Hocus Pocus Junior: The Anatomie of Legerdemain Part 1

Hocus Pocus Junior: The Anatomie of Legerdemain.

by Unknown.

To the Reader.

_COurteous Reader, doe you not wonder? if you doe not, well you may, to see so slight a Pamphlet so quickly spent; but lightly come, and lightly goe; it's a Iuglers terme, and it well befits the subiect. Would you know whence it first came? why, from =Bartholomew= Fayre: would you know whither it's bent? for the Fayre againe; it's a stragler, a wanderer, and as I said, as it lightly comes, so it lightly goes; for it meanes to see not onely =Bartholomew= Fayre, but all the Fayres in the Kingdome also, and therefore in the front, =Hiccius Doccius= is the Post-master, and what he wants there, I'le give him here, a word or two of command, a terme of art, not so much substantiall as circ.u.mstantiall, =Celeriter, vade=, over hedges and ditches, thorow thicke and thin, to come to your Fayres. Rome for a Iugler: all in post, yet with a desire to give you full satisfaction. If you like it, then buy it and reade it, if otherwise, leave it for them that list._

Farewell.

_The Art of_ LEGERDEMAINE Discovered.

_The originall of =Legerdemaine=, and how it came first into this Kingdome._

IT came first into the Kingdome by certain aegyptians, that were transported hither, who growing to numerous mult.i.tudes, dispersed themselues thorow most parts of the Kingdome: who being most expert in this art, and in Palmestrie, cousened the people in all parts wheresoeuer they came. Now diuers vagrant English joyning with them in time learnt both their language and cousening delusions, whereby at length they were discovered, and thereupon the next ensuing Parliament, there was a statute enacted: that whosoeuer should transport an Egyptian, should have a Fine imposed upon him; Moreouer, that whosoever should a.s.sume unto themselves the names of aegyptians, it should be imputed unto them as fellonie, in so high a degree, that they might not haue their Booke granted unto them, which statute was put in execution, and since that time our Kingdome hath beene well disburdened of those aegyptian Iuglers.

_The Definition of the Art of =Legerdemain=, with its princ.i.p.all parts._

_LEgerdemaine_ is an operation, whereby one may seeme to worke wonderfull, impossible, and incredible things by agility, nimblenesse, and slightnesse of hand. The parts of this Art are princ.i.p.ally two. The first is in the conveyance of b.a.l.l.s, Cards, Dice, Money, &c. The second is in Confederacie.

_The end of the Art of =Legerdemaine=._

THe end of this Art is either good or bad, accordingly as it is used: Good, and lawfull when it is used at Festivals, and merry meetings to procure mirth: especially if it be done without desire of estimation above what we are. Bad, and altogether unlawfull when it is used on purpose, to cozen, deceive, or for vaine glory to esteemed above what is meet and honest.

_The Definition, or description of the Operator._

FIrst, hee must be one of an impudent and audacious spirit, so that hee may set a good face upon the matter.

Secondly, he must have a nimble and cleanly conveance.

Thirdly, he must have strange termes, and emphaticall words, to grace and adorne his actions, and the more to astonish the beholders.

Fourthly, and lastly, such gesture of body as may leade away the spectators eyes from a strict and diligent beholding his manner of conveyance.

_Of the Play of the b.a.l.l.s._

THe Operator thus qualified must have his Implements of purpose to play withall: and first he must have three Cups, made of bra.s.se, or Crooked lane plate:

[Ill.u.s.tration]

These Cups must be all of one sise, and the bottome of each of them must bee set a little within the cup; marke the following figure, for thereby they are truely represented, both in forme and bignesse: it is noted with the letter B. Also he must have foure Bals, made of Corke about the bignesse of small Nutmegs. First, he must practise to hold these Cork b.a.l.l.s, two or three of them at once in one hand. The best place, and the readiest to hold one ball is betweene the ball of the thumbe, and the palme of the hand; but if you hold more than one at one time, betweene your fingers towards the bottoms. The place to hold a great ball is betweene your two middle fingers. Remember in your play alwaies to keep the palme of your hand downeward: After you have once learned to hold these b.a.l.l.s handsomely, you may worke divers strange, and delightfull feats.

[Sidenote: Some I have seene sit with their Codpiece open, others play standing with a budget hanging before them, but all comes to one end.

Some feats may with more grace be performed stding then sitting. The manner of holding the cups will conceale the ball that you retein in your hand.]

But whether you seeme to cast your ball in the ayre, or into your mouth, or into your other hand, yet still retaine it in the same hand, still remembring to keepe the palme of your hand downeward, and out of sight.

Now to begin:

He that is to play must sit on the farther side of a Table, which must be covered with a carpet: partly to keepe the b.a.l.l.s from rolling away, and partly to keepe them from ratling: likewise hee must set his hat in his lap, or sit in such manner as that hee may receive any thing into his lap, and let him cause all his spectators to sit downe: Then let him draw his foure b.a.l.l.s, and lay three of them upon the table, (and retain the fourth in his right hand) and say, Gentlemen, here are three bals you see, 1. _Meredin_, 2. _Benedic_, and 3. _Presto Iohn_, then let him draw his cups and hold them all three in his right hand also, saying, Here are also three Cups, saying, See there's nothing in them, neither have they any false bottoms:

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then say, See I will set them all on a row, and clap them all on a row, & in clapping them downe, convey the ball that you reteined under the middlemost cup, saying as you set them downe, Nothing there, there, nor there. Then shew your hands, and say, Gentlemen, you see here is nothing in my hands, and say, Now to begin, and take up with your right hand one of the three bals that you layed downe, and say this is the first, and with that seeme to put it into your left hand, and presently shut your left hand, and being shut, clap it unto your eare, saying, This is for the purging of the braine, _Presto_ bee gone, then move both the utmost cups (noted with A, and B.) with both your hands, saying, And there is nothing there nor there, and in the clapping them downe, conveigh the ball in your right hand under the Cup noted B.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then with your right hand take up the second ball, and seeme to put it into the left hand (but reteine it) shutting your left hand in due time: then clap your left hand unto your mouth, seeme to suppe the ball out of your hand, and make a face as if you swallowed it, then say, _Presto_, and that's gone you see, and with your right hand move the cup noted A, saying, And there is nothing, and in clapping it downe convey the ball you reteined, under it, so have you conveyed into each cup a ball.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then with your right hand take up the third Ball, and seeme to put it into your left hand, shutting it in due time, and then reach it out from you saying, _vade_, _couragious_, and open your hand, and blow a blast, looking up as if you saw it flying away, and say _pa.s.sa couragious_, and that's gone: then take up the cups one after another, and say, neverthelesse Gentlemen, there is one, there is two, and there is all three againe: Then cover them and say, see you Gentlemen, I will cover them all againe. Then say now for the first, then with your right hand take up the first cup, & with your left hand take up the ball that is under it, saying, see, I take him out, and in setting downe the cup againe, convey the ball in your right hand under it, then with your right hand take the ball out of your left hand, seeme to put it into your pocket (but retaine it) saying, _vade_, that's gone into my pocket you see, then take up with your right hand the second cup, and with your left hand take the ball from under it, and say, see, I take this out fairely also, and in setting downe the cup, convey the ball that you retained under it, and then with your right hand take the ball out of your left, and seeme to put it into your pocket, (but retaine it) saying, _Iubeo_, and that's gone into my pocket: then with your right hand take up the third and last cup, and with your left hand take the ball from under it, and say, here I take my last out, and in setting downe the cup, convey the ball that is in your right hand under it, and then with your right hand take the ball out of your left hand, and seeme to put it into your pocket (but retaine it) and say _vade_, 'tis gone into my pocket;

[Ill.u.s.tration]

then take up your cups orderly, saying, Gentlemen, here is one you see, here is two, and here is all three again; and in setting downe the last cup noted _A_ convey the ball that you retained in your hand under it.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then take up one of the three bals with your right hand, and seeme to put it under the cup _B_, but retaine it, and then say by the powder of experience, _Iubeo_, come away when I bid you under this cup _A_, then take up _B_, and say, see you sirs, hee scornes to tarry under this cup, but is crept under here: then take the cup _A_. and they will wonder how it came thither. Then say Gentlemen, and you see here is but one, and in setting it downe, convey that in your right hand under it, then with your right hand take up the second Ball, and seeme to put it into your left hand, shutting your left hand in due time:

[Ill.u.s.tration]

then hold your said left hand from off you, and p.r.o.nounce these words with a _Revoca stivoca_ (open your hand tossing it up) that's gone, then take up the cup A, and say, see here they are got both together; Then say here are but two, and in setting it down, convey the ball you retained in your right hand under it.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then with your right hand take up the third ball, and seeme to put it into your left hand, and shutting it in due time, saying, this is my last Ball, _vade pa.s.sa couragious_, (open your hand then, tossing it up, and staring after it) and that's gone you see, then take up the cup A, and say, here they are all three againe.

Set your cups then all on a row againe, and under one of them, as D, conveigh your fourth ball which you retained in your hand, and lay the other three b.a.l.l.s by.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then with your right hand take up the first ball, and seeme to put it into your left hand, shutting your said left hand in due time, then as if you were at dice, cast your left hand at the cup D, and blow after it, saying, _vade pas_, and 'tis gone, then take up the cup noted A, and clap it upon the cup D, and in clapping it on, convey the ball you retained in your right hand upon the top of the cup D.

[Ill.u.s.tration]