This trick is called the bridle, being made of two alder sticks—
Through the hollowness thereof is placed a cord, the same being put upon the nose, like a pair of pincers or tongs; the cord which goeth round the same being drawn to and fro, the beholders will think the cord goes through your nose very dangerously; the knots at the end of the cord, which stay the same from being drawn out of the stick, must not be put at the very top, for that must be stopped up, but half an inch beneath each end; and so, when it is pulled, it will seem to pass through the nose. Then you may take a knife and seem to cut the cord asunder, and pull the bridle from your nose.
To take three Button-Moulds off a String.
Take two little whipcords, of two feet long each, 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 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 put 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 like, and make it seem manifest to the beholders, who 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 are taken away, the cords may be seen in the case which the beholders suppose to be in before; for when you have made your half knots, which in any wise you must not double to make a perfect knot, you must deliver into the hands of some bystanders 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 nimbly, and in the end cause him to pull his two ends, the two cords will show to be placed plainly, and the buttons to have come through the cords.