Gents Mag 1833 part 1 p.27
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Gentleman's Magazine 1833 part 1 p.27
besides nuts and almonds the citizens' wives sent him. That he had a Spanish boy to his intepreter, and his chiefe negotiation was, to conferre or practise with Archy, the principall foole of State, about stealing, hence Windsor Castle, and carrying it away on his back if he can." In the Banquet of Witty Jests, No.312, a story is attributed to Archy which has been told of various others: "ON KING CHARLES AND ARCHEE. - King Charles ordered some thousands of crowns to be delivered (to) a French Monsieur to buy horses, whose skill therein was accounted extraordinary, and departed the court with great splendour; which one of his Majesty's jester observing, takes his pen and ink and puts his Majesty in his catalogue of fools, which was not long after found out by his Majesty, and the reason demanded thereof? To which he thus answered:- Charles, thou hast given many thousands crowns to buy horses, and if he return with either, I will scratch thee out, and put him down for the fool indeed." Echard, in his History of England, says that in 1641, when the King conceded to the Parliament, that they "should not be adjourned, prorogued, or dissolved without their own consent;" this was not only reflected on abroad, "but condemned at home by his own fool Archy, who said he did not know whether the King was the greater fool to grant it, or the Parliament the greater knaves to ask it."[17] The remark may have been made, but Archy was not then the King's fool. That Armstrong acquired a competency during the time he enjoyed his office, is certain; for it is mentioned in the verses prefixed to his Jests, and alluded to in Lord Stafford's Letters, as well as in the Preface to the Tales of Hugh Peters, where it is said, "And believe me, let the world say what it will, Archee was a fool to him, as appears by his fulfilling the proverb, Fortune favours fools; for he got a good estate, and so did our author too, you'll say." When he died is not known. The office of Court Jester was probably abolished at the Restoration; ... [17] Vol.ii. p.241. |
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