The Discoverie of Witchcraft

by Reginald Scot

The xxviii. Chapter.

How to tell what card anie man thinketh, how to conveie the same into a kernell of a nut or cheristone, &c: and the same againe into ones pocket: how to make one drawe the same or anie card you list, and all under one devise.

AKE Tricks with cards, &c: which must be doone with confederacie. a nut, or a cheristone, & burne a hole through the side of the top of the shell, and also through the kernell (if you will) with a hot bodkin, or boare it with a nall; and with the eie of a needle pull out some of the kernell, so as the same may be as wide as the hole of the shell. Then write the number or name of a card in a peece of fine paper one inch or halfe an inch in length, and halfe so much in bredth, and roll it up hard: then put it into a nut, or cheristone, and close the hole with a little red waxe, and rub the same with a litle dust, and it will not be perceived, if the nut or cheristone be browne or old. Then let your confederate thinke that card which you have in your nut, &c: and either conveie the same nut or cheristone into some bodies pocket, or laie it in some strange place: then make one drawe the same out of the stocke held in your hand, which by use you may well doo. But saie not; I will make you perforce draw such a card: but require some stander by to draw a card, saieng that it skils not what card he draw. And if your hand serve you to use the cards well, you shall prefer unto him, and he shall receive (even though he snatch at an other) the verie card which you kept, and your confederate thought, and is written in the nut, and hidden in the pocket, &c. You must (while you hold the stocke in your hands, tossing the cards to and fro) remember alwaies to keepe your card in your eie, and not to loose the sight thereof. Which feate, till you be perfect in, you may/336. have the same privilie marked; and when you perceive his hand readie to draw, put it a little out towards his hand, nimblie turning over the cards, as though you numbred them, holding the same more loose and open than the rest, in no wise suffering him to draw anie other: which if he should doo, you must let three or foure fall, that you may beginne againe. ¶ This will seeme most strange, if your said paper be inclosed in a button, and by confederacie sowed upon the doublet or cote of anie bodie.A merrie conceipt, the like whereof you shall find in pag. 324, & 330. This tricke they commonlie end with a nut full of inke, in which case some wag or unhappie boie is to be required to thinke a card; and having so doone, let the nut be delivered him to cracke, which he will not refuse to doo, if he have seene the other feate plaied before./

The xxix. Chapter.237.

Of fast or loose, how to knit a hard knot upon a handkercher, and to undoo the same with words.

HE Aegyptians juggling witchcraft or sortilegie standeth much in fast or loose, whereof though I have written somwhat generallie alreadie, yet having such oportunitie I will here shew some of their particular feats; not treating of their common tricks which is so tedious, nor of their fortune telling which is so impious; and yet both of them meere cousenages. Fast and loose with a handkercher.¶ Make one plaine loose knot, with the two corner ends of a handkercher, and seeming to draw the same verie hard, hold fast the bodie of the said handkercher (neere to the knot) with your right hand, pulling the contrarie end with the left hand, which is the corner of that which you hold. Then close up handsomlie the knot, which will be yet somewhat loose, and pull the handkercher so with your right hand, as the left hand end may be neere to the knot: then will it seeme a true and a firme knot. And to make it appeare more assuredlie to be so indeed, let a stranger pull at the end which you hold in your left hand, whilest you hold fast the other in your right hand: and then holding the knot with your forefinger & thombe, & the nether part of your handkercher with your other fingers,/337. as you hold a bridle when you would with one hand slip up the knot and lengthen your reines. This doone, turne your handkercher over the knot with the left hand, in dooing whereof you must suddenlie slip out the end or corner, putting up the knot of your handkercher with your forefinger and thombe, as you would put up the foresaid knot of your bridle. Then deliver the same (covered and wrapt in the middest of your handkercher) to one, to hold fast, and so after some words used, and wagers laied, take the handkercher and shake it, and it will be loose.

A notable feate of fast or loose; namelie, to pull three beadstones from off a cord, while you hold fast the ends thereof, without remooving of your hand.

TAke Fast or lose with whipcords and beades.two little whipcords of two foote long a peece, double them equallie, so as there may appeare foure ends. Then take three great beadstones, the hole of one of them beeing bigger than the rest; and put one beadstone upon the eie or bowt of the one cord, and an other on the other cord. Then take the stone with the greatest hole, and let both the bowts be hidden therein: which may be the better doone, if you put the eie of the one into the eie or bowt of the other. Then pull the middle bead upon the same, being doubled over his fellow, and so will the beads seeme to be put over the two cords without partition. For holding fast in each hand the two ends of the two cords, you may tosse them as you list, and make it seeme manifest to the beholders, which may not see how you have doone it, that the beadstons are put upon the two cords without anie fraud. Then must you seeme to adde more effectuall binding of those beadstones to the string, and make one/238. halfe of a knot with one of the ends of each side; which is for no other purpose,This conveiance must be closelie doone: Ergo it must be no bunglers worke. but that when the beadstones be taken awaie, the cords may be seene in the case which the beholders suppose them to be in before. For when you have made your halfe knot (which in anie wise you may not double to make a perfect knot) you must deliver into the hands of some stander by those two cords; namelie, two ends evenlie set in one hand, and two in the other, and then with a wager, &c: beginne to pull off your beadstones, &c: which if you handle nimblie, and in the end cause him to pull his two ends, the two cords will/338. shew to be placed plainelie, and the beadstones to have come through the cords. But these things are so hard and long to be described, that I will leave them; whereas I could shew great varietie.