Part 4
It is not one of the worst tricks to burn a thread handsomely and make it whole again, the manner whereof is this: take two threads or small laces, of one foot length a piece, roll up one of them round, which will be then about the bigness of a pea, put the same between your left fore-finger and your thumb, then take the other thread, and hold it forth at length betwixt your fore-finger and thumb of each hand, holding all your fingers daintily, as young gentlewomen are taught to hold up a morsel of meat; then let one cut asunder the same thread in the middle; when that is done, put the tops of your two thumbs together, and so shall you, with less suspicion, receive the piece of thread which you hold in your right-hand, into your left, without opening of your left finger and thumb; then holding those two pieces as you did before it was cut, let these two be also cut asunder in the midst, and they conveyed again as before, until they be very short, and then roll all those ends together, and keep that ball of thread before the other in the left hand, and with a knife thrust the same into a candle, where you may hold it until the said ball of thread be burnt to ashes; then pull back the knife with your right-hand, and leave the ashes with the other ball betwixt your fore-finger and thumb of your left hand together, take pains to rub the ashes till your thread be renewed, and draw out that thread at length which you had, all this while, betwixt your fore-finger and thumb. This is not inferior to any juggler’s trick, if it be well handled, for if you are so perfect in Legerdemain, as to bestow the same ball of thread and to change it from place to place, betwixt your other fingers, as may be easily done, then it will seem very strange.
_To cut a lace asunder in the middle, and to make it whole again._
By a device not much unlike the former, you may seem to cut asunder any lace that hangs about one’s neck, or any point, girdle or garter, and with a sham conjuration to make it whole, and close it together again: for the accomplishment whereof, provide if you can, a piece of the lace which you mean to cut, or at least a pattern like the same, one inch and a half long, and keeping it double privately in your left-hand, betwixt some of your fingers, near to the tips thereof, take the other lace which you mean to cut still hanging about one’s neck, and draw down your said left-hand to the bout thereof, and putting your own piece a little before the other, the end or rather middle whereof, you must hide betwixt your fore-finger and thumb, make the eye, or bout which will be seen of your own pattern; let a stander-by cut the same asunder, and it will be surely thought that the other lace is cut; which with words and fretting, you shall seem to renew, and make whole again. This if it be well handled, will seem miraculous.
_How to pull innumerable ribbons out of your mouth, of what colour you please._
As for pulling ribbons out of your mouth, it is somewhat a stale jest, whereby jugglers get money from maids by selling laces by the yard, putting into their mouth one round bottom, as fast as they pull out another, and at the exact end of every yard they tie a knot so as the same rests upon their teeth, they then cut off the same, and so the beholders are double and treble deceived, seeing as much lace as will fill a hat, and the same of what colour you list; to be drawn so by even yards out of your mouth, and yet the juggler to talk as though there were nothing in his mouth.
_To draw a cord through your nose, mouth, or head, so sensible, as it is wonderful to see._
There is another juggling knack which they call the bridle, being made of two elder sticks, through the hollowness thereof is placed a cord, the same being put on the nose like a pair of tongs or pincers, the cord which goeth round about the same being drawn to and fro, the beholders will think the cord goes through your nose, very dangerously; the knots at the end of the cord, which do stay the same from being drawn out of the stick, may not be put at the very top, for that must be stopped up, but half an inch beneath each end, and so, (I say) when it is pulled, it will seem to pass through the nose, and then you may take a knife and seem to cut the cord asunder, and pull the bridle from your nose.
_To thrust a bodkin into your forehead without hurt._
Take a bodkin so made as the haft being hollow, the blade thereof may slip thereinto as soon as you hold the point upward, seem to thrust it into your forehead, and so with a little spunge in your hand, you may bring out blood or wine, making the beholders think the blood or wine (whereof you may say you have drunk very much) runneth out of your forehead; then after shewing some countenance of pain and grief, pull away your hand suddenly, holding the point downward, and it will fall so out, as it will seem never to have been thrust into the haft, but immediately thrust that bodkin into your lap or pocket, and pull out another plain bodkin like the same, saying that conceit.
_How to thrust a bodkin through your tongue._
Make a bodkin, or a nail, which is all one; the blade thereof being sundered in the middle, so as the one part be not near to the other, by almost three quarters of an inch, each part being kept asunder with one small bout or crooked piece of iron, of the fashion described before, then thrust your tongue betwixt the aforesaid space, to wit, into the bout left in the bodkin blade, thrusting the said bout behind your teeth, and biting the same, it shall seem to stick so fast in, and through your tongue, that one can hardly pull it out. Also you must have another bodkin or nail, just like unto the false one, to serve to shew to the company.
_How to cut your arm off, a pitiful sight, without hurt or danger._
You must provide yourself with two knives, a true one, and a false one, and let them be so alike, that no one can tell one from the other, so when you go to shew this feat to the company, put the true knife into your pocket, and then take out the false one and clap it on your wrist undiscovered, and with a spunge make the knife bloody, and it will seem so much the more strange.
_How to kill any fowl, but especially a pullet, and with words to give it life again._
Take a hen or chicken, and thrust a nail, or a sharp pointed knife, through the midst of the head thereof, the edge towards the bill, so as it may seem impossible for her to escape death, then use some words, and pulling out the knife, lay oats before her, and she will eat and live, being nothing at all grieved or hurt with the wound, because the brain lieth so far behind in the head, as it is not touched, though you thrust your knife between the comb and it; and after you have done this, you may convert your speech and actions to the grievous wounding, and present recovery of your own self.
_To thrust a piece of lead into your eye, and to drive it about with a stick between the skin and flesh and forehead, until it be brought to the other eye, and there thrust out._
Put a piece of lead into one of the nether lids of your eye, as big as a tag of a point, but not so long, which you may do without danger, and with a little juggling stick, one end thereof being hollow, seem to thrust the like piece of lead under the other eye-lid, but convey the same, indeed, into the hollowness of the stick, the stopple or peg thereof may be privately kept in your hand until this feat be done, then seem to drive the said piece of lead, with the hollow end of the slick from the same eye, and so with the end of the said stick being brought along upon your forehead to the other eye, you may thrust out the piece of lead, and then shove it out of the eye; and some put it into both, but the first is the best; this is easily done, howbeit, being cleanly handled, it will deceive the sight of the beholders.
_To make the constable catch the knave._
Take a pack of cards, and look out the four knaves, lay one of them privately on the top of the pack, and lay the other three down on the table, saying, here you see are three knaves got together, about no good you may be sure; then lay down a king beside them, saying, But here comes the constable and catches them together; Oh, (says he) have I caught you together? well, the next time I catch you together, I will punish you severely for all your rogueries. Oh, but (say they) you shall not catch us together again in haste for they conclude to run three several ways: Well, I will go here, (says one) so take one of the knaves and put him at the top of the pack: And I will go here, (says another) so put him at the bottom, Then I will go here, (says the other) so put him in the middle: nay, (says the constable) if you run, I will make sure of one, so I will follow the first, then take the king and put him at the top, and let any one cut the cards asunder two or three times, then deal, cut the cards one by one, and you shall find three knaves together, and the constable with them.
Note, This feat would be best done with a pack of cards that has two knaves of that sort, of which you put one in the middle.
_To seem to change a card into a king or queen picture._
To do this, you must have the picture in your sleeve, and by a swift slight return the card, and fetch out the picture with a back bending. The manner of doing this is better learnt by frequent trials than can be taught by many words; but if you would do this feat, and yet hold your hand straight, and unmoved, then you must peel off the spots or figures of a card, as thin as you can, and just stick it on the picture with something that will make it stick a little, then having shewed the spots or figure of the card, you may draw it off, and roll it up with your thumb, into a very narrow compass, holding it undiscovered between the inside of the thumb and the ball of your fore-finger, and so produce the picture, to the admiration of the beholders.
_To seem to turn a card into a live bird._
Take a card in your hand, and shew it fairly to the company, bidding them seriously observe it, then having a live bird in your sleeve, turn your hand on a sudden, drawing the card into your sleeve dexterously with your thumb and little finger, and giving a hard shake, the bird will come out or your sleeve into your hand, which you may produce, and then let fly, as you think convenient, and it will cause wonder in the spectators.
_Three or four cards being laid down, to tell any one which of those cards he touched._
This feat is done by confederacy, in this manner; take and lay down, with their faces upwards, 3 cards, which may be an ace, a four, and a five, then go out of the room, but let your confederate stay and see which card was touched, then when any one has touched a card, let them call you into the room again, and if he touch the ace, let your confederate say, I will lay a penny that you cannot tell which card he touched; and if he touched the four, let him say, I will lay a groat, and if he touched the five, let him say, I will lay you a crown you cannot tell which card he touched; so by your confederate’s discourse, you will know which card he touched, nevertheless, you must pretend to find him out by smelling to them, as though the touch of his finger had left a scent on the card.
_To tell one what card he took notice of._
Take any number of cards, as 10, 12, and then holding them with their backs toward you, open four or five of the uppermost, and as you hold them out to their view, let any one note a card, and tell you, whether it be the first, second, or third from the top, but you must privately know the whole number of those cards you took; then shut up your cards in your hands, and take the rest of the pack and place upon them; then knock their ends and sides upon the table; so it will seem impossible to find the noted card, yet it may easily be done thus: subtract the number of the cards you held in your hand from 52, the whole number of the cards in the pack, and to the remainder add the number of the noted card; so the same shall be the number of the noted card from the top: therefore take off the cards one by one, smelling to them, till you come to the noted card.
_How to let a gentleman hold ten pieces of money in his hand, and to command them unto what number he can think on._
You must fling your money on a table, and desire any body to tell ten pieces out on the table, when they have done they will say, there is ten. Note, you must have in readiness, privately concealed in your right-hand, five pieces, then you must tell the company that you always tell your money after every person, so telling down the money with your left-hand, and taking it up with your right, convey the five pieces to the ten, then ask if any body is desirous to hold them, and there will be enough to hold them, and be sure to hold them fast; that done, bid them to call for what number they please to think on between 10 and 15, and so let them call for what number they will, you know they have it in their hand, and when they open their hand, they are struck to admiration. But be sure not to forget your terms of art to amaze the beholders.
_To thrust a dagger into your guts, very strangely, and to recover immediately._
Another miracle may be shewed, touching counterfeit executions, namely, that with a dagger you shall seem to kill yourself, or at the least make an irrevokable wound in your belly, as in truth not long since a juggler caused himself to be killed at a tavern in Cheapside, from thence he went presently into St. Paul’s church-yard, and there died; which misfortune fell upon him thro’ his own folly, as being drunk, and forgetting his breast-plate, which he should have had for his defence. The device is this, you must prepare a pasteboard to be made according to the fashion of your belly and breast, the same must be by a painter, well coloured cunningly, not only like to your flesh, but with paps, navel, hair, &c. so as the same being handsomely trussed unto you, may shew to be your natural belly; then next to your true belly you may put a linen cloth, and thereupon a double plate, which the juggler that killed himself forgot; over and upon the which, you may place the false belly; provided always, that betwixt the plate and the false belly, you place a gut of blood, which blood must be of a calf, or of a sheep, but in no wise of an ox, or cow, for that will be too thick, then thrust, or cause to be thrust into your breast a dagger, so far as it may pierce thro’ you, which being pulled out a good distance from you, especially if you strain your body to swell, and thrust therewith against the plate. You must ever remember to use words, countenance, and posture, such a grace as may give a grace to the action, and move admiration to the beholders. Prize this as a valuable secret.
_How to cut a man’s head off, and to put the head into a platter, a yard from his body._
This is a noble action if it be well handled by a skilful hand. To shew this feat of execution, you must cause a board, a cloth, and a platter to be purposely made, and in each of them to be made holes fit for a body’s neck, the board must be made of two planks, the longer and broader the better, there must be left within half a yard of the end of each plank half a hole, so as both the planks being thrust together, there may remain two holes like to the holes in a pair of stocks, there must be made likewise a hole in the cloth, a platter also must be set directly over or upon one of them, having a hole in the middle thereof, of the like quantity, and also a piece cut off the same, so big as his neck, through which his head may be conveyed into the middle of the platter, and then sitting, or kneeling under the board, let the head only remain upon the board, in the frame; then to make the sight more dreadful, put a little brimstone into a chaffing-dish of coals, setting it before the head of the boy, who must gasp two or three times so as the smoke may enter his nostrils and mouth, which is not unwholesome, and the head presently will appear stark dead; if the boy set his countenance accordingly, and if a little blood be sprinkled on his face, the sight will be the stranger. This is commonly practised with a boy instructed for that purpose, who being familiar and conversant with company, may be known as well by his face, as by his apparel; in the other end of the table, where the like hole is made, another boy of the bigness of the known boy must be placed; having on his usual apparel, he must lean or lie upon the board; and must put his head under the board through the said hole, so as his body shall seem to lie on the one end of the board, and his head shall lie in a platter in the other end. There are other things which might be performed in this action, the more to astonish the beholders, which, because they require long descriptions, I omit; as, to put about his neck a little dough kneaded with bullocks blood, which, being cold will appear like dead flesh, and being pricked with a sharp round hollow quill, will bleed, and seem very strange, and many rules are to be observed herein; as to have the tablecloth so long and so wide as it may almost reach the ground. Note, suffer not the company to stay too long in the place.
_To seem to turn water into wine._
Take four beer glasses, rub one in the inside with a piece of allum, let the second have a drop of vinegar in it, the third empty, and then take a mouthful of clean water, and a clean rag, with ground brasil tied close in it, the bulk may be no bigger than a small nut, which must lie betwixt your hind teeth, and your cheek, then take of the water out of the glass into your mouth, and return it into the glass that hath the drop of vinegar in it, which will cause it to have the perfect colour of sack; then turn it into your mouth again, and chew your rag of brasil, and squirt the liquor into the glass, and it will have the perfect colour and smell of claret; returning the brasil into its former place, take the liquor into your mouth again, and presently squirt it into the glass you rubbed with allum, and it will have the perfect colour of mulberry wine.
_To make sport with an egg._
If you are drinking in company, or otherwise, that you are disposed to make sport; have ready a penny-worth of quick-silver, in a quill sealed at both ends with good hard wax, then cause an egg to be roasted or boiled, and take off a small bit of the shell of the narrow end, then thrust in your quill of quick-silver, and lay the egg on the ground; you shall have sport enough, for it will never leave tumbling about as long as there is any heat in it.
So likewise if you put quick-silver in a sheep’s bladder and blow it up, and when you have a mind to have sport, then go to the fire and warm the bladder, and fling it on the ground, and it will jump and skip about for a long time, and make all the company laugh, and think the bladder is bewitched.
_To fetch a shilling out of a handkerchief._
To do this, you must have a ring of wire, such a one as you generally hang your keys upon, but less, or a curtain ring will do, so as it is no bigger than a shilling, then take a handkerchief, and put therein a shilling, twisting the handkerchief round, the form of the shilling will appear, then say, That you may be certain it is here, I will shew it you once more, that you may be sure it is in here, and taking out the shilling, convey the round wire into the handkerchief, which being twisted, will seem to be the shilling; the better to deceive, you may wrap the edge of the wire with your stick, then open the wire, draw it out, and produce the shilling which you have in the palm of your right-hand, saying, gentlemen, look you here is the shilling, you held the handkerchief very fast; in the mean time ask, who gave me this shilling? he who you had it of will soon answer, I, then thank him for it, saying, it is more than I have had given me this two days.
_To cause the beer you drink, to be wrung out of the handle of a knife._
To do this, you must have a small piece of spunge with drink put in it privately, then unseen, place this behind your right-ear, but let not the spunge be too big or too full of liquor, least you be discovered; then taking a knife, stick it with the handle upwards in a table or stool, but observe when you go about these sports, to place your company before you, then bid them look, saying, ‘There you see is nothing of wet, either upon the handle, or upon the table’; so stretching your empty hand towards your ear, darting the point, saying, ‘Now some body cross my arm,’ and speaking some powerful words, as Jubio Bisco, then have you a fair opportunity to take this spunge into your hand, from behind your ear, and stretching forth your hand, squeeze it gently, and, after a little, harder, which makes it run the faster, to the amazement of the company, saying, thus could I do till I had drown’d you all; sprinkle a little in their faces, which will cause them to shut their eyes, whilst you convey away your spunge.
_How to make it freeze by the fire-side._
This feat can be done or performed only in winter, and at such times as snow may be had, and he that will shew it, must have in readiness, a handful of salt: the time serving, and the party being provided, let him call for a joint-stool, a quart pot, a handfull of snow, a little water, and a short staff; first let him pour a little water upon the stool, and upon it let him set the quart-pot, and put the snow into the pot, the salt also, but privately, then let him hold the pot fast with his left hand, and therewith churn the snow and salt in the pot, as if one would churn for butter, and in half a quarter of an hour the pot will freeze so hard to the stool, that you can scarcely with both hands pull it off from the stool.
_To cut glass, a famous invention._
You must have a piece of well dried match-cord, light it that it may have a good coal, then take a beer-bowl glass, and hold the match to the edge of the glass, have your finger ready wet, and when the glass as very hot, clap your finger to the hot place, and it will suddenly crack about a quarter of an inch downward, then keep the coal of the match the like distance from the end of the crack, and as it follows, so move your hand and cut it screw-fashion, otherwise it will not hold together, till you have it through the bottom, or like waves; when you have done it, and that is cold, as that it will be, take it by the foot, and turn it downwards, it will stretch so, that you may put your finger betwixt each cutting, then turn it up again, you may drink a glass of beer in it, and not spill a drop.
_How to make two bells come into one hand, having put into each hand one._
This feat must be performed with three bells, you must put one in your left sleeve, then put one bell into one hand, and another into the other hand; they must be little maurice bells; withdraw your hand, and privately convey the bell in your left hand into your right hand, then stretch both your hands abroad, and bid two men hold your hands fast, but first shake your hand and say, Do you hear them? the bell that is in your sleeve will not be known by the rattling, but that it is in your hands, then say, he now that is the greatest whore-master of you both shall have none at all; open your hands and shew them, and it will be thought you deal by magic art.
_How to make a sheet of paper called Trouble-wit._