Part 3
MAke one plaine loose knot, with the two corner ends of a handkercher, and seeming to draw the same very hard, hold fast the body of the said handkercher (neere to the knot) with your right hand, pulling the contrary end with the left hand, which is the corner of that which you hold. Then cloze up handsomely the knot, which will bee yet somewhat loose, and pull the handkercher so with your right hand, as the left hand end may be neere to the knot: then will it seeme to be a true and firme knot. And to make it appeare more assuredly to be so indeed, let a stranger pull at the end which you hold in your left hand, whilest you hold fast the other in your right hand; and then holding the knot with your fore-finger and thumbe, and the nether part of your handkercher with your other fingers, as you hold a bridle when you would with one hand slip up the knot and lengthen your reines. This done, turne your handkercher over the knot with the left hand, in doing whereof, you must suddenly slip out the end or corner, putting up the knot of your handkercher with your fore-finger and thumbe, as you would put up the foresaid knot of your bridle. Then deliver the same (covered and wrapt within the midst of your handkercher) to one to hold fast, and after the pronunciation of some words of Art, and wagers laid, take the handkercher and shake it, and it will be loose.
_A notable feat of Fast and Loose; namely, to pull three beadstones from off a Cord, while you hold fast the ends thereof, without removing of your hands._
TAke two litle whipcords of two foot long a piece, double them equally, so as there may appeare foure ends. Then take three great beadstones, the hole of the one of them being bigger than the rest; and put one beadstone upon the eye or bought of the one cord, and another on the other cord: then take the stone with the greatest hole, and let both the bowts be hidden therein: which may be the better done, if you put the eye of the one into the eye of the other. Then pull the middle bead upon the same, being doubled over his fellow, and so will the beads seeme to be put over the two cords without partition, for holding fast in each hand the two ends of the two cords, you may tosse them as you lift, and make it seeme manifest to the beholders, which may not see how you have done it, that the beadstones are put upon the cord without fraud: Then must you seeme to adde more effectuall binding of those beadstones to the string, and make one halfe of a knot with one of the ends of each side, which is for no other purpose, but that when the Bead stones be taken away, the cords may be seene in the case which the beholders suppose them to be in before. For when you have made your halfe knot (which in any wise you may not double to make a perfect knot) you must deliver into the hands of some stander by, those two cords, namely, two ends evenly set in one hand, and two in the other, and then with a wager and tearmes of Art, begin to pull off your Bead-stones, which if you handle nimbly, and in the end cause him to pull his two ends, the two cords will shew to be placed plainly, and the Bead-stones to have come thorow the cords.
_To burne a threed, and to make it whole againe with the ashes thereof._
TAke two Threeds or small Laces, of one foot in length a piece: rowle up one of them round, which will be then of the quantity of a pease, bestow the same betweene your left fore-finger and your thumb. Then take the other threed and hold it forth at length, betwixt the fore-finger and thumb of each hand, holding all your fingers daintily, as yong Gentlewomen are taught to take up a morsel of meat. Then let one cut asunder the same threed in the middle; when that is done, put the tops of your two thumbs together, and so shall you with lesse suspition receive the piece of threed which you hold in your right hand unto your left, without opening your left finger and thumb, then holding these two pieces as you did the same before it was cut, let these two be cut also asunder in the midst, and they conveyed as before, untill they be cut verie short, and then rowle all those ends together, and keep that ball of short threeds before the other in your left hand, & with a knife thrust out the same into a candle, where you may hold it untill the said ball of short threeds be burnt to ashes. Then pull backe the knife with your right hand, and leave the ashes with the other ball betwixt the fore finger and thumbe of your left hand, and with the two thumbs and two fore-fingers together, seeming to take paines to rub the ashes, untill your threed be renued, and draw out that threed at length, which you kept all this while betwixt your fore-finger and thumbe. If you have Legerdemain to bestow the same ball of threed, and to change it from place to place betwixt your two fingers (as may be easily done) then will it seeme very strange.
_To cut a Lace asunder in the midst, and to make it whole againe._
PRovide a piece of the Lace which you meane to cut, or at the least a patterne like the same, one inch and a halfe long, and keeping it double privily in your left hand, betwixt some of your fingers neare to the tops thereof take the other Lace which you meane to cut, which you may hang about ones necke, & draw downe your said left hand to the bought thereof: and putting your owne piece a little before the other (the end or rather the middle whereof, you must hide betwixt your fore-finger and thumb) making the eye or bought which shall be seene of your patterne, let some stander by cut the same asunder, and it will be surely thought that the other Lace is cut; which with words and rubbing and chafing it, you shall seeme to renew and make whole againe. This, if it be wel handled, will seeme miraculous.
_How to seeme suddenly to melt a piece of Coyne with words._
YOu must have a boxe made of brasse or Crooked Lane plate, a double boxe, and not above five quarters of an inch deepe: in the midst must be the bottome, and both ends must have covers to come over them. This boxe might be so neatly made, that each lid might have a small bolt artificially contrived (which though I could make my selfe neither by words nor figures I can describe) whereby the lids of the boxe might be lockt fast on, that none but master Iugler himselfe knows readily to open. In one end of this boxe have alwayes in readinesse a resemblance of moulten silver which you may easily make by mixing an equall quantitie of linfoyl and quicksilver together, which you shall thus do: First put your linfoyl in a crucible or Goldsmiths melting pot, melt it, and then take it from the fire, and put in your quicksilver, and stirre both well together, and it is done. Now the one end of your box being readie furnished herewith, borrow a piece of coine of some one in the companie, willing him to give it some private marke whereby he may know it againe to be his owne, then put it into the other end of the box, in the bottome whereof you may have a little waxe to keepe it from ratling. Thus you may seeme by vertue of words to melt his monie, and afterwards to give it againe to the partie whole as you received it from him.
_A device whereby you may draw sundrie liquors out of one seeming vessell, all which shall be put in at one hole, and all drawne out of another._
YOu must cause a vessell of an indifferent bignesse to be made in forme of a Tunne, having two partitions, so there will be three severall parts: A B signifieth the first, C D the second, and E F the third, upon the top of this Tunne must bee fast nailed a piece of wood turned round as G H, in the center whereof must be erected a stile, whose top must be made into a screw, in this wood must also be made three holes towards the circumpherence, each hole having a pipe inserted into it, which may extend themselues one of either into each vessell, as you may see by the figure. I K signifieth the first pipe which reacheth into the first part A B, L M, the second pipe that extendeth it selfe into the second part noted C D. N O the third pipe that extendeth it selfe into the third part E F, each part also must have his vent, else you can neither fill nor emptie it, these are marked with the letters P Q R, upon the top of the aforesaid wood must be fastned a piece of liquored leather having three holes in it answerable unto the holes of the wood, then upon the wood must be scrued another snout whereby to fill each vessell with a severall liquor, V the snouts S T a brasse plate whereunto the snout is sodered, W the scrue that scrueth this snout upon the stile in the turned wood G H.
Lastly, each vessell must have its pipe whereout you may draw the conteined liquor which you may see in the figure, and then must there be scrued over them another plate with a taper vessell, so by turning it about from one hole to another you may deliver each liquor apart whether of them you please.
_A very strange tricke whereby you may seeme to cut a piece of Tape into foure parts, and make it whole againe with words._
TAke a piece of narrow white tape about two or three yards long; first present it to view to any that may desire it, then tie both the ends of it together, and take one side of it in one hand, and the other in the other hand, so that the knot may be about the midst of one side, and using some circumstantiall words to beguile your spectators, turn one hand about towards your selfe, and the other from you, so shall you twist the tape once, then clap the ends together, and then if you slip your fore-finger and thumbe of every hand betweene the tape almost as one would hold a skeine of threed to be wound, this will make one fold or twist as may appeare in the first figure, where A signifieth the twist or fold. B the knot, then in like manner make a second fold about the line DC, as you may see by the second figure, where B signifieth the knot, C the first fold, A the second fold. Hold then your fore-finger and thumbe of your left hand upon the second twist, and upon the knot also, and the fore-finger and thumbe of your right hand upon the first fold C, and desire some one of your spectators to cut all asunder with a sharpe knife at the crosse line ED. When it is cut, hold still your left hand, and let all the ends fall you hold in your right hand, for there will be a shew of eight ends, foure aboue and foure below, and so the string will be thought to be cut into foure parts, as may be seene by the third figure; then gather up the ends that you let fall into your left hand, and deliver two of the ends (seeming to take them at randome) unto two severall persons, bidding them to hold them fast, still, keeping your left hand fingers upon the twists or folds:
then with your right and left hand seeme to tumble and whaf all the ends together that you had in your left hand, twist out all the slips or pieces which are three, as you may see at A and B in the third figure; twist them all, I say, into a little ball, and conceale it betweene some of your fingers of your left hand, and crumble thereof on another confused heape: and after some words said, with your right hand deliver this confused heape unto one of the company, bidding him to hold it fast, saying, _Hulla passa quicke couragious fiat coniunctio_: Then bid them looke on it, who while they are greedily looking after the event, you may with ease convey the ball or roll of ends into your pocket, so will it be thought you have made it whole by vertue of your words. An excellent tricke if it be gracefully handled and a tricke that cost mee more trouble to finde than all the rest; this I have gone purposely to obserue, but returned as wise as I went.
_A device how to multiply one face, and make it seeme to be an hundred or a thousand._
THis feate must be performed by a looking-glasse made for the nonce, the figure whereof I have fully described, with the manner of making it, which is thus: First make an hoope or phillet of wood, horn, or such like, about the widenesse of an halfe-crowne piece, in the circumference; the thicknesse of this hoope or phillet let be about a quarter of an inch. In the middle of this hoope fasten a bottome of wood or brasse, and bore in a decent order divers small holes about the bignesse of small pease, or phitches, then upon the one side of this bottome let in a piece of Christall glasse, and fasten it in the hoope close to the bottome; then take a quantitie of quicksilver, and prepare it after this manner: Take, I say, a quantitie as an ounce or two of quicksilver, and put to it a little salt, and stirre them well together, then put to them some whitewine vineger, and wash or stirre all together with a woodden slice, then powre away the vineger, and wash away the salt with faire water made warme, then powre away the water, and put the quicksilver into a piece of white leather, and binde it up hard, and so twist or straine it out into an earthen panne and it will be very bright and pure, then put so much of this prepared quicksilver into the philet or foresaid hoope as will cover the bottome; then let into the hoope another piece of christal glasse fitted thereto, and sement the sides, that the quicksilver may not runne out, and it is done. The figure whereof I have here under set; A representeth the one side that giveth the forme of one face to the beholders B the other side that multiplieth the beholders face, so oft as there are holes in the middle bottome, the use hereof I shall not insist upon, since he that is verst in the former feats will better conceive of himselfe to use it, then my words can either direct or assist him.
_Of divers pretty iugling knacks._
THere are many feats able to beguile the simple, as to deliver meale, pepper, ginger, or any powder out of your mouth after the eating of bread, which is done by retaining any of these things stuffed in a little paper or bladder, conveyed into your mouth, and grinding the same with your teeth. _Item_, a rush thorow a piece of a trencher, having three holes, and at the one side the rush appearing out in the second, at the other side in the third hole, by reason of an hollow place made betwixt them both, so as the slight consisteth in the turning of the piece of trencher.
_Feats by conveyance of money:_
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 passed 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 pronounced, 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._