COURT-FOOL, From very ancient times there existed a class of persons whose busi ness it was to while away the time of the noble and wealthy, particularly at table, by all manner of jests and witty sayings. Alexander the great, Dionysius of Syracuse, Augustus and his successors, maintained such jesters. It was, however, during the middle ages that this singular and repulsive vocation became fully developed, and that the office of jester or fool became a regular and indispensable court office. The symbols of such a personage were: the shaven head; the fool's cap of gay colors, with ass's ears and cock's comb; the fool's scepter, which was variously formed; the bells, which were mostly attached to the cap, but likewise to other parts of the dress; and a large collar. The rest of the costume was regulated by the taste of the master. Of these professional fools, some obtained a historical reputation, as Triboulet, jester to king Francis I. of France, and his successor, Brusquet; Klaus Nary, at the court of the elector Frederic the wise of Prussia, whose jests have been repeatedly printed; and Scogan, court-fool to Edward IV. of England. The kings and regents in Scotland had their jesters, as was usual in their time; and the sarcastic sayings of some of these privileged personages— such as those of Patrick Bonny, jester to regent Morton—are still remembered among the national facetice. English court-jesters died out with the Stuarts; one of the last of the race being the famous Archie Armstrong, whose death took place characteristically, on April 1, 1646. Besides the regular fools recognized and dressed as such, there was a higher class, called merry counselors, generally men of talent, who availed themselves of the privilege of free speech to ridicule in the most merciless fashion the follies and vices of their contemporaries. Of these, Kunz von der Rosen, jester to the emperor Maximilian I. ; John Heywood, a prolific dramatic poet and epigrammatist at the court of Henry VIII.; and Angely, a French courtier, were particularly distinguished for talent and wit. In all times, there existed at courts persons who, without becoming jesters by profession, were allowed the privilege of castigating the company by their witty and satirical attacks, or who served as the general butts. Among these were, on the pne hand, the Saxon general Kyaw, celebrated for his blunt jests; and on the other, the learned Jacob Paul, baron Guudling, whom Frederic William I. of Prussia, to show his contempt for science and the artificial court system, loaded with titles. An interesting history of the whole subject was written by nage], entitled Geschichte der Hofnarren (Liege. and Leips. 1789). Such a history forms a kind of barometer of the manners and morals of courts at different times. At a later period, imbecile or weak-minded persons were kept for the entertainment of the company. Even ordinary noblemen considered such an attendant indispensable; and thus the system reached its last stage, and towards the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century, was finally abolished. It survived
longest in Russia, where Peter the great had so many fools that he divided them into distinct classes. - - - -• a name given in England to the old, Gothic, or Saxon handwriting, as distinguished from the modern or Italian handwriting. The old way of writing contin ued to be used in the law-courts after it had been superseded elsewhere, and hence its name of court-hand.
a court for the trial of any one belonging to the army or navy, for some breach of military or naval law. The members of the court fill the functions both of judge and jury. In the British army, courts-martial are general, district, or regi mental. The first is the only one of the three empowered to award death or transporta tion tor life, as a punishment to the offending person. It consists of 13 commissioned officers, if so many can be obtained at the time and place; and a deputy judge-advocate is specially appointed to conduct the prosecution. A non-commissioned officer, or a private, may be tried by any one of the three kinds of court; but a commissioned officer only by a general court-martial. A district or garrison court-martial may be convened by a field-officer commanding a district or corps, without requiring the sovereign's sign manual. It consists of a number of members, varying from three to seven, with a cap tain or higher officer to act as deputy judge-advocate. Such a court tries warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and rank and file; and can only treat such offenses, or alleged offenses, as meet with secondary punishment. A regimental C. may be convened by the commanding officer of a regiment or detachment: it consists of three or more members; it treats of minor offenses, and can award only minor punishments.
In all these kinds of court-martial the members are sworn in; the court is an open or public one; the vote or sentence is decided by majority, the junior members voting first; but two thirds of the whole number, in a general court-martial, are necessary to give validity to a sentence of death. Before execution, the sentence of every military court-martial has to be approved and confirmed by the convening authority.
Sometimes courts of inquiry are held instead of a court-martial, not to try or to pun ish, but to make an investigation; the members not being on oath. Such a court occa sionally precedes a court-martial.
ll'aval courts-martial consist of admirals, captains, and commanders, who try for offenses against the naval articles of war. The chief admiral of the tleet or squadron appoints the members, but all captains have a right to sit, if not implicated. The court martial is open to all the crew and others as spectators. The sentence is final, and needs no confirmation.