Hocus Pocus; or The Whole Art of Legerdemain, in Perfection. / By which the meanest capacity may perform the whole without the help of a teacher. Together with the Use of all the Instruments belonging thereto.

by Henry Dean

HOCUS POCUS; OR THE WHOLE ART OF LEG­ER­DE­MAIN, IN PER­FEC­TION. BY HEN­RY DEAN.

Strange feats are herein taught by slight of hand,

With which you may amuse yourself and friend,

The like in print was never seen before,

And so you’ll say when once you’ve read it o’er.

HOCUS POCUS;
OR THE WHOLE ART OF
LEGERDEMAIN,
IN PERFECTION.

By which the meaneſt capacity may perform the whole without the help of a teacher.

Together with the Uſe of all the Inſtruments belonging thereto.

TO WHICH IS NOW ADDED,
Abundance of New and Rare Inventions.

BY HENRY DEAN.

The ELEVENTH EDITION, with large Additions and Amendments.

PHILADELPHIA:
PRINTED FOR MATHEW CAREY, NO. 118,
MARKET-STREET.
1795.

THE
PREFACE
TO THE
READER.

KIND READER,

Having in my former book of LEGERDEMAIN, promiſed you farther im­prove­ments, ac­cord­ing­ly I have diſ­cov­ered here­in to you the greateſt and moſt wonderful ſecrets of this ART, never written or publiſhed by any man before: therefore I do not doubt but herein you will find pleaſure to your full ſatisfaction; which is all my deſire.

HENRY DEAN.

The Whole ART of
LEGERDEMAIN;
OR,
HOCUS POCUS
IN PERFECTION, &c.

Leger­de­main is an oper­a­tion where­by one may seem to work won­der­ful, im­pos­si­ble, and in­cred­i­ble things, by agil­ity, nim­ble­ness, and slight of hand. The parts of this in­gen­i­ous art, are prin­ci­pal­ly four.

• First, In conveyance of balls.
• Secondly, In conveyance of money.
• Thirdly, In cards,
• Fourthly, In con­fed­er­acy.

A Description of the Operation.

1. He must be one of a bold and undaunted resolution, so as to set a good face upon the matter.

2. He must have strange terms, and emphatical words, to grace and adorn his actions; and the more to amaze and astonish the beholders.

3. And lastly, He must use such gestures of body, as may take off the spectators eyes from a strict and diligent beholding his manner of performance.

How to pass the Balls through the Cups.

You must place yourself at the farther end of the table, and then you must provide yourself three cups, made of tin, and then you must have your black sticks of magic to shew your wonders withal; then you must provide four small cork balls to play with; but do not let more than three of them be seen upon the table.

Note. Always conceal one ball in the right hand, between your middle finger and ring finger: and be sure make yourself perfect to hold it there, for, by this means, all the tricks of the cups are done.

Then say as followeth.

Gentlemen, three cups—’tis true

They are but tin, the reason why,

Silver is something dear.

I’ll turn them in gold, if I live, &c.

No equivocation at all:

But if your eyes are not as quick as my hands

I shall deceive you all.

View them within,

View them all round about,

Where there is nothing in,

There’s nothing can come out.

Then take your four balls privately between your fingers, and so sling one of them upon the table, and say thus,

The first trick that e’er learn’d to do,

Was, out of one ball to make it into two:

Ah! since it cannot better be,

One of these two, I’ll divide them into three,

Which is call’d the first trick of dexterity.

So then you have three balls on the table to play with, and one left between the fingers of your right hand.

The Operation of the Cups is thus.

Lay your three balls on the table, then say, Gentlemen, you see here are three balls, and here are three cups, that is, a cup for each ball, and a ball for each cup. Then, taking that ball that you had in your right hand, (which you are always to keep private) and clapping it under the first cup, then taking up one of the three balls, with your right hand, seeming to put it into your left hand, but retain it still in your right, shutting your left hand in due time, then say, Presto, be gone.

Then taking the second cup up, say, Gentlemen, you see there is nothing under my cup; so clap the ball that you have in your right hand under it, and then take the second ball up with your right hand, and seem to put it into your left, but retain it in your right hand, shutting your left in due time, as before, saying, Verda, be gone.

Then take the third cup, saying, Gentlemen, you see there is nothing under my last cup; then clapping the ball you have in your right hand under it, then take the third ball up with your right hand, and seeming to put it into your left hand, but retain it in your right; shutting your left hand in due time, as before, saying, Presto, make haste; so you have your three balls come under your three cups, as thus: and so lay your three cups down on the table.

Then with your right hand take up the first cup, and there clap that ball under, that you have in your right hand; then saying, Gentlemen, this being the first ball, I will put it into my pocket; but that you must still keep in your hand to play withal.

So take up the second cup with your right hand, and clap that ball you have concealed under it, and then take up the second ball with your right hand, and say, this likewise, I take and put into my pocket.

Likewise, take up the third cup, and clapping the cup down again, convey that ball you have in your right hand under the cup, then taking the third ball, say, Gentlemen, this being the last ball, I take and put this into my pocket. Afterwards say to the company, Gentlemen, by a little of my fine powder of experience, I will command these balls under the cups again. As thus,

So lay them all along upon the table to the admiration of all the beholders.

Then take up the first cup, and clap the ball you have in your right hand under it, then taking the first ball up with your right hand, seem to put the same into your left hand, but retain it still in your right, then say, Vade, quick be gone when I bid you, and run under the cup.

Then taking that cup up again, and flinging that you have in your right hand under it, you must take up the second ball, and seem to put it into your left hand, but retain it in your right hand, saying, Gentlemen, see how the ball runs on the table.

So seemingly fling it away, and it will appear as thus.

So taking the same cup again, then clapping the ball under again, as before, then taking the third ball in your right hand, and seem to put it under your left, but still retain it in your right, then with your left hand seem to fling it in the cup, and it will appear thus; all the three balls to be under one cup.

And if you can perform these actions with the cups, you may change the balls into apples pears, or plumbs, or to living birds, to what your fancy leads you to. I would have given you more examples, but I think these are sufficient for the ingenious, so that, by these means, you may perform all manner of actions with the cups.

Note. The artificial cups cannot well be described by words, but you may have them of me, for they are accounted the greatest secrets in this art: therefore, I advise you to keep them as such, for this was never known to the world before.

How to shew the wonderful Magic Lanthorn.

This is the magic lanthorn that has made so much wonder in the world, and that which Friar Bacon used to shew all his magical wonders withal.

This lanthorn is called magic, with respect to the for­mid­able ap­par­i­tions that by vir­tue of light it shews upon the white wall of a dark room. The body of it is generally made of tin, and of a shape of the lamp; towards the back part, is a concave looking glass of metal, which may either be spherical or parabolical, and which, by a grove made in the bottom of the lanthorn, may either be advanced nearer or put farther back from the lamp, in which is oil or spirit of wine, and the match ought to be a little thick, that when it is lighted, it may cast a good light that may easily reflect from the glass to the fore part of the lanthorn, where there is an aperture with the perspective in it, composed of two glasses that make the rays converge and magnify the object.

When you mean to make use of this admirable machine, light the lamp, the light of which will be much augmented by the looking glass at a reasonable distance. Between the fore-part of the lanthorn, and the perspective glass, you have a trough, made on purpose, in which you are to run a long, flat thin frame with different figures, painted with transparent colours upon glass; then all these little figures passing successively before the perspective glass, thro’ which passes the light of the lamp, will be painted, and represented with the same colours upon the wall of a darkroom, in a gigantic and monstrous manner.

By this Lanthorn you may shew what man, or woman, or birds, or beasts, and all sorts of fish that are in the sea: so if any gentleman has a desire to furnish themselves with one of these lanthorns, I have the best that can be made.

The figure is as follows.

To seem to swallow a long pudding made of tin.

This pudding must be made of tin, consisting of twelve or thirteen little hoops made as in the figure following, so as they may almost seem to fall one through another, having little holes made at the biggest end thereof, that it may not hurt your mouth, hold this pudding (for so it is called) privately in your left hand, with the hole end uppermost, and with your right hand take a ball out of your pocket, and say, ‘If here is ever a maid, that has lost her maidenhead or an old woman that is out of conceit with herself, because her neighbours deem her not so young as she would be, let them come to me, for this ball is a present remedy:’ then seem to put the ball into your left hand, but let it slip into your lap, and clap your pudding into your mouth, which will be thought to be the ball that you shewed them; then decline your head, and open your mouth, and the pudding will slip down at its full length, which with your right hand you may strike it into your mouth again, doing this three or four times, then you may discharge it into your hand, and clap it into your pocket without any suspicion, by making three or four wry faces after it, as tho’ it stuck in your throat, and if you practise smiting easily upon your throat with your fist on each side, the pudding will seem to chink; as if it were flying there; then say, ‘Thus they eat puddings in High Germany, they fling it down their throats before their teeth can take possession of it.’

To seem to eat knives and forks.

Desire any one of the spectators to lend you a knife, which when you get hold of, so that you may cover the whole with both hands, the end of the haft excepted, and setting the point to your eye, saying, “Some body strike it with your fist,” but nobody will, because it is so dangerous a thing; then setting your hand on the side of the table and looking about you, ask, “What will nobody strike it in?” in which time let the knife slip into your lap, then make as if you chop it hastily into your mouth, or to hold it with one hand, and to strike it in with the other nimbly, making three or four wry faces, saying, “Some drink, some drink,” or else, “Now let somebody put his finger into my mouth, and pull it out again,” some will cry, “You will bite me,” say, “I will assure you I will not:” then when he hath put his finger in, he will pull it out and cry, There is nothing; this is time sufficient to convey the knife into your pocket; then say, Why, you have your finger again: so, by this means, you may swallow knives and forks.

To put a lock upon a man’s mouth.

You must have a lock made for this purpose, according to the figure; one side of its bow must be immovable, as that marked with A, the other side is noted with B, and must be pinned to the body of the lock, as appears at E, I say it must be pinned that it may play to and fro with ease; this side of the bow must have a leg as at C, and then turn it into the lock; this leg must have two notches filled in the inner side, which must be so ordered, that one may lock or hold the two sides of the bow as close together as may be, and the other notch to hold the said part of the bow a proportionable distance asunder, that, being locked upon the cheek, it may neither pinch too hard, nor yet hold it so slight that it may be drawn off; let there be a key fixed to it, to unlock it, as you see at D, and lastly, let the bow have divers notches filled in it, so that the place of the partition, when the lock is shut home, will the least of all be suspected in the use of the lock; you must get one to hold a tester edge long between his teeth, then take another tester, and with your left hand proffer to set it edge-ways between a second man’s teeth, pretending that your intent is to turn both into which of their mouths they shall desire, by virtue of your words: which he shall no sooner consent to do, but you, by holding your lock privately in your right hand, with your fore-finger may flip it over his cheek, and lock it by pressing your fore-finger a little down, after some store of words, and the lock, having hung on a while, seem to pull the key out of his nose.

You may have those locks neatly made, at my house, near the watch-house, on little Tower-hill, Postern-row, a bookseller’s shop.

How to shew the magic bell and bushel.

This feat may well be called magical, for really it is very amazing, if it be well handled. This device was never known to the public before.

This bushel must be turned neatly like unto the egg-boxes, so that they cannot find out where it opens, and you must have a false lid to clap on and off; upon that false lid glue some bird-feed, and then you must have a true lid made to clap neatly upon the false one, now you must have your artificial bell to shew with your bushel.

You may make your bell with wood or brass, your bell must be made to unscrew at the top, that it may hold as much seed as your bushel will when it is filled, and you must have the handle of your bell made with a spring, so as to let the seed fall down at your word of command.

The manner how to use them is as followeth: Note, you must be sure to fill the top of your bell with seed before you begin to shew; then saying, Gentlemen, you see I have nothing in my bell (which they cannot, if you hold it by the handle) nor have I any thing in my bushel, therefore I will fill my bushel with seed, and, in filling it, clap on the false lid, and no man can tell the contrary.

Then ask any body in the company to hold that seed in their hands and you will command it all under the magical bell; so clap the true lid on, and then ring your bell, and the seed will be gone out of your bushel into your bell, to the admiration of all the beholders.

If you cannot rightly conceive this by words, you may have them of the newest fashions, ready made, at my house.

How to put a ring through one’s cheek.

You must have two rings made of silver, or brass, or what you please, of one bigness, colour, and likeness, saving that one must have a notch through, and the other must be whole, without a notch; shew the whole ring, and conceal that which hath the notch, and say, Now I will put this ring through my check, and privately slip the notch over one side of your mouth; then take a small stick which you must have in readiness, and slip the whole ring upon it, holding your hand over it about the middle of the stick; then bid somebody hold fast the stick at both ends; and say, see this ring in my cheek, it turns round; then, while you perceive them fasten their eyes upon that ring, on a sudden whip it out, and smite upon the stick therewith, instantly concealing it, and whirling the other ring, you hold your hand over round about the stick, and it will be thought that you have brought that ring upon the stick which was upon your cheek.

How to shew the Hen and Egg-bag, and out of an empty bag to bring out above an hundred eggs, and afterwards to bring out a living hen.

You must go and buy two or three yards of calico, or printed linen, and make a double bag, and on the mouth of the bag, on that side next to you, you must make four or five little purses, in which you must put two or three eggs in a purse; and do so till you have filled that side next to you; and have a hole made at one end of your bag, that no more than two or three eggs come out at once; then you must have another bag, like unto that exactly, that one must not be known from the other; and then put a living hen into that bag, and hang it on a hook on that side you stand. The manner of performing it is thus: take the egg-bag, and put both your hands in it, and turn it inside out, and say, Gentlemen, you see there is nothing in my bag; and, in turning it again, you must slip some of the eggs out of the purses, as many as you think fit, and then turn your bag again and shew the company that it is empty; and, in turning it again, you command more eggs to come out, and when all is come out but one, you must take that egg and shew it to the company; and then drop your egg-bag, and take up your hen-bag, and so shake your hen, pidgeon, or any other fowl. This is a noble fancy, if well handled.

How to cut the blowing book.

Take a book seven inches long, and about five inches broad, and let there be forty-nine leaves, that is, seven times seven, contained therein, so as you may cut upon the edges of each leaf six notches, each notch in depth of a quarter of an inch, with a gouge made for that purpose, and let them be one inch distant; paint every thirteenth and fourteenth page, which is the end of every sixth leaf and beginning of every seventh, with like colours, or pictures; cut off with a pair of sheers, every notch of the first leaf, leaving only one inch of paper, which will remain half a quarter of an inch above that leaf; leave another like inch in the second part of the second leaf, clipping away an inch of paper in the highest place above it, and all notches below the same, and orderly to the third and fourth, and so as there shall rest upon each leaf only one nick of paper above the rest, one high uncut, an inch of paper must answer to the first directly, so as when you have cut the first seven leaves in such a manner as I have described, you are to begin the self same order at the eighth leaf, descending the same manner to the cutting the other seven leaves to twenty-one, until you are past through every leaf all the thickness of your book, &c.

This feat is sooner learn’d by demonstrative means, than taught by words of instruction; so, if any person wants to be furnished with these blowing books, they may have them at my shop on Little-towerhill, aforesaid.

To shew the trick with the Funnel.

You must get a double funnel, that is, two funnels soddered one within the other, so that you may, at the little end, pour in a quantity of wine or water; this funnel you may have ready filled before-hand, with whatsoever liquor you please, and call for some of the same kind, then draw your funnel, and setting your middle finger into the bottom of it, bid some body, or else do it yourself, pour it full, and drink it up before them, and turn the broad end of the funnel downwards, saying, “Gentlemen, all is gone;” and in a trice turn yourself about, and in turning pronounce some terms of art, withdraw your finger from the narrow end, and let the liquor cut between the funnels, and it will be thought to be that which you drank out of the funnel, and so you may persuade them it is the same.

How to make three little children dance in a glass upon a table.

Take little figures of glass that are made hollow, of an inch and a half high, representing little boys, which may be had at the glass-blowers; these little images have a small hole in one of their legs, and are lighter than water; immerge them into the water contained in the glass A. B. this glass is about a foot or 15 inches high, and covered with a bladder which is tied fast over the top; a small quantity of air is to be left between the bladder and surface of the water; so, when you command them to walk down, press your hand hard upon the top, and they will immediately come down, and so you may make them dance in the middle of the glass, at your pleasure; and when you would have them to go up to the top, take your hand away, and they will walk up.

I hope this is sufficient for your understanding; if not, you may have the glass and figures of me.

Bonus Genius: or Hiccius Doctius.

You must have the figure of a man made of wood, about the bigness of your little finger, the head whereof must be made to take off and put on at pleasure, by means of a wire that is in the neck: also, you must have a cloth cap with a little bag within to convey the head into; the bag must be neatly made that it may not easily be perceived: shew your man to the company, ‘Gentlemen, this I call my Bonus Genius;’ then shew the cap, saying, ‘This is his coat:’ say moreover, ‘Look now as stedfast as you can, nevertheless I will cozen you, for therefore am I come;’ then hold your cap above your face, and take your man in your right-hand, and put his head through the hole of the cap, saying, ‘Now he is ready to go on any message I have to send him, to Spain, or to Italy, or whether I will, but he must have somewhat to bear his charges,’ with that, pull out your right-hand from under the cap, and therewith, the body, but privately putting your right-hand into your pocket, as if you felt for money, where you may hide the body, and take out your hand and say, ‘There is three crowns for you, now be gone,’ then turn the head, and say, ‘But he will look about him before he goes;’ then say, setting your fore-finger upon his crown, ‘Just as I thrust my finger down so he shall vanish;’ and therewith by the assistance of your left-hand that is under the cap, convey his head into the little bag within the cap, then turn your cap about, and say, ‘See here he is gone;’ then take up your cap and hold it up again, throwing the head out of the little bag and say, ‘Hic mecus Genius,’ and in the mean time thrust the head through the hole of the cap, and holding the head by the wire, turn it about presently, and put the head into your pocket.

Note. Any person that is desirous to learn any part of this art, they may be taught by me.

H. Dean.

Of conveyance of Money.

The conveyance of money is not much inferior to the balls, but much easier to do; the principal place to hold a piece of money is the palm of your hand, the best piece to keep is a tester, but with exercise all will be alike; except the money be very small, and then it is to be between the fingers, almost at the finger’s ends, whereas the ball is to be kept below, near to the palm; the money must not be of too large a circumference.

To convey money out of one of your hands into the other by Legerdemain.

First, you must hold open your right-hand, and lay therein a tester or some big piece of money, then lay thereupon the top of your long left finger, and use words; and, upon a sudden, flip your right-hand from your finger wherewith you hold down the tester still therein, and suddenly, I say, drawing your right-hand through your left, you will seem to have left the tester there, especially when you shut, in due time, your left hand, which, that it may more plainly appear to be truly done, you may take a knife and seem to knock against it, so as it may make a great sound; this is pretty, if it is cunningly done, for both the ear and the eye are deceived by this device.

To convert money into counters, and counters into money.

Another way to deceive the lookers on is, to do as before with a tester, and keeping a counter in the palm of your left-hand secretly, to put the tester secretly thereinto, which being retained still in the right-hand, when the left-hand is opened, the tester will seem to be turned into a counter.

To put one tester into one hand, another into the other hand, and with words to bring them together.

He that hath once attained to the faculty of retaining one piece of money in his right-hand, may shew a hundred pleasant conceits by that means, and may reserve two or three as well as one; and so then you may seem to put one piece into your left-hand, and retaining it still in your right-hand, you may together therewith, take up another like piece, and so, with words, seem to bring both pieces together. Variety of tricks may be shown in juggling with money.

To put one tester into a stranger’s hand, and another into your own, and to convey both into the stranger’s hand with words.

Also, you may take two testers, evenly set together, and put the same instead of one tester into a stranger’s hand, and then making as though you did put one tester in your left-hand with words, you shall make it seem that you convey the tester in your hand into the stranger’s hand; for when you open your said left-hand, there shall be nothing seen, and he opening his hand, shall find two testers, which he thought was but one. By this device, I say a hundred conceits may be shewed.

How to shew the same, or the like feat otherwise.

To keep a tester betwixt your fingers, serveth, especially for this and such like purposes; hold out your hand, and cause one to lay a tester upon the palm thereof; then shake the same up almost to your finger’s end, and putting your thumb upon it, you shall easily, with a little practice, convey the edge betwixt the middle and fore-finger, whilst you proffer to put it into the other hand; provided always that the edge appears not through the fingers on the backside; which being done, take up another tester, which you may cause another stander-by to lay down, and put them both together, either closely, instead of one into a stranger’s hand, or keep them still in your own hand, and after some words spoken, open your hands, and there being nothing in one hand, and both pieces in the other, the beholders will wonder how they came together.

To throw a piece of money away, and to find it again where you left it.

You may with the middle or ring-finger of the right-hand, convey a tester into the palm with the same hand, and seem to cast it away, keeping it still, which, with con­fed­er­acy, will seem strange: to wit, when you find it again, where another have bestowed the like piece, but these things without exercise cannot be done; therefore I will proceed to shew how things may be brought to pass with less difficulty, and yet as strange as the rest; being unknown, are marvellously commended, but being known, are derided and nothing at all regarded.

How to make a groat or tester to leap out of a pot, or run along upon a table.

You shall see a juggler take a tester and throw it into a pot, or lay it in the midst of a table, and with enchanting words cause the same to leap out of the pot, or run towards him, or from him along the table, which will seem miraculous until you know how it is done; which is thus, take a long black hair of a woman’s head fastened to the rim of a tester, by the means of a little hole driven through the same with a Spanish needle, in like sort you may use a knife, or any small thing, but if you would have it go from you, you must have a con­fed­er­ate, by which means all juggling is graced and amended; this feat is the stranger if it be done by night, and a candle placed between the spectators and the juggler; for by that means their eyes are hindered from discerning the conceit.

To make a groat or a tester to sink through a table, and to vanish out of a hand­ker­chief strangely.

A juggler also will sometimes borrow a tester and mark it before you, and seem to put the same into the midst of a hand­ker­chief, and wind it so as you may the better see and feel it; then will he take the hand­ker­chief and bid you feel whether the tester be there or not, and he will also require you to put the same under a can­dle­stick, or some such like thing; then he will send for a bason of water, and holding the same under the table right against the can­dle­stick, he will use certain words of enchantment, and in short you will hear the tester fall into a bason; this done, let one take off the can­dle­stick, and the juggler take the hand­ker­chief by a tossel and shake it, but the money is gone, which seemeth as strange a feat as any whatsoever, but being known, the miracle is turned to a bauble, for it is nothing else but to sew a tester into a corner of a hand­ker­chief, finely covered with a piece of linen a little bigger than your tester, which corner you must convey instead of the tester delivered to you into the middle of your hand­ker­chief, leaving the other in your hand or lap, which afterwards you seem to pull through the table, letting it fall into the bason.

A notable trick to transform a counter to a groat.

Take a groat, or some lesser piece of money, and grind it very thin at one side, and take two counters and grind them, the one at one side; glew the smooth side of the groat to the smooth side of the counter, joining them so close together as may be, especially at the edges, which may be so filled as they shall seem to be but one piece, to wit, one side a counter and the other side a groat, then take a little green wax for that is softest, and therefore best, and lay it so upon the smooth side of the counter as if it do not much discolour the groat, and so will that counter, with the groat, cleave together as though they were glued, and being filled even with the groat and the other counter, it will seem so perfect, like an entire counter, that though a stranger handle it he cannot betray it; then, having a little touched your fore-finger and the thumb of your right-hand with soft wax, take therewith this counterfeit counter, and lay it openly upon the palm of your left-hand, in such sort as if you were to lay down the counter, wringing the same hard, so as you may leave the glewed counter, with the groat, apparently in the palm of your left-hand, and the smooth side of the waxed counter will stick fast upon your thumb, by reason of the wax wherewith it is smeared, and so you may hide it at your pleasure always; that you lay the waxed side downward, and the glewed side upward, then close your hand, and in, or after the closing thereof, turn the piece, and so instead of a counter, which they suppose to be in your hand, you shall seem to have a groat, to the astonishment of the beholders, if it be well handled. The juggler must not have any of his tricks wanting.

An elegant feat to make a two-penny piece be plain in the palm of your hand, and be passed from thence where you list.

Put a little red wax, not too much, upon the nail of your longest finger, then let a stranger put a two-penny piece into the palm of your hand, and shut your fist suddenly, and convey the two penny piece upon the wax, which with use you may so accomplish as no man shall perceive it; then, and in the mean time, use words of course, and suddenly open your hand, hold the tips of your fingers rather lower than higher than the palm of your hand, and the beholders will wonder where it is gone; then shut your hand suddenly again, and lay a wager whether it be their or not, and you may either leave it there, or take it away at pleasure; this, if it be well handled, hath more admiration than any other feat of the hand. Note. This may be best done by putting the wax upon the two-penny piece, but then you must put it into your hand yourself.

To convey a tester out of one’s hand that holds it fast.

Stick a little wax upon your thumb, and take a stander-by, by the fingers, shewing him the tester, and telling him you will put the same into his hand, then wring it down hard with your waxed thumb, and using many words, look him in the face, and as soon as you perceive him to look in your face, or on your hand, suddenly take away your thumb and close his hand, and it will seem to him that the tester remaineth; even as if you wring a tester upon one’s forehead, it will seem to strike when it is taken away, especially if it be wet; then cause him to hold his hand still, and with speed put into another man’s hand, or into your own, two testers instead of one, and use words of course, whereby you shall make the beholders believe, when they open their hands, that, by enchantment, you have brought both together.

To convey a shilling, being in one hand, into another, holding your hands abroad.

It is necessary to mingle some merry pranks among your grave miracles, as in this case of money, to take a shilling in each hand, and holding your arms abroad, lay a wager that you will put them both into one hand without bringing them any nearer together; the wager being laid, hold your arms abroad alike a rod, and turning about with your body, lay the shilling out of one of your hands upon the table, and turning to the other hand; and so you shall win your wager: a knack more merry than marvelous.

To transform any small thing into any other form by folding paper.

Take a sheet of paper, and fold or double the same, so as one side be a little longer than the other, then put a counter between the two sides of the leaves of the paper, up to the middle of the top of the fold, hold the same so as it be not perceived, and lay a groat on the outside thereof, right against the counter, and fold it down to the end of the longer side, and when you have unfolded it again, the groat will be where the counter was; so that some will suppose that you have transformed the money into a counter; and with this many tricks may be done.

Another experiment of the like nature.

Take two papers three inches square a-piece, divided into two folds, into three equal parts, at either side, so as each folded paper remains one inch square; then glue the back side of the two together, as they are folded, and not as they are opened, and so shall both papers seem to be but one, and which side soever you open, it shall appear to be the same, if you have handsomely the bottom, as you may well do with your middle finger, so as if you have a groat in one hand, and a counter in the other, you having shewed but one, may, by turning the paper, seem to change it; this may be the best performed by putting it under a can­dle­stick or a hat, and with words seem to do the feat. This is no inferior trick.

Of cards, with good caution how to avoid cozenage therein, especially rules to convey and handle the cards, and the manner and order how to accomplish all difficulties and strange things wrought with cards.

I having now bestowed some waste money among you, I will set you to cards, by which kind of witchcraft a great number of people have juggled away, not only their money, but also their lands, their health, their time, and their honesty. I dare not as I could, shew the lude juggling that cheats practice, least it minister some offence to the well disposed; to the simple, hurt and losses, and to the wicked, occasion of evil doing; but I could wish all gamesters to beware, not only of cards, but also of what dice they play withal; but especially with whom, and where they exercise gaming, and to let dice pass as a thing whereby a man must be inevitably cozened: one that is skilful in making bum cards, may undo hundreds of wealthy men that are given to gaming; for if he hath a con­fed­er­ate present, either of the players or standers-by, the mischief cannot be avoided; if you play among strangers, beware of him that seems simple or drunken, for under their habit the most specious cozeners are presented, and while you think by their simplicity and imperfections to beguile them, and thereby perchance are pursuaded by their con­fed­er­ates, which you take to be your friends, you will be then most of all deceived; beware also of the betters and lookers-on, and particularly, of them that bet on your side, whilst they look on your game without suspicion, they discover it by signs to your adversaries, with whom they bet, and yet are their con­fed­er­ates.

But in shewing feats and juggling with cards, the principal point consisteth in the shuffling them nimbly, and always keeping one card either at the bottom or in some known place of the stock, four or five cards from it; hereby you shall seem to work wonders, for it will be easy for you to see one card, which, though you be perceived to do, it will not be suspected, if you shuffle them well afterwards: and this note I must give you, that in reserving the bottom card, you must always whilst you shuffle, keep him a little before or behind all the cards lying underneath him, bestowing him, I say, either a little beyond his fellows before, right over the fore finger or else behind the rest, so as the little finger of the left hand may meet with it, which is the easier, the readier, and better way: in the beginning of your shuffleing, shuffle as thick as you can, and in the end throw upon the stock the nether card, with so many more at the least as you would have preserved for any purpose, a little before or a little behind the rest, provided always that your fore-finger (if the pack lay behind) creep up to meet with the bottom card, and when you feel it, you may then hold it until you have shuffled over the cards again, still leaving your kept card below: being perfect herein, you may do almost what you list with cards by this means, what pack soever you use, though it consisteth of eight, twelve, or twenty cards, you may keep them still together unserved next to the card, and yet shuffle them often to satisfy the curious beholders. As for example, and for brevity sake, to shew divers feats under one.

How to deliver out four aces, and to convert them into four knaves.

Make a pack of these eight cards, to wit, four knaves and four aces, and although the eight cards must be immediately together, yet must each knave and ace be evenly set together, and the same eight cards must lie also in the lowest place of the bunch, then shuffle them so always at the second shuffling, or, at leastwise, at the end of your shuffling the said pack, one ace may lay undermost, or so as you may know where he goeth and lieth always: I say, let your aforesaid pack, with three or four cards more, lie unseparable together; immediately upon, and with that ace; then using some speck, or other device, and putting your hands with the cards to the edge of the table, to hide the action, let out privately a piece of the second card, which is one of the knaves, holding forth the stock in both your hands, and shewing to the standers-by the nether card, which is the ace, or kept card, covering also the head or piece of the knave, which is the next card, and with your fore-finger draw out the same knave, laying it down on the table; then shuffle them again, keep your pack whole, and so have your two aces lying together in the bottom; and to reform that disordered card, and also to grace and countenance that action, take of the uppermost card of the bunch, and thrust it into the midst of the cards, and then take away the nethermost card, which is one of your said aces, and bestow him likewise; then may you, being as before, shewing another ace, and instead thereof lay down another knave and so forth, until, instead of your aces, you have laid down four knaves, the beholders all this while thinking that there lies four aces on the table, are greatly amused, and will marvel at the transformation: you must be well advised in shuffling of the bunch lest you overshoot yourself.

How to tell one what card he seeth at the bottoms when the card is shuffled in the stock.

When you have seen a card privately, or as though you marked it not, lay the same undermost, and shuffle the cards as before you are taught, till your card be again at the bottom; then shew the same to the beholders, bidding them to remember it; then shuffle the cards, or let any other shuffle them, for you know the card already, and therefore may at any time tell them what card they saw, which nevertheless must be done with caution, or shew of difficulty.

Another way to do the same, having yourself never seen the cards.

If you can see no card, or be suspected to have seen that which you mean to shew, then let a stander-by shuffle, and afterwards take you the cards into your hands, and having shewed them, and not seen the bottom card, shuffle again, and keep the same cards, as before you are taught; and either make shift then to see it when their suspicion is past, which may be done by letting some cards fall or else lay down all the cards in heaps, remembering where you laid the bottom card; then espy how many cards lie in some one heap, and lap the slap where your bottom card is, upon that heap, and all the other heaps upon the same, and so if there were five cards in the heap, whereon you laid your card, then the same must be the sixth card, which now you must throw out or look upon without suspicion, and tell them the card they saw.

To tell without con­fed­er­acy, what card he thinketh on.

Lay three cards at a little distance, and bid a stander-by be true and not waver, but think on one of the three, and by his eye you shall assuredly perceive which he thinketh: and you shall do the like if you cast down a whole pack of cards with the faces upwards, whereof there will be few or none plainly perceived, and they also court cards: but as you cast them down suddenly, so must you take them up presently, marking both his eyes, and the card whereon he looketh.

How to make a card jump out of the pack, and run on the table.

This is a wonderful fancy if it be well handled: as thus,

Take a pack of cards, and let any one draw any card that they fancy best, and afterward take and put it into the pack, but so as you know where to find it at pleasure; for by this time, I suppose you know how to shuffle the cards, and where to find any card when it is put into the pack; then take a piece of wax, and put it under the thumb nail of your hand, and then fasten a hair to your thumb, and the other end of the hair to the card, then spread the pack of cards open on the table, then say, “If you are a pure virgin the card will jump out of the pack,” then by your words or charms seem to make it jump on the table.

How to tell what card any man thinketh on, and how to convey the same into a kernel of a nut or cherry stone, and the same again into one’s pocket; and how to make him draw the same, or any card you please, and all under one device.

Take a nut, or a cherry stone; and burn a hole through the side of the top of the shell, and also through the kernel if you will, with a hot bodkin, or bore it with an awl, and with a needle pull out the kernel, so as the same may be as wide as the hole of the shell: then write the name of the card in a piece of fine paper, and roll it up hard, then put it into the nut or cherry stone, and stop the hole up with wax, and rub the same over with a little dust, and it will not be perceived; then let some stander-by draw a card, saying, ‘It is no matter what card you draw;’ and if your hands so serve you to use the card well, you shall proffer him, and he shall receive the same card that you have rolled up in the nut; then take another nut and fill it up with ink, and then stop the hole up with wax, and then give that nut which is filled with ink, to somebody to crack, and when he finds the ink come out of his mouth, it will cause great laughter. By this feat on the cards, great wonders might be done.

How to let twenty gentlemen draw twenty cards, and to make one card every man’s card.

Take a pack of cards, let any gentleman draw a card, and let him put it in the pack again, but be sure that you know where to find it again at pleasure; then shuffle the cards as before taught, and then let another gentleman draw a card, but be sure that you let him draw no other but the same card as the other did draw, and so do till ten or twelve or as many cards as you think fit; when you have so done, let another gentleman draw another card, but not the same, and put that card into the pack where you have kept the other card, and shuffle them till you have brought both the cards together; then shewing the last card to the company, the other will shew the trick: By this means many other feats may be done.

How to change a pack of cards into all manner of pictures.

You must take a pack of cards and paint upon the back-side of one half of the pack what manner of figures that please your fancy best, as men, women, birds, flowers, &c. Then paint the other half, of the cards, viz. on that side where the spots are on, after the same manner you did the other half, so between them both, you will have a compleat pack of all pictures; and when you will perform this trick, you must shew the cards but half-way. This is one of the best tricks on the cards; and you may have them ready made at my house.

How to knit a knot upon a hand­ker­chief, and to undo the same with words.

Make one plain loose knot with the two corner ends of a hand­ker­chief, with seeming to draw the same very hard, hold fast the body of the said hand­ker­chief, near to the knot, with your right hand, pulling the contrary end with your left hand, which is the corner of that which you hold; then close up handsomely the knot, which will be somewhat loose, and pull the hand­ker­chief so with your right hand as the left hand end may be near to the knot, then will it seem to be a true and firm knot; and to make it appear more assuredly to be so, let a stranger pull at the end which you have in your left hand, while you hold fast the other in your right hand, and then holding the knot with your fore-finger and thumb, and the lower part of your hand­ker­chief with your other finger, as you hold a bridle, when you would with one hand slip up the knot and lengthen the reins; this done, turn, your hand­ker­chief over the knot with the left hand, in doing whereof you must suddenly slip out the end or corner, putting up the knot of your hand­ker­chief with your fore-finger and thumb, as you would put up the aforesaid knot of your bridle: then deliver the same covered and wrapt within the midst of the hand­ker­chief to one to hold fast, and after pronouncing of some words of art, take the hand­ker­chief and shake it, and it will be loose.

How to take three button moulds off two strings.

Take two little whipcords of two feet long a-piece, double them equally so as there may appear four ends; then take three button moulds, the hole of one of them must be bigger than the rest, and put one button mould upon the eye or bout of the one cord and another on the other cord, then take the button mould with the greatest hole, and let both the bouts be hidden therein; which may be the better done if you put the eye or bout of the one into the eye or bout of the other; then pull the middle button upon the same, being doubled over his fellow, so will the heads seem to be put over the two cords, you may loose them as you list, and make it seem manifest to the beholders, which may not see how they are done, but that the buttons are put upon the two cords without any fraud; then must you seem to add a more effectual binding of those buttons to the strings, and make one half of a knot with one of the ends of each side, which is for no other purpose, but that when the buttons be taken away, the cords may be seen in the case, which the beholders supposes them to be in before; for then you have made your half knots, which in any wise you may not double to make a perfect knot, you must deliver into the hands of some stander-by these two cords, namely, two cords evenly set to one hand, and two in the other, and then with a wager begin to pull off the buttons, which if you handle nimbley, and in the end cause him to pull his two ends, the two cords will shew to be placed plainly, and the buttons to have come thro’ the cords; but those things are so hard, and long to be described, that I will leave them, whereas I could shew greater variety.