Hocus Pocus Junior: The Anatomie of Legerdemain Part 4

THe best place to dispose of a piece of money, is in the palme of the hand, and the best piece for conveyance is a tester, but with practice all will be alike.

_A notable tricke to transforme a Counter into a Groat._

TAke a Groat, or some lesse peece of money, and grinde it very thinne at the one side, and take two Counters and grind them, the one on 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, ioyning them so close together as may be, specially at the edges, which may be so filed, as they shall seeme to be but one piece; to wit, one side a counter, the other side a groat. Then take a little greene waxe, and lay it upon the smooth side of the one counter, as it do not much discolour the groat; and so will that counter with the groat cleave together, as though they were glewed, and being filed even with the groat and the other counter, it will seem so like a perfect entire counter, that though a stranger handle it, he shall not bewray it; then having a little touched your forefinger and the thumb of your right hand with soft wax, take therewith this counterfeit counter, and lay it downe openly upon the palme of your left hand, in such sort as an Auditor layeth downe his counters, wringing the same hard, so as you may leave the glewed counter with the groat apparantly in the palme of your left hand, and the smooth side of the waxed counter will sticke fast upon your thumb, by reason of the waxe wherewith it is smeared, and so may you hide it at your pleasure, provided alwayes that you lay the waxed side downward, and the glewed side upward: then close your hand, and in or after the closing thereof turn the piece, and so instead of a counter (which they suppose to bee in your hand) you shall seeme to have a groat, to the admiration of the beholders, if it be well handled.

_An excellent feat to make a twopeny piece lye plaine in your hand, and to be pa.s.sed from thence when you lift._

PVt a little red waxe (but not too thinne) upon the naile of your longest finger, and let a stranger put a twopeny piece into the palme of your hand, and shut your fist suddenly, and convey the twopeny piece upon the wax, which with use you may so accomplish, as no man shall perceive it. Then say, _Ailif, casil, zaze, hit, mel_, and suddenly open your hand, holding the tips of your fingers rather lower than higher than the palme of your hand, and the beholders will wonder where it is become. Then shut your hand suddenly againe, and lay a wager whether it be there or no; and you may either leave it there, or take it away with you at your pleasure.

_How to transforme any one small thing into another forme by folding of paper._

TAke a sheet of paper and fold, or double the same, so as one side be a little longer than the other: Then put a Counter betweene the two leaves of the paper up to the middle of the top of the fold, holding the same so as it be not perceived, and lay a groat on the outside thereof, right against the Counter, and fold it downe to the end of the longer side: and when you unfold it againe, the groat will be where the Counter was, and the counter where the groat was; so as some will suppose that you have changed the money into a counter, and with this many feats may be done.

_How 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 some words of Art, & upon the sudden, slip your right hand from your finger, wherewith you held downe the Tester, and bending your hand a very little, you shall retain the Tester still therein, and suddenly drawing your right hand thorow your left, you shall seeme to have left the Tester there, specially when you shut in due time your left hand. Which that it may more plainly appeare to be truly done, you may take a knife, and seeme to knocke against it, so as it shall make a great sound: but instead of knocking the piece in the left hand (where none is) you shall hold the point of the knife fast with the left hand, and knocke against the tester held in the other hand, and it wil be thought to hit against the money in the left hand. Then after some words of Art p.r.o.nounced, open your hand, and when nothing is seene, it will be wondered at how the Tester was removed.

_How to make a six pence seeme to fall thorow a Table._

YOu must have an Handkercher about you, having a Counter neatly sewed in one of the corners of it: take it out of your pocket, and desire some bodie to lend you a tester, and seeme to wrap it up in the midst of the Handkercher, but retaine it in your hand, and in stead of so doing, wrap the corner in the middest that hath the counter sewed in it, and then bid them feele if it be not there, which they will imagine to bee no other than the tester that they lent you. Then bid them lay it under a hat upon the Table, and call for a Basin of water, hold it under the Table, and knocke, saying, _Vade_, come quicke, and then let the sixpence fall out of your hand into the water. Then take up the hat, and take the handkercher and shake it, saying, that's gone, then shew them the money in the Basin of water.

_How to seeme to blow sixpence out of another mans hand._

TAke a sixpence, blow on it, and clap it presently into one of your spectators hands, bidding them to hold it fast: Then aske of him if he be sure he have it, then to be certaine, he will open his hand and look. Then say to him nay, but if you let my breath go off, I cannot do it. Then take it out of his hand againe, and blow on it, and staring him in the face, clap a piece of horne in his hand, and retaine the sixpence, shutting his hand your selfe. Bid him hold his hand downe, and slip the tester betweene one of his cuffes. Then take the stone that you shew feats with, and hold it unto his hand, saying, _By vertue hereof, I will and command the money to vanish you hold in your hand, vade_, now see: when they have looked, then will they thinke that it is changed by the vertue of your stone. Then take the horne againe, and seeme to cast it from you, retaining it, and say, _vade_, and anon, say you have your money againe: He then will begin to marvell, and say, I have not, say then to him again, you have, and I am sure you have it: Is't not in your hands? if it be not there, turne downe one of your sleeves, for it is in one I am sure, where when he findeth it, he will not a little wonder.

_How to deliver to one man one sixpence, and to another another sixpence, and to make both the testers come into one mans hand._

[Sidenote: Your finger must be rubd with waxe, so you may delude him without any suspition.

The hard pressing of the money in the hand, will seeme that the money is in the hand when it is not, for a moment therefore be quick.]

DEliver into one mans hand two testers even set instead of one, shutting his hand immediatly: then take another tester, and have in readinesse a piece of horne cut even with it. Clap the said tester into his right hand with the horne under it, staying the tops of your two middlemost fingers stiffe upon the tester; so bending his hand a little downward, draw your fingers toward you, and they will slip the tester out of his hand, and shut his hand presently, who feeling the piece of horne, will imagine it is the tester: then say, he that kissed a pretty wench last in a corner, shal have both Testers in his hand, & the other shall have none. This may also be performed without a peece of horne, wringing one tester in the palme of the hand, and taking it away with your thumbe being waxed; for the hard wringing the money in the hand will make the partie beleeve he hath it, when he hath it not.

_Conveyance of Cards and Dice._

THere are a mult.i.tude of delightful feats which may be performed by an orderly placing, facing, shuffling, and cutting of cards usually played withall. Also a number of other strange feats may bee shewed by cards and dice, such as may be purposely made. The cards may be made halfe of one print and halfe of another; so by holding them divers wayes sundrie things may be presented each contrary to other. For example, with foure of the same Cards purposely made, and holding them accordingly, you shall present eight severall things. Now for the Dice the cunning is in forging them, and a readie retaining or throwing two among three, or one with two: they must, I say, be forged bigger towards one side than the other, so that the weight of one side may draw up the other. Other some may be made flatter being furnished with such like. And having learned to retaine them handsomely and readily, you may have the game at command, and know before-hand what will be your cast, and so vie upon it too. Moreover, for the Cards there are divers other tricks, of which those that are cheaters make continuall practice, as nipping them, turning up one corner, marking them with little spots, placing gla.s.ses behinde those that are gamesters, and in rings for the purpose, dumbe shoes of some standers by. But I will not stand on discovering these, for in this our cousening age there are too many so expert herein, that they maintaine themselves better than many an honest man with a lawfull trade and calling. Onely take this by the way, Those that have money in their purses, let them beware of Carding and Dicing, lest they wish they had when it is too late. As for my owne part, Ile never play for that I am sure of already: if any will play with mee upon other tearmes, I am sure I shall loose nothing by the bargaine.

_Of Confederacie._

SOme there are that have said I writ not sufficiently of this part in the former Edition; I rather thinke the cause was they thought they had too litle for their money. Neverthelesse I will to give every one their desired content, and deliver my minde more fully herein, and it may be which I most desire they may learne to avoid the company of roaving gamesters, cheaters, I meane that frequent the high-wayes, and princ.i.p.all Townes and places of resort thereabouts; for they are of the same manner though for a worser end. First therefore by this word Confederacie is meant, a kinde of Combination, or making an agreement or covenanting among sundrie persons for the accomplishment of one and the selfe same businesse: understand me aright, All these being very well knowne each to other (at least the designe as may appeare by their agreement therabout) do so estrange themselues as if they had never seene each other before. And to the end that they might performe their designe, not giving any the least suspition to any of the beholders, I will give you an instance or two whereby I shall give you sufficient information for the more ready conceiving of every particular in this nature when and wheresoever you see them performed.

_How to cast a peece of money away, and to finde it in another mans mouth, pocket, or purse._

THe Iugler cals for some one piece of coine, as a tester or a s.h.i.+lling of any one in the company, he willeth him to marke it with what marke he will, then he taketh it and casteth it away, and commeth to his confederate (who is furnished before-hand with the like piece of coine marked with the very same marke) and bids him deliver the money out of his pocket, purse, or if hee say the word, his mouth; for this is concluded of before-hand. Now this confederate to make the matter seeme more strange, wil begin to fume and fret, asking how he should come by it, till having found the marke, he will confesse it be none of his, wondering at his skill how he should send it hither: and all the rest be taken with a reall admiration of his extraordinarie cunning.

_How by the sound of a Counter philliped to tell what side is uppermost, whether crosse or pyle._

THe Iugler draws a Counter out of his pocket, and saith to the company, See here is a Counter, take it who please, and let them phillip it up, and I will by my cunning tell you whether crosse or pyle be uppermost by the very sound for you shall hood-winke me. Now there are three, foure, or more confederates in the place, who seeming strangers as well as the rest will be very importunate to have the philliping it, and before one of these shall have it, who by some signe of the fingers or countenance (foreknowne to the Iugler) do give him information after he is demanded.

Of the same nature is that tricke formerly mentioned in the booke, and called The decollation of _Iohn Baptist_.

To make one dance naked is a tricke of the same nature, for the partie beforehand is agreed to do it, and also the manner and circ.u.mstances: So that the Iugler to blind the people p.r.o.nounceth sundrie words to such a person, he then begins to rave like a madde man, and put his clothes off with a kinde of violent carelesnesse, though, G.o.d knows, the party knows as well what he doth as your selfe that reade it.

After the same manner shall you know what money another hath in his purse, and casting money into a pond, and finding it under a stone or threshold in another place. Also to make a piece of money to leape out of a cup and run to another, by meanes of a small haire fastened to the money, which haire the confederate guideth, with a mult.i.tude of such like strange feats, which may seeme impossible in the iudgement of the common people to be effected without the a.s.sistance of the devill or some familiar, which for to nominate is neither needfull, nor will my occasions permit so much leisure as to do it.

_How to make a bellowing noyse like an oxe, of a dogge and cat fighting together, or of two mastiffes fighting together._

THis I saw once or twice performed, and to my knowledge not above. It was a l.u.s.ty young fellow that did it with a cloth cast over his head which reached downe to his feet, all was to beguile the people, for he pretended that this sound came out of his belly; he had a full and strong voice, and had practised a good while, and another man of the like making may easily do as much. For his nostrils he stopt with his forefinger and thumbe, and closed the other part of his hand over his mouth as I saw him once uncased. Another man I saw at the same time, eate halfe a dozen quicke charcoale, but this is not to be attempted by every one: For some cannot eate their meat very hot; others there are that cannot away with meat except it be boyling hot, and they are of that disposition, I should have said rather const.i.tution, that they will not sticke to take meat as it is boyling out of a pot with their bare hands, and yet feele no extraordinary heat.

I have here set downe, kinde Reader, not onely all usuall feates that either my selfe have seene or heard of, but divers others also which I am sure were never in print, nor as yet performed by any I could ever heare of except my selfe, and all to give thee thy full content: and take thus much from me, If thou rightly understand this, there is not a tricke that any Iugler in the world can shew thee, but thou shalt bee able to conceive after what manner it is performed, if he do it by slight of hand, and not by an unlawfull and detested means. That there are such it is not to be doubted of, that do worke by unlawfull meanes, and have besides their owne natural endowments the a.s.sistance of some familiar, whereby they many times effect such miraculous things as may well be admired by whom soever shall either behold or heare tell of them. I could give an instance in one whose father while he lived was the greatest Iugler in _England_, and used the a.s.sistance of a familiar; he lived a Tinker by trade, and used his feates as a trade by the by; he lived, as I was informed, alwayes betotterd, and dyed, for ought I could heare, in the same estate. I could here, as I have instanced in this man, so give you his name, and where he liveth, but because he hath left the bad way, and chose the better, because he hath amended his life, and betooke himselfe to an honest calling, I will rather reioyce at his good, then do him any the least disgrace by naming him to have beene such a one. If here be any aske my name, let them know I am not bound to tell them. If they aske why I have writ this pamphlet, Tis to delight them: let them excuse me for the one, and thanke me for the other: and it may be, if time will give so much leasure, I shall hereafter spend my wits upon some better subiect.

FINISH.