A Iugler sometimes will borrow a groate or a testor, and marke it before you, and seeme to put the same into a hand kercheife, and winde it so that you may the better see and feele it: then will he take you the handkercheif and bid you feele whether the groate be there or no: And he will also require you to put the same vnder a candlestick or some such thing: then will he send for a Bason and holding the same vnder the boord right against the candlestick will vse certen words of inchantments, and in short space you shall here the groat fall into a bason: this done, one takes of the candlestick and the Iugler taketh the handcarcheife by the tassell, and shaketh it: but the money is gone, which seemeth as strange as any feate what soeuer: but being knowne, the miracle is turned into a bable, for it is nothing but to sowe a counter into the corner of a handkercher finely couered with a peece of linnen little bigger then the counter, which corner you must conuey in steede of the groat deliuered vnto you, in the middle of your handkercheife, leauing the other eyther in your hand or lappe, which afterwards you must seeme to pull through the board, letting it fall into a bason.
To conuey one shilling being in one hand into
an other, holding your armes abroad
like to a roode.
Euermore it is necessary to mingle some merry toyes among your graue miracles, as in this case of money: Take a shilling in each hand, and holding your armes abroad, to lay a wager that you will put them both into one hand without bringing them any whit nerer together: the wager being layde, hold your armes abroad like a roode, and turning about with your body, lay the shilling out of one of your hands vppon the table, and turning to the other side take it vp with the other hand, and so you shall winne your wager.
Of Cardes and Dice, with good cautions how to
auoyde cosenage therein: speciall rules to conuey and
handle the cardes, and the manner and order
how to accomplish all difficult, & strange
things wrought with cardes.
Hauing bestowed some wast money amonge you, I will set you to Cardes, and Dice: A cupple of honest friends that drawe both in a yoke together, which haue bin the ouerthrow, of many a hundred in this Realme, and these are not the slightest matters whereuppon Iuglers worke vpon, and shew their feates. By which kinde of Iugling, a great number haue Iugled away, not only their money, but also their landes, their health, their time, and their honestie: I dare not (as I could) shew the lewde Iugling that cheaters practise, least it minister some offence, to the well disposed: to the simple hurt and losse, and to the wicked occasion of euill doing. But by the way I will a little speake of dice, and the vse of them, as caueats, rather to let you take heede of their cosonings, then to giue you light to follow their doings: Non ad imitandum sed ad cuitandum.
First, you must know a Langret, which is a die that simple men haue seldom heard of, but often seene to their cost, and this is a well fauoured die, and seemeth good and square, yet is it forged longer, vppon the Cater, and Trea, then any other way: And therefore it is called a Langret. Such be also cal'd bard Cater treas, because commonly, the longer end will of his owne sway drawe downewards, and turne vp to the eie, Sixe, Sincke, Deuce or Ace. The principall vse of them is at Nouum, for so longe a paire of Bard cater treas be walking on the bourd, so longe can ye not cast fiue, nor nine, vnles it be by greate chance, that the roughnes of the table, or some other stoppe force them to stay, and runne against their kinde: for without Cater or trea, ye know that fiue or nine can neuer come.
But you will say by this reason, he that hath the first dice, is like alwaies to stripp and rob all the table about. To helpe this, there must be for that purpose, an odd Die, called a flat Cater trea ready at hand, and no other number, for graunting the trea and Cater be allwaies vppon the one Die, then is there no chance vpon the other Die, but may serue to make fiue or nine, & cast forth, & loose all.
But now to share you what shifts they haue to bring the flat die in and out, which is a iolly cunning property of Iugling, with them called foysting: the which is nothing else but a slight, to carry easly within the hand, as often as the foister list: so that when either he or his partner shall cast the dice, the flat comes not abroad, till hee hath made a great hand and won as much as him listeth: otherwise the flat is euer one, vnlesse at few times vpon purpose he suffer the silly soules to cast in a hand or two, to giue them courage to continue the play, and liue in hope of winning.