The Enchanted Egg.
Have ready a penny-worth of quicksilver in a quill, sealed at both ends with good hard wax; then cause an egg to be boiled, and take off a small bit of the shell of the narrow end, and thrust in your quill of quicksilver, and lay the egg on the ground; you will have sport enough; for it will keep tumbling about as long as there is any heat in it.
To cut a Man’s Head off, and to put it into a Platter, a Yard from the Body.
This is a noble trick, if it be performed by a skilful hand. To show it to advantage, you must cause a board, a cloth, and a platter to be purposely made, and in each of them to be made holes, for a man’s neck.
The board must be made of two planks, the longer and broader the better; there must be left, within half a yard of the end of each plank, half a hole, so as, both the planks being thrust together, there may remain two holes, like to the holes in a pair of stocks. There must be made likewise a hole in the cloth; a platter, also, must be set directly over or upon one of them, having a hole in the middle thereof, of the like size, and also a piece cut off the same as big as the neck, through which the head may be conveyed into the middle of the platter; and then, sitting or kneeling under the board, let the head only remain upon the board, in the frame. Then, to make the sight more dreadful, put a saucer, containing saffron, common salt, and spirits of wine, burning, before the head of the boy, who must gasp two or three times. The head will presently appear quite dead, if the boy set his countenance accordingly; and, if a little blood be sprinkled on his face, the sight will be the stranger and more horrible still.
This is practised with a boy instructed for the purpose, who, being familiar with the company, may be known as well by his face as by his apparel. At the other end of the table, where the like hole is made, another boy, of the same size, must be placed, having on his usual apparel; he must lean or lie upon the board, and put his head underneath it, through the said hole; so that the body shall seem to lie on one end of the board, and his head shall lie in a platter on the other end. There are other rules to be observed; as, to put about his neck a little dough, kneaded with bullock’s blood, which, being cold, will look like dead flesh, and, being pricked with a sharp quill, filled with blood, will seem to bleed.—You must be particular to have the table-cloth so long and so wide as that it may almost reach the ground. Also, let this be your last trick, taking care not to suffer the company to stay too long in the place after it is performed.
To cause Beer to be wrung out of the Handle of a Knife.
To do this, you must have a small piece of sponge, with liquor put in it privately; then, unseen, place this beyond your right ear; but let not the sponge be too big, or too full of liquor, lest you be discovered. Now, taking a knife, stick it, with the handle upwards, in a table or stool (but observe to place your company before you); then bid them look, saying, “There you see is nothing of wet, either on this handle or the table;” so stretch your empty hand towards your ear, darting the point, saying, “Now, somebody cross my arm,” and, speaking some powerful words, as “Jubio bisco,” then you have a fair opportunity to take the sponge into your hand from behind your ear; stretching forth your hand, squeeze it gently, and afterwards a little harder, which will make it run the faster, to the amazement of the company, at the same time saying, “Thus could I do till I had drowned you all.” Then sprinkle a little in their faces, which will cause them to shut their eyes, whilst you convey away the sponge.