“A Royal Practical Joke”, 1948 (; similar):
[according to C. F. Schönbein in 1842] …Charles II was an enthusiast concerning mechanical operations…and was especially fond of witnessing physical experiments. He, however, noted that many of the members [of the Royal Society] placed too much weight on the opinions which he expressed, and he determined to lay bare and chide in a good natured way the flatteries and servile bearing of these individuals.
One evening when the king came into the meeting, he seemingly was deeply immersed in thought. He sat with his hand covering the lower part of his face. Suddenly he cried out: “My Lords and Gentlemen. Why is it that if I place the same amount of water into each of two pails, and then put a 4 pound fish into one of them, this pail will not weigh more than the other?” A long silence followed this royal query. Finally, one member stated that the swimming power of the fish removes its weight. Another opined: “The vital momentum and the vis inertiae of the animal prevent any pressure on the sides of the container.” A third suggested that a characteristic atmosphere enveloped the fish, kept it suspended, and nullified its weight. Other equally sound explanations were offered, and listened to with the greatest sobriety by the king.
Finally, one of the older members arose, “I trust Your Majesty will pardon me, but I am making so bold as to doubt the correctness of the fact stated by you.”
At this the king exclaimed: “By heaven, and so do I. My only intention was to discover to what lengths some of these gentlemen will go to agree with me, and I have played this practical joke on them in the hope that hereafter they will be more careful.”
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