The Juggler's Oracle; or, The Whole Art of Legerdemain Laid Open / Consisting of all the newest and most surprising tricks and experiments with cards, cups and balls, conveyance of money and rings, boxes, fire, strings and knots; with many curious experiments by optical illusion, chymical changes, and magical cards, &c.

by H. Boaz

To convey a Sixpence out of the Hand of one that holds it fast.

Stick a little wax upon your thumb, and take a bystander by the fingers, showing him the sixpence, 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 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 sixpence remains. If you wring a sixpence upon one’s forehead, it will seem to stick when it is taken away, especially if it be wet; then cause him to hold his hand still, and, with speed, put out into another man’s hand, or into your own, two sixpences instead of one, and use words of course, whereby you shall make the spectators believe, when they open their hands, that, by enchantment, you have brought both together.

To convey a Shilling from one Hand into another, holding your Hands apart.

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, to lay a wager that you will bring them both into one hand without bringing them any nearer together; the wager being laid, hold your arms abroad, like 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, so you shall win your wager.

To transform any small Thing into any other Form, by holding of 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 sixpence on the outside thereof, right against the counter, and fold it down to the end of the longer side. When you have unfolded it again, the sixpence will be where the counter was, so that some will suppose you have transformed the money into a counter; and with this many tricks may be done.

Another Trick of the same Nature.

Take two papers, three inches square each, divided into two folds, of three equal parts on 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 done the bottom, as you may well do with your middle finger, so that, if you have a sixpence in one hand, and a counter in the other, you show but one, and you may, by turning the paper, seem to change it; this is best performed by putting it under a candlestick or a hat, and, with words, seem to do the feat, which is by no means an inferior one.

A Watch recovered after being beaten to Pieces in a Mortar.

A watch is borrowed from one of the company, and, being put into a mortar, another person is shortly after requested to beat it to pieces with a pestle. It is then shown to the company, entirely bruised; in a few minutes the watch is restored entire to its owner, who acknowledges it to be his property. It is easy to devise that, to effect this, the mortar must be placed near a concerted trap, and that it must be covered with a napkin, to afford an opportunity to the confederate to substitute another watch, unperceived by the company. In order to succeed in the illusion of this trick, you must take care to provide yourself with a second watch, somewhat resembling the first in the size, case, &c. which will not be very difficult, as you may either be furnished with a watch by a person with whom the matter is preconcerted, or by addressing yourself to some one whose watch you have before observed, and procured yourself one like it. After having placed all the pieces in the mortar, you must cover them a second time with a napkin, and whilst you amuse the company with some trick or story, you afford time to your confederate to take the bruised pieces away, and replace the first watch in the mortar.