Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-01-25
IoK MILLER,s IoKE BOOK.
was Writtsn by Another and He
6eeer Made hut One Jest
in His Life.

for, as is we'll known, he never wrote
4 line of the famous book which bears
his name, says Golden Penny. In
deed, Motley, the very writer of the
''Jest Book" onc declared that Joe
had only one idea-and that was a
wrong one," while a b%iographer has
described him as having "a face of the
most i~mperturbable mold, full of gravi-
ty and solemnity, and evidently not
intended for laughter in itself, though
it was admirably adapted to cause
laughter in others. In private life,"
continues his biographer, she was the
dullest of the dull, scarcely ever
speaking" 1t was at the Old Black
Jack tavern, in Portsmouth street,
Lincoln's Inn Fields, a ~favorite resort
for the actors and actresses of the
time, that MOTLEY met Joe, putting
away at his pipe, a striking contrast
to the other more reckless members
Of the company. The Black Jack was
notorious as being one of the houses
frequented by Jack Sheppard, and,
while being a famous place for polit-
ical and other meetings, mostly of a
secret nature, it sprung into fame as
the home of the 'popgun plot" a
plot to kill King George III. with a
poisoned arrow. Here, also, came
Hogarth, to enjoy the convivialities of
the time, and perhaps, also, to find
subjects for his picture satires. AS an
inducement to certain patrons, 1t is
said that in one of the attics of the
Black Jack there was a sort of chin
ney cupboard, in which gentlemen in
difficulties were often secreted till ar
rangements could be made with their
creditors.
The "Book of Jests' vas not pub
lished until a year after Joe's death,
when John Motley, a writer of cheap
plays. was commissioned by a publish
cr named Read to compile a new book
of jests. The popular comedians re-
cent death suggested that his name
might give the book a good "send
off," and thus it happened that a
| gloomy, yet withal honest" comedian
has been handed down to posterity as
the writer of a world famous Book
| of Jests." Although 1t is not known
| where Joe Miller was born, or what
was the quality or estate of his par
| ents, it is pretty certain that his edu-
cation was scanty, for 1t is said that
his reason for marrying was to have
somebody to read his parts to him.
Joe's introduction to the stage prob
ably took place at Bartelmy fair,
where, perhaps, two centuries ago,
when humbly commencing his career,
he might have been seen standing at
the door of a booth, ~coaxing the public
to enter, with some such patter as
Tumble up. my dears, and have all
the fun of the fair for a p~enny-bab-
bies half price and old ladies fol
nothing"
Certain it is that Joseph. in time.
met with enough success to have a
booth of his own. "The Tempest" was
one play presented at Joe's booth, the
bill for which ran as follows: Never
acted before. At Miller's Booth, over
against the Cross-daggers, near the
Crown Tavern, during the time of
b~dTluUlOAHcW diib VIM NC phooohtcu
an excellent new Droll, calld The
Tempest; or the Distressed Lovers.
With the English Hero and the Island
Princess, with the domical humours
of the Inchanted Scotchman; or Jockey
and the Three Witches, showing how
a Nobleman of England was cast away
upon the Indian Shore, and in his
travel found the Princess of the Cuun-
try, with whom he fell in love-" etc.
Joe's first appearance at Drury Lane
took place in 1715, his salary being
three guineas a week, which was after
ward advanced. on account of his
popularity, to five. Here he seems to
have been q favorite right up to the
time of his death, "his talents lying
among heavy fathers, t%ountrymen and
idiots; he also played broken French
and Irish parts"
Although the first edition OF zoe
Miller's Jest Book" contained 247
Jokes, 1t is said that Joe only made
one original joke in his lifetime-and
that unconsciously while he was seat
ed at the window of the Sun tavern,
~
in Clare market. An old fshwoman
and her girl passed by. The woman
was exhorting the servant maids OF
the district to buy of her by crying:
"Bly my soles, buy. my maids!" But
honest Joe's ire was raised, and he
exclaimed: "Ah; you wicked old crea-
ture; what! are you not content to
sell your own soul, but you must sell
your maids also?" Zoe Miller's Jest
Book" has now become a treasure for
the collector, copies of 1t fetching from
e2 los. upward, while a copy of the
second edition once fetched Ell 5s.,
on account of some manuscript addi-
lions II contained. The first edition
appeared in 1889, with 247 jokes, which
we're increased to 587 in the 1745 edi-
ton. Subsequent editions of the Jest
Book" contained further additions to
the original number OF jokes, all, oil
course, attributed to Honest Joe, the
1916 edition containing no fewer than