Hocus Pocus Junior: The Anatomie of Legerdemain Part 2

You must conceale the notch with your finger, and then wring it over the fleshie part of your nose, and your nose will seeme as it were halfe cut off with the knife.

_How to seeme to pull a rope through your nose._

YOu must have likewise for the effecting of this delusion, an Implement on purpose. The figure wherof followeth. It may bee made of two elder sticks, thrusting out the pith, and afterward glued together, the ends whereof must have a piece of corke cut hollow and glued over them: then must there be a little whipcord put thorow them, the ends whereof must come out at two holes made on the outward side of each elder sticke.

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Put this Trinket over the fleshie part of your nose, then pul one end of the rope, and afterwards the other, and it will be thought that the rope commeth quite thorow your nose.

_How to make a pile of Counters seeme to vanish thorow a Table._

YOu must have for the performing of this feate, divers counters having holes cut out of the midst of them, then they must be glued together so many of them as they may make a case sufficient to containe a Die: then glue one whole counter upon the top of them, and have a boxe made of white Tinne to fit them, but let it be deeper than the glued pile of Counters; also make a cover for this boxe. First, put into the boxe three loose counters, then put in the glued pile of counters with the hole upper-most, then put into the hole a Die, and lastly three other loose whole Counters, and cover it. Draw this boxe of Counters, and say, Gentlemen, here is a boxe of Barbarie gold, it was left me as a Legacie by a deceased friend, upon condition I should employ it well and honestly. Now sirs it was my fortune as I was travelling, to be benighted, and so forced to seeke for lodging, and as it happened, I tooke into an house of entertainment, where calling for my Ostesse, I drew my stocke, and said, what must I give you mine Ostesse for my meat, drinke, and lodging this night? My friend, quoth she, you must give me three French Crownes; with that I uncovered my boxe and set it upon the Table (it must be done with the mouth of the box downward) tooke my boxe from off the counters, and delivered her three from the top, saying, there they are; and casting my eye aside, I spyed a pretty la.s.se coming downe the staires; Sweet heart, said I to her, what shall I give thee to lie with thee this night? she replied, sir, for three French Crownes you shall: then I thrust my boxe forward, and delivered her three from the bottome, saying, there they are.

[Sidenote: If you lift the Boxe a little from the Table bearing it from you, the three loose counters will come forth.]

But now said I to my Ostesse, Ostesse, what will you say if with a tricke I have, I make these six Crownes to fetch all the rest thorow the Table? Sir, quoth my Ostesse, you shall have your meat, drink, and lodging for nothing, and said the La.s.se, thou shalt lie with me for nothing. Then I uncovered them, saying, but first let us see whether they be here or no, and shew them, covering them againe. Then (taking to those six Counters in my hand, other loose Counters I have readie in my lap) I knocke my hand under the Table, saying _Virtute lapidis, miraculosi lapidis, jubeo vade, celeritate vade_. Then I mingle my Counters as if they came tumbling thorow the Table into my hand, afterward throw them on the Table, saying, there be the Counters, then I take the boxe up, pressing the sides of it with my fore finger and thumbe (which will keep the glued pile of Counters from slipping out) and let slip the glued Counters into my lap, and say there is none but a Die, casting the emptie box unto them, who shall have all now, my Ostesse or I?

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A, the figure of the Box, BB the lid of the Box, C the pile of Counters glued together, E the hole for the Die, D the Die.

_How to seeme to put a ring through ones cheeke._

YOu must have two rings made of bra.s.se, silver, or what you will, of one bignesse, colour, and likenesse saving that one must have a notch cut through it as it is represented by the figure following noted with X

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The other must be whole without a notch; shew the whole Ring, and conceale that which hath the notch, and say, now I will put this ring thorow my cheeke, and privily slip the notch one over one side of your mouth, and nimbly convey the whole Ring into your sleeve, or conceale it in your right hand: then take a small sticke which you may have in readinesse, and slip the whole Ring over it, holding your hand over it about the middle thereof, and bid somebody hold both the ends of the sticke fast, and say, see this Ring here in my cheeke, it turnes round, and indeed it will seeme to turn round if you stroake it nimbly with your fingers: and while you perceive them to fasten their eies intentively upon that Ring, upon a sudden whip it out, and smite upon the sticke therewith instantly, concealing it, and whirling the other Ring, you hold your hand over round about the sticke, and it wil be thought that you have brought that Ring upon the stick which was before upon your cheeke.

_How to seeme to thrust a bodkin into your forehead._

YOu must have two bodkins, the one made like unto the other to outward appearance, but let the blade of the one be made to slip up into the haft: let the other be a true Bodkin: Conceale the false one, and shew the true, after that you have shewed it, convey it into your lap. Then take up the false one, and reclining your head, make as if you thrust it very stifly, making an ill favoured face all the while. If you hold a peece of spunge in your hand filled with some sheeps bloud, pressing it out, the bodkin being in your forehead as it were up to the hilt, it will cause the more astonishment and admiration among the beholders.

Instantly put up your bodkin, and take your handkercher, and wipe off the bloud, and say, _Iubeo vade vulnus a fronte_.

_How to put a Locke upon ones mouth._

YOu must have a Locke made for the nonce, the figure whereof followeth, the one side of its bow must be immoveable, as that marked with A: the other side is noted with B, and must be pinned to the bodie of the locke, as may appeare at E, I say it must be so pinned that it may play to and againe with ease. This side of the bow must have a legge as C, and then turn into the Locke; this bending must have two notches filed on the inner side, which must be so ordered that the one may locke or hold the two sides of the bow as close together at the top as may be, the other notch to hold the said parts of the bows a proportionable distance asunder, that being lockt upon the cheeke, it may neither pinch too hard, nor yet hold it so sleightly that it may be drawne off;

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let there be then a key fitted unto it to unlocke it, as may appeare at B. And lastly, let the bows have divers notches filed in them, so the place of the part.i.tion when the locke is shut home will be least of all suspected. By this figure and directions you may fit your selfe of such a Locke if so be you are desirous of it.

_The use of it._

YOu may cause someone to hold one tester edgelong betweene his teeth: Take also another tester and with your left hand proffer to set it edgelong betweene a second mans teeth, pretending that your intent is to turne both into whether of their mouthes they shall desire, and that by vertue of your words and circ.u.mstances which he shall no sooner essay to do, but you holding your locke privately in your right hand with your fore finger over the legge C, may presently slip it over the left side his cheeke, and single locke it, which you may do by pressing your said finger a little downe after some store of intreaties: the Locke having hung on a while, produce your key by some device (as by a confederate or some carelesse person) and unlocke it, but immediately double locke it, for it will seeme a true locke, nor after sight be suspected for other.

_How to make it freeze by the fire side._

THis feate cannot be performed at every time, but onely in Winter, and at such times as snow may be had, and he that will shew it must have in readinesse an handfull of salt. The time serving, and the partie provided, let him call for a Ioynt-stoole, a quart pot, an handfull of snow, a little water, and a short staffe or sticke, first let him powre a little water upon the top of the stoole, and upon it let him see 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 take the short sticke in his right, and therewith churne the snow and salt in the pot as if one should churme for b.u.t.ter, and in halfe a quarter of an houre the pot will freeze so hard to the stoole, that you can scarcely with both hands pull it off from the stoole: there's a naturall reason may be given for this, which he thats a scholler need not be told, and for a common Iugler I would not have so wise as to know, therefore I omit it.

_How to breath fire out of your mouth._

THe performance of this tricke consisteth in the rowling up of the towe.

After you have made a rowle in readinesse, call for a pipe of Tobacco, light it, and take a whiffe or two, you may stop it downe with the one end of your rowle of tow, retaining it priuately in your hand: then deliuer the Pipe to some body else, and conuey the tow into your mouth: then blow gently, and smoake and fire will come forth of your mouth, which you may continue as long as you please by putting in more tow as it consumeth.

_How to draw ribbins of any colour out of your mouth, and to deliver it by the yard._

YOu must prouide you diuers sorts of Ribbins, some blacke, some blew, some greene, some yellow: measure it, and at the end of euery yard make a slip knot, then rowle each coloured ribben into a ball by it selfe, and dispose them about you, that you may know readily which to take in an instant. When you are called upon for so many yards of such a colour, conuey a ball of the same into your mouth, and draw it out, remembring how many knots haue slipped at your teeth, then cut it off and deliuer it.

_How to make two bels come into one hand, having put into each hand one._

THis feate must be performed with three bels, you must put one bell into your left sleeue, then put one Bell into one hand, and another Bell into the other hand (they must be little morris bels) withdraw your hands, and privily conuey the bell in your left hand, into your right hand: Then stretch both your hands abroad, and bid two folkes hold your hands fast, but first shake your hands and say, doe you heare them. The bell that is in your sleeve will not be knowne by the ratling, but that it is in your hand: Then say, hee now that is the arrantest Wh.o.r.emaster or Cuckold of you both, shall have both the bels, and the other shall have none at all: open your hands then, and shew them, and it will be thought that you deale by art magicke.

_How to make a Iugling booke, or a booke for Waggery._

YOu must provide a paper book in octavo, of what thicknesse you please; first turne over seaven leaves of it, and then upon both the open sides, draw or paint the pictures of flowers, then turne over seaven leaves more, and paint the very same; do thus untill you have turned the book once quite over: Then unto the farther painted leafes, past a little stay of paper or parchment one directly over another: Then turne over the booke againe, and having turned every sixt leafe, draw the picture of flower de luces, and then paste stayes of parchment upon them as you did upon the first; but these stayes must all of them be a little lower than the former. Then turne over the booke againe, and after the fift leafe, thorowout the booke is turned, paint horns, do thus untill you have painted the book full of pictures, onely let there be one part of the leaves faire paper: having thus finished the booke, when you use it, hold it in your left hand, and with your right hand, your thumb set upon the parchment stayes, shew them orderly and nimbly, but with a bold and audacious countenance, for that must be the grace of all your trickes: say, this booke is not painted thus as some of you may suppose, but it is of such a property, that whosoever bloweth on it, it wil give the representation of whatsoever he is naturally addicted unto, and then turne the booke, and say, see it's all faire paper.

_Bonus Genius =or= Nuntius invisibilis, =or= Hiccius Doccius as my senior cals it._

YOu must have the figure of a man made of wood, about the bignesse of your little finger, as may appeare by the figure noted C D, the head whereof noted with A, must bee made to take off and put on at pleasure, by meanes of a wyer that is in the necke, marked with B: also you must have a cloth cap with a little hole in the crowne of it, as F: This cap must have a little bagge within to convey the head into. The bag must be neatly made, that it may not easily be perceived; shew your man unto the company, saying, see you here gentlemen, this I call my _Bonus Genius_, then shew his cap, saying, and this is his coat, say moreover, look now as stedfastly on him as you can, neuerthelesse I wil cousin you, for therefore am I come.

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Then hold your cap aboue your face, and take your man in your right hand, and put his head thorow the hole of the cap, as you may see at F, saying, now hee is ready to goe of any message I have to send him; to _Spain_, _Italy_, or whither I will: but he must haue somewhat to beare his charges, with that pul out your right hand from under the cap, and therwith the body, (but privately) putting your right hand into your pocket, as it you fet for money, where you must leaue the bodie, and take out your hand, & say, there is three crowns: Now be gone then, turn the head about, and say, but he will looke about him before he goes.

Then say (setting your forefinger upon his crowne) iust as I thrust my finger downe, so he shall vanish, and therewith by the a.s.sistance of your left hand that is under the cap, conuey his head into the little bag within the cap: then turne your cap about, and say, see here he is gone: then take your cap, and hold it up againe, drawing the head out of the little bag, & say, _hei genius meus velocissimus, ubi_, & whistle.

Then thrust the head up thorow the hole of the cap, and holding the head by the wyer, turne it about; then presently put head and cap into your pocket.

_Boxes to change Graine._

MAke one boxe of Wood, Tinne, or Bra.s.se: let the bottome fall a quarter of an inch into the boxe, and glue thereon a laying of Barlie or such like graine: draw the boxe with the bottome downewards, and say, Gentlemen, I met a Countrie man going to buy Barlie, and I told him I would sell him a penniworth, also I would multiplie one graine into so many bushels as hee should need, then cast a barlie corne into your boxe, and cover it with a hat, and in the covering it, turne the bottom upside down: then cause some bodie to blow on the hat, then uncover it, and they will think strangely of it. You may make another boxe of wood like unto a bell to hold so much just as your former box will, and make a bottome unto this boxe of shooe sole leather, to thrust into the bottome of the bell: then fill it with barlie, and thrust up the leather bottome, for it will keepe the barlie from falling out take this box out of your pocket, and set it down gently upon the table, and say, I will now cause all the barlie to goe out of my measure into my bell, then with a hat cover the boxe that hath the barlie glewed unto it, and in covering it, turne it with the barlie downeward: then say, first let us see whether there be nothing under the bell, and clap it hard downe upon the table, so the weight of the barlie will thrust the bottome downe; then bid some one blow hard on the hat, then take it up, where they will see nothing but an emptie measure, then take up the bell, and all the barlie will poure out. Sweep it then presently into your hat or lap, lest their busie prying may chance to discover your leather bottome.

_How to vanish a gla.s.se full of Beere._

[Sidenote: Your finger tops must be rubd a little with some greene soft waxe, and so you may doe it cleanlily.]