Book XIII, chapter 34: Desperate or dangerous juggling knacks

Chap. XXXIV. Desperate or dangerous Juggling-knacks, wherein the simple are made to think, that a silly Juggler with words can hurt and help, kill and revive any creature at his pleasure: and first to kill any kind of Pullen, and to give it life again.

TAke a Hen, a Chick, or a Capon, and thrust a Nail or a fine 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 words, and pulling out the Knife, lay Oats before her, &c. and she will eat and live, being nothing at all grieved or hurt with the wound; because the Brain lyeth so farre behind in the head as it is not touched, though you thrust your Knife between the combe and it, and after you have done this, you may convert your speech and actions to the grievous wounding and present recovering of your own self.

To Eat a Knife, and to fetch it out of any other place.

TAke a Knife, and contain the same within your two hands, so as no part be seen there of but a little of the point, which you must so bite at the first, as noise may be made therewith. Then seem to put a great part thereof into your mouth, and letting your hand slip down, there will appear to have been more in your mouth then is possible to be contained therein. Then send for drink, or use some other delay, until you have let the said Knife slip into your lap, holding both your fists close together as before, and then raise them so from the edge of the Table where you sit (for from thence the Knife may most privily slip down into your lap) and instead of biting the Knife, knable a little upon your nail, and then seem to thrust the Knife into your mouth, opening the hand next unto it, and thrust up the other, so as it may appear to the standers by, that you have delivered your hands thereof, and trust it into your mouth; then call for drink, after countenance made of pricking and danger, &c. Lastly, put your hand into your lap, and taking that Knife in your hand, you may seem to bring it out from behind you, or from whence you list. * But if you have another like Knife and a Confederate, you may do twenty notable wonders hereby; as to send a stander by into some Garden or Orchard, describing to him some tree or herb, under which it sticketh; or else some strangers sheath or pocket, &c.

To thrust a Bodkin into your Head without hurt.

TAke a Bodkin so made, as the haft being hollow, the blade thereof may slip thereinto assoon as you hold the point upward; and set the same to your forehead, and seem to thrust it into your head, and so (with a little sponge in your hand) you may bring out blood or wine, making the beholders think the blood or the wine (whereof you may say you have drunk very much) runneth out of your fore-head. Then, after countenance of pain and greif, 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, saving in that conceit.

To thrust a Bodkin through your Tongue, and a Knife through your Arm; a pitiful sight, without hurt or danger.

MAke a Bodkin, the blade thereof being sundred in the middle, so as the one part be not near to the other almost by three quarters of an inch, each part being kept asunder with one small bought or crooked piece of Iron of the fashion described hereafter in place convenient. Then thrust your tongue betwixt the foresaid space; to wit, into the bought left in the Bodkin blade, thrusting the said bought behind your teeth, and biting the same: and then it shall seem to stick so fast in and through your tongue, that one can hardly pull it out.* Also the very like may be done with a Knife so made, and put upon your Arm; and the wound will appear the more terrible, if a little blood be poured thereupon.

To thrust a piece of Lead into one Eye, and to drive it about (with a stick) between the skin and flesh of the fore-head, until it be brought to the other Eye, and there thrust out.

PUt a piece of Lead into one of the neather 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 privily kept in your hand until this feat be done. Then seem to drive the said piece of Lead, with the hollow end of the said stick, 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, which before you had put thereinto, to the admiration of the beholders: * Some eat the Lead, and then shove it out of the eye: and some put put it into both, but the first is best.

To cut half your Nose asunder, and to heal it again presently without any Salve.

TAke a Knife having a round hollow gap in the middle, and lay it upon your Nose, and so shall you seem to have cut your Nose half asunder. Provided alwayes, that in all these you have another like Knife without a gap, to be shewed upon the pulling out of the same, and words of Inchantment to speak, blood also to bewray the wound and nimble conveyance.

To put a Ring through your Cheek.

THere is another old knack, which seemeth dangerous to the Cheek: for the accomplishing whereof you must have two Rings of like colour and quantity: the one filed asunder, so as you may thrust it upon your Cheek; the other must be whole and conveyed upon a stick, holding your hand thereupon in the middle of the stick, delivering each end of the same stick to be holden fast by a stander by. Then conveying the same cleanly into your hand, or (for lack of good conveyance) into your lap or pocket, pull away your hand from the stick: and in pulling it away, whirle about the Ring, and so will it be thought that you have put thereon the Ring which was in your Cheek.

To cut off ones Head, and to lay it in a Platter, &c, which the Jugglers call the decollation of John Baptist.

TO shew a most notable execution by this Art, you must cause a boord, a cloth, and a platter to be purposely made, and in each of them holes fit for a bodies neck. The boord 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 Tablecloth or Carpet. 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 out of the same, so big as his neck, through which his head may be conveyed into the midst of the platter; and then sitting or kneeling under the boord, let the head only remain upon the boord in the same. Then (to make the sight more dreadful) put a little Brimstone into a Chasing-dish of coals, setting it before the head of the boy, who must gasp two or three times, so as the smoke enter a little into his nostrils and mouth (which is hot 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 the 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 upon him his usual Apparel; he must lean or lie upon the boord, and must put his head under the boord through the said hole, so as his body shall seem to lie on the one end of the boord, and his head shall lie in a platter on the other end. There are other things which might be performed in this action, the more to astonish the beholders, which because they offer 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, &c. * Many rules are to be observed herein, as to have the Table-cloth so long and wide as it may almost touch the ground. * Not to suffer the company to stay too long in the place, &c.

To thrust a Dagger or Bodkin into your Guts very strangely, and to recover immediately.

ANother miracle may be shewed touching counterfeit executions; namely, that with a Bodkin or Dagger you shall seem to kill your self, or at the least make an unrecoverable wound in your Belly: as (in truth) not long since a Juggler caused himself to be killed at a Tavern in Cheapside, from whence he presently went into Pauls-Churchyard and dyed. Which misfortune fell upon him through his own folly, as being then drunken, and having forgotten his Plate, which he should have had for his defence. The device is this. You must prepare a Paste-boord to be made according to the fashion of your belly and brest: the same must by a Painter be coloured cunningly, not only like to your flesh, but with paps, navil, 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 linnen cloth, and thereupon a double plate (which the Juggler that killed himself forgot, or wilfully omitted) over and upon the which you may place the false belly. Provided alwayes, that betwixt the plate and the false belly you place a gut or bladder of blood, which blood must be of a Calf or of a Sheep; but in no wise of an Ox or a Cow, for that will be too thick. Then thrust, or cause to be thrust into your brest a round Bodkin, or the point of a Dagger, so far as it may peirce through your gut or bladder: which being pulled out again, the said blood will spin or spirt 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 (with words, countenance and gesture) such a grace, as may give a grace to the action, and move admiration in the beholders.

To draw a Cord through your Nose, Mouth, or Hand, so sensible as 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 Pinsers; and the Cord, which goeth round about the same, being drawn to and fro, the beholders will think the Cord to go 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 out 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 may you take a Knife, and seem to cut the Cord asunder, and pull the Bridle from your Nose.

The Conclusion, wherein the Reader is referred to certain Patterns of Instruments wherewith divers Feats here specified are to be executed.

HErein I might wade infinitely, but I hope it sufficeth, that I have delivered unto you the principles, and also the principal feats belonging to this Art of Juggling, so as any man conceiving throughly hereof may not only do all these things, but also may devise other as strange, and vary every of these devices into other forms as he can best conceive. And so long as the power of Almighty God is not transported to the Juggler, nor offence ministred by his uncomely speech and behaviour, but the action performed in pastime, to the delight of the beholders, so as alwayes the Juggler confess in the end that these are no supernatural actions, but devices of men, and nimble conveyances, let all such curious conceited men as cannot afford their neighbours any comfort or commodity, but such as pleaseth their melancholick dispositions, say what they list; for this will not be only found among indifferent actions, but such as greatly advance the power and glory of God, discovering their pride and falsehood that take upon them to work miracles, and to be the mighty power of God, as James and Jambres, and also Simon Magus did.

If any man doubt of these things, as whether they be not as strange to behold as I have reported, or think with Bodin, that these matters are performed by familiars or Devils; let him go into S. Martins, and enquire for one John Cautares (a French man by birth, in conversation an honest-man) and he will shew as much and as strange actions as these, who getteth not his living hereby, but laboureth for the same with the sweat of his brows, and nevertheless hath the best hand and conveyance (I think) of any man that liveth this day.

Neither do I speak (as they say) without Book herein. For if time, place, and occasion serve, I can shew so much herein, that I am sure Bodin, Spinaeus, and Vairus, would swear I were a Witch, and had a familiar Devil at Commandement. But truly my study and travel herein hath only been employed to the end I might prove them fools, and find out the fraud of them that make them fools, as whereby they may become wiser, and God may have that which to him belongeth.

And because the manner of these juggling conveyances is not easily conceived by discourse of words; I have caused to be set down divers forms of Instruments used in this Art; which may serve for patterns to them that would throughly see the secrets thereof, and make them for their own private practices, to try the event of such devices, as in this Tract of Legierdemain are shewed. Where note, that you shall find every Instrument that is most necessarily occupied in the working of these strange feats, to bear the just and true number of the page, where the use hereof is in ample words declared.

Now will I proceed with another cosening point of Witchcraft, apt for the place, necessary for the time, and in mine opinion meet to be discovered, or at the least to be defaced among deceitful Arts. And because many are abused hereby to their utter undoing, for that it hath had passage under the protection of learning, whereby they pretend to accomplish their works, it hath gone freely without general controlment through all Ages, Nations, and People.

Here follow patterns of certain Instruments to be used in the former juggling knacks.

[Figure: depiction of bead-stones and a bridle — To pull three Bead-stones from off a Cord, while you hold fast the ends thereof, without removing of your hand. — To draw a Cord through your Nose, Mouth or Hand, which is called the Bridle.]

To be instructed in the right use of the said Bead-stones, read pag. 190. & 191. As for the Bridle, read pag. 198.

To thrust a Bodkin into your Head, and through your Tongue, &c.

[Figure: three bodkins — The hithermost is the Bodkin with the Bowt, the middlemost is the Bodkin with the hollow haft; the furthermost is the plain Bodkin serving for shew.]

To be instructed and taught in the right use and ready practice of these Bodkins, read pag. 196.

To thrust a Knife through your Arm, and to cut half your Nose asunder, &c.

[Figure: three knives — The middlemost knife is to serve for shew; the other two be the Knives of device.]

To be ready in the use and perfect practice of these Knives here portrayed, see pag. 196.

To Cut off ones Head, and to lay it in a Platter, which the Jugglers call the decollation of John Baptist.

[Figure: depiction of props for magic trick — The form of the plancks, &c. — The order of the action, as it is to be shewed.]

What order is to be observed for the practising hereof with great admiration, read pag. 197, 198.