The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-14
JOKES AT COURT.
There Were some Merry Men About
King Georges Throne.
From the London Standard.

King GeOrRe's throne.
From the London Standard.
A practical joke may be defined as one
in which merriment is produced or sought,
not by words, but yaction, practiced up
on a fellow creature-commonly an often
sive or annoying action. Even If harm
less, it holds up the sufferer to ridicule. and
intelligent human beings do not need to be
told that such conduct is reprehensible.
But if the joke be well contrived, suffci-
emily humorous in idea and neatly execu-
ted, we do not care 50 much as we should If
it fail under the practical class. Who
would not have liked to be present at the
royal masquerade when Heidegger master
of the revels to George III, was confronted
by his double? The Duke of Montagu had
obtained a cast of the great mans face.
From this he caused a wax mask to be
fashioned and colored. Heidegger's tailor
supplied a facsimile Of the new and gor-
geous dress he was to wear, ana the duke
engaged an actor to play the part He
told the band, at the last mement, to strike
up "Char.ey over the Water at his maj
estys appearance instead of GOD Save
the King" They hesitated. But 1t was
Individually eidegger-features, voice,
clothes and also imprecations when the
that reasonable air, perhaps for the first
time, on entering. We can family imagine
the tumult. Heidegger rushed to the
band, struck the conductor, set him play
ing 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 Water" and
the beYildered musicians obeyed. There
was nerve such scene in the presence OF
ROYALTY The officers of the guards In at
tendance made a dash at the band with
swords, but those in the secret blocked the
way. Heidegger, dancing round the king,
made inarticu.ate protestations and ex-
cuses, while his majesty stormed and
threatened, making for the door. The sit
uation became perilous. So the counter
felt stepped forward, crying, with pas
sionate Indignation, Sire, the devil has
taken my likeness TO undo me. Look at
himr' 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 of its class this could
not be beaten.
In some parts of South America good
folks store all the glass and crockery
broken I'm the twelvemonth and at carni-
val time put Il into a sack attached to the
lofty balcony by a stout cord, not quite
long enough to reach the ground. When
a desirable victim passes beneath the
sack is quietly let go-to be arrested with
a hideous crash upon his very heels. IL
Is credibly reported that foreigners I'M
prepared for this jest have tumbled head
long az the shock and others have taken
to their beds with an attack Of fever
These are rare triumphs.
No time and place Is sacred to the en-
thusiastic joker. Duclos tells in his me-
moirs how the Prince Archbishop of Co
logne asked license 70 preach in the royal
chapel at Versailles when visiting Louis
XIV himself All the court assembled. IL
was April I. The prince archbishop
mounted the pulpit In stately fashion,
bowed from side to side. and stood mo-
ment, as n collecting his thoughts. then
shouted April fools!' picked up his
skirts and ran.
At the Sistine Chapel on Good Friday
each worshpper receives a small whip on
entering. Three candles only burnt on the
altar When the first was extingulshed
every one threw off his coat: the next his
waistcoat; the third was a signal to fog
himself IN pitch darkness. Sir Francis
EASTWOOD afterwards chancellor OF the
exchequer, founder Of the Dilettanti Club
and a parsonage whose name dwells in