With words to make a groat or a testor to leape out of a pot, or to run alongst upon a table.
YOu This feat is the stranger if it be doone by night; a candle placed betweene the lookers on & the juggler: for by that means their eiesight is hindered from discerning the conceit. shall see a juggler take a groat or a testor, and throwe it into a pot, or laie it in the midst of a table, & with inchanting words cause the same to leape out of the pot, or run towards him, or from him ward*[* = himward] alongst the table. Which will seeme miraculous, untill you knowe that it is doone with a long blacke haire of a womans head, fastened to the brim of a groat, by meanes of a little hole driven through the same with a Spanish needle. In like sort you may use a knife, or anie other small thing: but if you would have it go from you, you must have a confederate, by which meanes all juggling is graced and amended.
To make a groat or a testor to sinke through a table, and to vanish out of a handkercher verie strangelie.
A Juggler also sometimes will borrow a groat or a testor, &c: and marke it before you, and seeme to put the same into the middest of a handkercher, and wind it so, as you may the better see and feele it. Then will he take you the handkercher, and bid you feele whether the groat be there or naie; and he will also require you to put the same under a candlesticke, or some such thing. Then will he send for a bason, and holding the same under the boord right against the candlesticke, will use certeine words of inchantments; and in short space you shall heare the groat fall into the bason. This doone, one takes off the candlesticke, and the juggler taketh the handkercher by a tassell, and shaketh it; but the monie is gone: which seemeth as strange as anie feate whatsoever, but being knowne, the miracle is turned to a bable. A discoverie of this juggling knacke.For it is nothing else, but to sowe a groat into the corner of a handkercher, finelie covered with a peece of linnen, little bigger than your groat: which corner you must conveie in steed of the groat delivered to you, into the middle of your handkercher; leaving the other either in your hand/231. or lap, which afterwards you must/328. seeme to pull through the boord, letting it fall into a bason, &c.
A notable tricke to transforme a counter to a groat.
TAke a groat, or some lesse peece of monie, and grind it verie thin at the one side; and take two counters, and grind them, the one at the one side, the other on the other side: glew the smooth side of the groat to the smooth side of one of the counters, joining them so close together as may be, speciallie at the edges, which may be so filed, as they shall seeme to be but one peece; to wit, one side a counter, and the other side a groat.The juggler must have none of his trinkets wanting: besides that, it behooveth him to be mindfull, least he mistake his trickes. Then take a verie little greene waxe (for that is softest and therefore best) and laie it so upon the smooth side of the other counter, as it doo not much discolour the groat: and so will that counter with the groat cleave togither, as though they were glewed; and being filed even with the groat and the other counter, it will seeme so like a perfect entire counter, that though a stranger handle it, he shall not bewraie it; then having a little touched your forefinger, and the thombe of your right hand with soft waxe, take therewith this counterfet counter, and laie it downe openlie upon the palme of your left hand, in such sort as an auditor laieth downe his counters, wringing the same hard, so as you may leave the glewed counter with the groat apparentlie in the palme of your left hand; and the smooth side of the waxed counter will sticke fast upon your thombe, by reason of the wax wherwith it is smeered, and so may you hide it at your pleasure. Provided alwaies, that you laie the waxed side downeward, and the glewed side upward: then close your hand, and in or after the closing thereof turne the peece, & so in stead of a counter (which they suppose to be in your hand) you shall seeme to have a groat, to the astonishment of the beholders, if it be well handled./
The xxv. Chapter.329.
An excellent feat, to make a two penie peece lie plaine in the palme of your hand, and to be passed from thence when you list.
UT a little red wax (not too thin) upon the naile of your longest finger, then let a stranger put a two penie peece into the palme of your hand, and shut your fist suddenlie, and conveie the two penie peece upon the wax, which with use you may so accomplish, as no man shall perceive it. Then and in the meane time use *words* As, Ailif, casyl, zaze, hit mel meltat: Saturnus, Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus, Mercurie, Luna: or such like. of course, and suddenlie open your hand, holding the tippes of your fingers rather lower than higher than the palme of your hand, and the beholders will woonder where it is become. Then shut your hand suddenlie again, & laie a wager whether it be there or no; and you may either leave it there, or take it awaie with you at your pleasure. This (if it be will†[† for well] handled) hath more admiration than any other feat of the hand. Memorandum‡[‡ Rom.] this may be best handled, by putting the wax upon the two penie peece, but then must you laie it in your hand your selfe./