidegger-fea-
lures, voice, clothes, and also impre-
cations when the conductor demurred.
Sc the king heard that reasonable air
perhaps for the first time, on entering.
We can family imagine the tumult.
leidegger rushed to the band, struck
the conductor, set him playing God
Save the King" and rushed back to
apologize. Next moment he returned
to the orchestra, equally furious-that
Is, his double Misunderstanding the
band to resume Charley Over the Wa
ter" and the beWildered musicians
oheyed. There was never such Il scene
in the presence of royalty. The officers
Of the guard in attendance made a dash
at the band with swords, but those il,
the secret blocked the way. Heideg-
ger, dancing around the king, made in
articulate protestations and excuses.
whilst his majesty stormed and threat
ened, making for the door. The situa-
ton became perilous. So the coun-
terfeit stepped forward, crying, with
passionate Indignation: Sire, the devil
has taken my likeness to undo me, Look
at him. Heidegger saw his double,
gasped gibbered and fell senseless.
One may think that longer and more
complicated business" might have
been developed from such an ingenious
hoax; but for a dramatic situation oil
its class this could not be beaten.
In some parts of South America good
folks store all the glass and croclIery
broken in the twelvemOnth, and at car
nivaI time put it into a sack attached
to the lofty balcony by a stout cord.
lot quite long enough to reach the
ground. When desirable victim
! passes beneath, the sack is quietly let
gC-to be arrested with a hideou3
crash, upon his very heels. 1t is cred
IDLY reported that foreigners unpre.
pared for this jest have tumbied head
( long at the shock, and others have
taken to their beds with an attack OF
| fever. These are rare triumphs.
No time or place is sacred to the en-
tlusiastic joker. Duclos tells, in his
memoirs, how the prince archbishop
of Cologne asked license to preach in
the royal chapel at Versailles, when
visiting Louis XIV. himself. All the
court assembled. 1t was April l. The
prince archbishop mounted the pulpit
in stately fashion, bowed from side 10
side, and stood moment as if collecl-
ing his thoughts, then shouted: april
foos." picked up his skirts and ran.
At the Sistine chapel on Good Friday
each worshiper received small whip
on the altar. When the first was eX-
tinguished everyone threw off his coat;
the next his waistcoat; the third was Il
signal to fog himself i'll pitch darkness,
Sir Francis Eastwood, afterward chan
cellor Of the eNchequer founder of the
Diiettanti club, and parsonage whose
name dwclls in history, was visiting
Rome. He provided himself with a
stout riding whip and pot admittance
to the Sistinc; when the flugging be-
gan, instead of titillating his own Shout
ders delicately, ne slashed his neigh
bors right and left, with British whip
cord, conscientiouSly laid on. Thu
scene is not yet forgotten in Rome
Eastwood had made his arrangements
to escape. Horses and servants stood
ready in a by-street-he mounted and
rode for his life, but some of his follow
crs were captured, tried for sacrilege
and sent to the galleys, if we remember
right. 1t may be hoped that when the
reckless youth became a power in En-
rope he did not forget those poor fell
lows.-London Standard.