You must go and get you a post of about five or six inches long, and you must then get it turned hollow throughout, so that you may have a screw made just fit, and then put a needle at each end of the screw, and have two holes so contrived in the post that you may fasten two strings in the screw, so as when you pull one end of the string, the needle will run into your finger, and when you pull hold of the other end of the string, the needle will run into your thumb, which will cause great laughter to the campany. If these words are not sufficient for you to make one by, you may have them at my house ready made.
To seem to cut a hole in a cloak, scarf, or handkerchief, and with words to make it whole again.
To do this you must have a piece of the same ready in your hand, the sample of that you intend to cut; then amongst other tricks by you, clap your hand upon the place you intend to cut, then drawing hollow by the false piece, cause it to be cut off, and gripping your hand, shew the hole from whence the piece came away, which is in your hand, which is done by pretending to feel in your pocket for a needle and thread to sew it up again: but drawing your hand out from your pocket, saying, I have no needle, but I have a charm will do as well; so muttering some words, bid them blow upon it, and pulling your hand from the place, does not a little satisfy the curiosity of the persons which thought they had been damnified.
The Egg Box is looked upon to be as good a trick and as cunning a slight, as any that is done, but because it cannot be expressed in words, I have put these figures underneath to explain it.
A, signifies the egg box, made in the fashion of two bee-hives put one upon another; B, the upper shell; C, the inner shell, covered over artificially with the skin of an egg; P the lower part of the shell-box; putting B, which is the outward shell, upon C, and both upon P, as it stands, makes the box perfect. To do this trick, call for an egg, then bid all standers-by look on it, and see that it is a real egg, setting the box on the table, upon the foot C, take off the upper part, B, C, with your fore-finger and thumb, then placing the egg in the box, say, You see it fairly in, and uncovering it again, likewise say, You shall see me fairly take it out, putting it into your pocket in their sight; open your box again and say, There is nothing, close your hand about the middle of your box, and taking B, by the bottom, say, There is the egg again, which appears to the spectators to be; so clapping that in again, and take the lid of C, in your finger and thumb, say, There it is gone again.
This feat is not for a bungler to shew.
To make a room seem to be all on fire, mighty dreadful to behold.
Take sal armoniack half an ounce, camphire one ounce, aqua vitæ two ounces, put them into an earthen pot, in the fashion of a chamber-pot, but something narrow upon the top, then set fire to it, and the room will seem to them that are in to be all on fire; nay, themselves will slap their hair and clothes thinking they are all on fire, when there is no body hurt, unless it be with fright. Have a care of shewing it to women with child in the room, for yourself would be frighted if you did not know the trick.