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.