Part 2

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 words; and, upon a sudden, flip your right-hand from your finger wherewith you hold down the tester still therein, and suddenly, I say, drawing your right-hand through your left, you will seem to have left the tester there, especially when you shut, in due time, your left hand, which, that it may more plainly appear to be truly done, you may take a knife and seem to knock against it, so as it may make a great sound; this is pretty, if it is cunningly done, for both the ear and the eye are deceived by this device.

_To convert money into counters, and counters into money._

Another way to deceive the lookers on is, to do as before with a tester, and keeping a counter in the palm of your left-hand secretly, to put the tester secretly thereinto, which being retained still in the right-hand, when the left-hand is opened, the tester will seem to be turned into a counter.

_To put one tester into one hand, another into the other hand, and with words to bring them together._

He that hath once attained to the faculty of retaining one piece of money in his right-hand, may shew a hundred pleasant conceits by that means, and may reserve two or three as well as one; and so then you may seem to put one piece into your left-hand, and retaining it still in your right-hand, you may together therewith, take up another like piece, and so, with words, seem to bring both pieces together. Variety of tricks may be shown in juggling with money.

_To put one tester into a stranger’s hand, and another into your own, and to convey both into the stranger’s hand with words._

Also, you may take two testers, evenly set together, and put the same instead of one tester into a stranger’s hand, and then making as though you did put one tester in your left-hand with words, you shall make it seem that you convey the tester in your hand into the stranger’s hand; for when you open your said left-hand, there shall be nothing seen, and he opening his hand, shall find two testers, which he thought was but one. By this device, I say a hundred conceits may be shewed.

_How to shew the same, or the like feat otherwise._

To keep a tester betwixt your fingers, serveth, especially for this and such like purposes; hold out your hand, and cause one to lay a tester upon the palm thereof; then shake the same up almost to your finger’s end, and putting your thumb upon it, you shall easily, with a little practice, convey the edge betwixt the middle and fore-finger, whilst you proffer to put it into the other hand; provided always that the edge appears not through the fingers on the backside; which being done, take up another tester, which you may cause another stander-by to lay down, and put them both together, either closely, instead of one into a stranger’s hand, or keep them still in your own hand, and after some words spoken, open your hands, and there being nothing in one hand, and both pieces in the other, the beholders will wonder how they came together.

_To throw a piece of money away, and to find it again where you left it._

You may with the middle or ring-finger of the right-hand, convey a tester into the palm with the same hand, and seem to cast it away, keeping it still, which, with confederacy, will seem strange: to wit, when you find it again, where another have bestowed the like piece, but these things without exercise cannot be done; therefore I will proceed to shew how things may be brought to pass with less difficulty, and yet as strange as the rest; being unknown, are marvellously commended, but being known, are derided and nothing at all regarded.

_How to make a groat or tester to leap out of a pot, or run along upon a table._

You shall see a juggler take a tester and throw it into a pot, or lay it in the midst of a table, and with enchanting words cause the same to leap out of the pot, or run towards him, or from him along the table, which will seem miraculous until you know how it is done; which is thus, take a long black hair of a woman’s head fastened to the rim of a tester, by the means of a little hole driven through the same with a Spanish needle, in like sort you may use a knife, or any small thing, but if you would have it go from you, you must have a confederate, by which means all juggling is graced and amended; this feat is the stranger if it be done by night, and a candle placed between the spectators and the juggler; for by that means their eyes are hindered from discerning the conceit.

_To make a groat or a tester to sink through a table, and to vanish out of a handkerchief strangely._

A juggler also will sometimes borrow a tester and mark it before you, and seem to put the same into the midst of a handkerchief, and wind it so as you may the better see and feel it; then will he take the handkerchief and bid you feel whether the tester be there or not, and he will also require you to put the same under a candlestick, or some such like thing; then he will send for a bason of water, and holding the same under the table right against the candlestick, he will use certain words of enchantment, and in short you will hear the tester fall into a bason; this done, let one take off the candlestick, and the juggler take the handkerchief by a tossel and shake it, but the money is gone, which seemeth as strange a feat as any whatsoever, but being known, the miracle is turned to a bauble, for it is nothing else but to sew a tester into a corner of a handkerchief, finely covered with a piece of linen a little bigger than your tester, which corner you must convey instead of the tester delivered to you into the middle of your handkerchief, leaving the other in your hand or lap, which afterwards you seem to pull through the table, letting it fall into the bason.

_A notable trick to transform a counter to a groat._

Take a groat, or some lesser piece of money, and grind it very thin at one side, and take two counters and grind them, the one at one side; glew the smooth side of the groat to the smooth side of the counter, joining them so close together as may be, especially at the edges, which may be so filled as they shall seem to be but one piece, to wit, one side a counter and the other side a groat, then take a little green wax for that is softest, and therefore best, and lay it so upon the smooth side of the counter as if it do not much discolour the groat, and so will that counter, with the groat, cleave together as though they were glued, and being filled even with the groat and the other counter, it will seem so perfect, like an entire counter, that though a stranger handle it he cannot betray it; then, having a little touched your fore-finger and the thumb of your right-hand with soft wax, take therewith this counterfeit counter, and lay it openly upon the palm of your left-hand, in such sort as if you were to lay down the counter, wringing the same hard, so as you may leave the glewed counter, with the groat, apparently in the palm of your left-hand, and the smooth side of the waxed counter will stick fast upon your thumb, by reason of the wax wherewith it is smeared, and so you may hide it at your pleasure always; 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 be in your hand, you shall seem to have a groat, to the astonishment of the beholders, if it be well handled. The juggler must not have any of his tricks wanting.

_An elegant feat to make a two-penny piece be plain in the palm of your hand, and be passed from thence where you list._

Put a little red wax, not too much, upon the nail of your longest finger, then let a stranger put a two-penny piece into the palm of your hand, and shut your fist suddenly, and convey the two penny piece upon the wax, which with use you may so accomplish as no man shall perceive it; then, and in the mean time, use words of course, and suddenly open your hand, hold the tips of your fingers rather lower than higher than the palm of your hand, and the beholders will wonder where it is gone; then shut your hand suddenly again, and lay a wager whether it be their or not, and you may either leave it there, or take it away at pleasure; this, if it be well handled, hath more admiration than any other feat of the hand. Note. This may be best done by putting the wax upon the two-penny piece, but then you must put it into your hand yourself.

_To convey a tester out of one’s hand that holds it fast._

Stick a little wax upon your thumb, and take a stander-by, by the fingers, shewing him the tester, and telling him you will put the same into his hand, then wring it down hard with your waxed thumb, and using many words, look him in the face, and as soon as you perceive him to look in your face, or on your hand, suddenly take away your thumb and close his hand, and it will seem to him that the tester remaineth; even as if you wring a tester upon one’s forehead, it will seem to strike when it is taken away, especially if it be wet; then cause him to hold his hand still, and with speed put into another man’s hand, or into your own, two testers instead of one, and use words of course, whereby you shall make the beholders believe, when they open their hands, that, by enchantment, you have brought both together.

_To convey a shilling, being in one hand, into another, holding your hands abroad._

It is necessary to mingle some merry pranks among your grave miracles, as in this case of money, to take a shilling in each hand, and holding your arms abroad, lay a wager that you will put them both into one hand without bringing them any nearer together; the wager being laid, hold your arms abroad alike a rod, and turning about with your body, lay the shilling out of one of your hands upon the table, and turning to the other hand; and so you shall win your wager: a knack more merry than marvelous.

_To transform any small thing into any other form by folding 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 between the two sides of the leaves of the paper, up to the middle of the top of the fold, hold the same so as it be not perceived, and lay a groat on the outside thereof, right against the counter, and fold it down to the end of the longer side, and when you have unfolded it again, the groat will be where the counter was; so that some will suppose that you have transformed the money into a counter; and with this many tricks may be done.

_Another experiment of the like nature._

Take two papers three inches square a-piece, divided into two folds, into three equal parts, at either side, so as each folded paper remains one inch square; then glue the back side of the two together, as they are folded, and not as they are opened, and so shall both papers seem to be but one, and which side soever you open, it shall appear to be the same, if you have handsomely the bottom, as you may well do with your middle finger, so as if you have a groat in one hand, and a counter in the other, you having shewed but one, may, by turning the paper, seem to change it; this may be the best performed by putting it under a candlestick or a hat, and with words seem to do the feat. This is no inferior trick.

_Of cards, with good caution how to avoid cozenage therein, especially rules to convey and handle the cards, and the manner and order how to accomplish all difficulties and strange things wrought with cards._

I having now bestowed some waste money among you, I will set you to cards, by which kind of witchcraft a great number of people have juggled away, not only their money, but also their lands, their health, their time, and their honesty. I dare not as I could, shew the lude juggling that cheats practice, least it minister some offence to the well disposed; to the simple, hurt and losses, and to the wicked, occasion of evil doing; but I could wish all gamesters to beware, not only of cards, but also of what dice they play withal; but especially with whom, and where they exercise gaming, and to let dice pass as a thing whereby a man must be inevitably cozened: one that is skilful in making bum cards, may undo hundreds of wealthy men that are given to gaming; for if he hath a confederate present, either of the players or standers-by, the mischief cannot be avoided; if you play among strangers, beware of him that seems simple or drunken, for under their habit the most specious cozeners are presented, and while you think by their simplicity and imperfections to beguile them, and thereby perchance are pursuaded by their confederates, which you take to be your friends, you will be then most of all deceived; beware also of the betters and lookers-on, and particularly, of them that bet on your side, whilst they look on your game without suspicion, they discover it by signs to your adversaries, with whom they bet, and yet are their confederates.

But in shewing feats and juggling with cards, the principal point consisteth in the shuffling them nimbly, and always keeping one card either at the bottom or in some known place of the stock, four or five cards from it; hereby you shall seem to work wonders, for it will be easy for you to see one card, which, though you be perceived to do, it will not be suspected, if you shuffle them well afterwards: and this note I must give you, that in reserving the bottom card, you must always whilst you shuffle, keep him a little before or behind all the cards lying underneath him, bestowing him, I say, either a little beyond his fellows before, right over the fore finger or else behind the rest, so as the little finger of the left hand may meet with it, which is the easier, the readier, and better way: in the beginning of your shuffleing, shuffle as thick as you can, and in the end throw upon the stock the nether card, with so many more at the least as you would have preserved for any purpose, a little before or a little behind the rest, provided always that your fore-finger (if the pack lay behind) creep up to meet with the bottom card, and when you feel it, you may then hold it until you have shuffled over the cards again, still leaving your kept card below: being perfect herein, you may do almost what you list with cards by this means, what pack soever you use, though it consisteth of eight, twelve, or twenty cards, you may keep them still together unserved next to the card, and yet shuffle them often to satisfy the curious beholders. As for example, and for brevity sake, to shew divers feats under one.

_How to deliver out four aces, and to convert them into four knaves._

Make a pack of these eight cards, to wit, four knaves and four aces, and although the eight cards must be immediately together, yet must each knave and ace be evenly set together, and the same eight cards must lie also in the lowest place of the bunch, then shuffle them so always at the second shuffling, or, at leastwise, at the end of your shuffling the said pack, one ace may lay undermost, or so as you may know where he goeth and lieth always: I say, let your aforesaid pack, with three or four cards more, lie unseparable together; immediately upon, and with that ace; then using some speck, or other device, and putting your hands with the cards to the edge of the table, to hide the action, let out privately a piece of the second card, which is one of the knaves, holding forth the stock in both your hands, and shewing to the standers-by the nether card, which is the ace, or kept card, covering also the head or piece of the knave, which is the next card, and with your fore-finger draw out the same knave, laying it down on the table; then shuffle them again, keep your pack whole, and so have your two aces lying together in the bottom; and to reform that disordered card, and also to grace and countenance that action, take of the uppermost card of the bunch, and thrust it into the midst of the cards, and then take away the nethermost card, which is one of your said aces, and bestow him likewise; then may you, being as before, shewing another ace, and instead thereof lay down another knave and so forth, until, instead of your aces, you have laid down four knaves, the beholders all this while thinking that there lies four aces on the table, are greatly amused, and will marvel at the transformation: you must be well advised in shuffling of the bunch lest you overshoot yourself.

_How to tell one what card he seeth at the bottoms when the card is shuffled in the stock._

When you have seen a card privately, or as though you marked it not, lay the same undermost, and shuffle the cards as before you are taught, till your card be again at the bottom; then shew the same to the beholders, bidding them to remember it; then shuffle the cards, or let any other shuffle them, for you know the card already, and therefore may at any time tell them what card they saw, which nevertheless must be done with caution, or shew of difficulty.

_Another way to do the same, having yourself never seen the cards._

If you can see no card, or be suspected to have seen that which you mean to shew, then let a stander-by shuffle, and afterwards take you the cards into your hands, and having shewed them, and not seen the bottom card, shuffle again, and keep the same cards, as before you are taught; and either make shift then to see it when their suspicion is past, which may be done by letting some cards fall or else lay down all the cards in heaps, remembering where you laid the bottom card; then espy how many cards lie in some one heap, and lap the slap where your bottom card is, upon that heap, and all the other heaps upon the same, and so if there were five cards in the heap, whereon you laid your card, then the same must be the sixth card, which now you must throw out or look upon without suspicion, and tell them the card they saw.

_To tell without confederacy, what card he thinketh on._

Lay three cards at a little distance, and bid a stander-by be true and not waver, but think on one of the three, and by his eye you shall assuredly perceive which he thinketh: and you shall do the like if you cast down a whole pack of cards with the faces upwards, whereof there will be few or none plainly perceived, and they also court cards: but as you cast them down suddenly, so must you take them up presently, marking both his eyes, and the card whereon he looketh.

_How to make a card jump out of the pack, and run on the table._

This is a wonderful fancy if it be well handled: as thus,

Take a pack of cards, and let any one draw any card that they fancy best, and afterward take and put it into the pack, but so as you know where to find it at pleasure; for by this time, I suppose you know how to shuffle the cards, and where to find any card when it is put into the pack; then take a piece of wax, and put it under the thumb nail of your hand, and then fasten a hair to your thumb, and the other end of the hair to the card, then spread the pack of cards open on the table, then say, “If you are a pure virgin the card will jump out of the pack,” then by your words or charms seem to make it jump on the table.

_How to tell what card any man thinketh on, and how to convey the same into a kernel of a nut or cherry stone, and the same again into one’s pocket; and how to make him draw the same, or any card you please, and all under one device._

Take a nut, or a cherry stone; and burn a hole through the side of the top of the shell, and also through the kernel if you will, with a hot bodkin, or bore it with an awl, and with a needle pull out the kernel, so as the same may be as wide as the hole of the shell: then write the name of the card in a piece of fine paper, and roll it up hard, then put it into the nut or cherry stone, and stop the hole up with wax, and rub the same over with a little dust, and it will not be perceived; then let some stander-by draw a card, saying, ‘It is no matter what card you draw;’ and if your hands so serve you to use the card well, you shall proffer him, and he shall receive the same card that you have rolled up in the nut; then take another nut and fill it up with ink, and then stop the hole up with wax, and then give that nut which is filled with ink, to somebody to crack, and when he finds the ink come out of his mouth, it will cause great laughter. By this feat on the cards, great wonders might be done.

_How to let twenty gentlemen draw twenty cards, and to make one card every man’s card._

Take a pack of cards, let any gentleman draw a card, and let him put it in the pack again, but be sure that you know where to find it again at pleasure; then shuffle the cards as before taught, and then let another gentleman draw a card, but be sure that you let him draw no other but the same card as the other did draw, and so do till ten or twelve or as many cards as you think fit; when you have so done, let another gentleman draw another card, but not the same, and put that card into the pack where you have kept the other card, and shuffle them till you have brought both the cards together; then shewing the last card to the company, the other will shew the trick: By this means many other feats may be done.

_How to change a pack of cards into all manner of pictures._

You must take a pack of cards and paint upon the back-side of one half of the pack what manner of figures that please your fancy best, as men, women, birds, flowers, &c. Then paint the other half, of the cards, viz. on that side where the spots are on, after the same manner you did the other half, so between them both, you will have a compleat pack of all pictures; and when you will perform this trick, you must shew the cards but half-way. This is one of the best tricks on the cards; and you may have them ready made at my house.

_How to knit a knot upon a handkerchief, and to undo the same with words._

Make one plain loose knot with the two corner ends of a handkerchief, with seeming to draw the same very hard, hold fast the body of the said handkerchief, near to the knot, with your right hand, pulling the contrary end with your left hand, which is the corner of that which you hold; then close up handsomely the knot, which will be somewhat loose, and pull the handkerchief so with your right hand as the left hand end may be near to the knot, then will it seem to be a true and firm knot; and to make it appear more assuredly to be so, let a stranger pull at the end which you have in your left hand, while you hold fast the other in your right hand, and then holding the knot with your fore-finger and thumb, and the lower part of your handkerchief with your other finger, as you hold a bridle, when you would with one hand slip up the knot and lengthen the reins; this done, turn, your handkerchief 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 handkerchief with your fore-finger and thumb, as you would put up the aforesaid knot of your bridle: then deliver the same covered and wrapt within the midst of the handkerchief to one to hold fast, and after pronouncing of some words of art, take the handkerchief and shake it, and it will be loose.

_How to take three button moulds off two strings._