Book XIII, chapters 24–28: Legerdemain with money and cards

CHAP. XXIV. Of Conveyance of Money.

THe conveying of Money is not much inferior to the Ball, but much easier to do. The principal place to keep a piece of Money is the palm of your hand, the best piece to keep is a Testor; but with exercise all will be alike, except the Money be very small, and then it is to be kept betwixt the fingers, almost at the fingers end, whereas the Ball is to be kept below neer to the palm.

To Convey Money out of one of your hands into the other by Legierdemain.

FIrst you must hold open your right hand, and lay therein a Testor, or some big piece of Money: then lay thereupon the top of your long left finger, and use words, and upon the sudden slip your right hand from your finger wherewith you held down the Testor, and bending your hand a very little, you shall retain the Testor still therein, and suddenly (I say) drawing your right hand through your left, you shall seem to have left the Testor there, specially 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 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 knock against the Testor held in the other hand, and it will be thought to hit against the Money in the left hand. Then use words, and open your hand, and when nothing is seen, it will be wondred at how the Testor was removed.

To convert or transubstantiate Money into Counters, or Counters into Money.

ANother way to deceive the lookers on, is to do as before, with a Testor; and keeping a Counter in the palm of the left hand secretly to seem to put the Testor thereinto; which being reteined still in the right hand, when the left hand is opened, the Testor will seem to be transubstantiated into a Counter.

To put one Testor into one hand, and another into another hand, and with words to bring them together.

HE that hath once attained to the facility of retaining one piece of Money in in his right hand, may shew a hundred pleasant conceits by that means, and may reserve two or three as well as one. And lo then may you 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.

To put one Testor into a strangers hand, and another into your own, and to convey both into the strangers hand with words.

ALso you may take two Testors evenly set together, and put the same in stead of one Testor, into a strangers hand, and then making as though you did put one Testor into your left hand, with words you shall make it seem that you convey the Testor in your hand, into the strangers hand: for when you open your said left hand, there shall be nothing seen; and he opening his hand shall find two, where he thought was but one. By this device (I say) a hundred conceits may be shewed.

How to do the same or the like feat otherwise.

TO keep a Testor, &c. betwixt your finger, serveth specially for this and such like purposes. Hold out your hand, and cause one to lay a Testor upon the palm thereof, then shake the same up almost to your fingers ends, and putting your thumb upon it; you shall easily, with a little practice, convey the edge bewixt the middle and fore-finger, whilest you proffer to put it into your other hand (provided alwayes that the edge appear not through the fingers on the backside) which being done, take another Testor (which you may cause a stander by to lay down) and put them both together, either closely in stead of one into a strangers hand, or keep them still in your own: and (after words spoken) open your hands, and there being nothing in one, 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 list.

YOu may, with the middle or Ring-finger of the right hand, convey a Testor into the palm of the same hand, and seeming to call it away, keep it still: which with confederacy will seem strange; to wit, when you find it again, where another hath bestowed the very like piece. But these things without exercise cannot be done, and therefore I will proceed to shew things to be brought to pass by money, with less difficulty, and yet as strange as the rest: which being unknown are marvellously commended, but being known are derided, and nothing at all regarded.

With words to make a Groat or a Testor to leap out of a Pot, or to run alongst upon a Table.

YOu shall see a Juggler take a Groat or a Testor, and throw it into a Pot, or lay it in the midst of a Table, and with inchanting words cause the same to leap out of the Pot, or run towards him, or from him-ward alongst the Table. Which will seem miraculous, until you know it is done with a long black hair of a womans head, fastned to the brim of a Groat, by means of a little hole driven through the same with a Spanish-Needle. In like sort you may use a Knife, or any other 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.

To make a Groat or a Testor to sink through a Table, and to vanish out of a Handkercher very strangely.

A Juggler also sometimes will borrow a Groat or a Testor, &c. and mark it before you, and seem to put the same into the midst of a Handkercher, and wind it so, as you may the better see and feel it. Then will he take you the Handkercher, and bid you feel whether the Groat be there or nay; and he will also require you to put the same under a Candlestick, or some such thing. Then will he send for a Bason, and holding the same under the boord right against the Candlestick, will use certain words of Inchantments; and in short space you shall hear the Groat fall into the Bason. This done, one takes off the Candlestick, and the Juggler taketh the Handkercher by a Tassel, and shaketh it, but the Money is gone: which seemeth as strange as any feat whatsoever, but being known, the miracle is turned to a bable: For it is nothing else but to sow a Groat into the corner of a Handkercher, finely covered with a piece of Linnen, little bigger then your Groat: which corner you must convey instead of the Groat delivered to you, into the middle of your Handkercher; leaving the other either in your hand or lap, which afterwards you must seem to pull through the Boord, letting it fall into a Bason, &c.

A notable trick to transform a Counter to a Groat.

TAke a Groat, or some less piece of Money, and grind it very thin on the one side; and take two Counters, and grind them, the one no 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, joyning them so close together as may be, specially at the edges, which may be so filed, as they shall seem to be but one piece; to wit, one side a Counter, and the other side a Groat, then take a very little green Wax (for that is softest and therefore best) and lay it so upon the smooth side of the other Counter, as it doth 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 bewrey 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 down openly upon the palm of your left hand, in such sort as an Auditor layeth down his Counters, 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 may you hide 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 place, and so instead of a Counter (which they supposed to be in your hand) you shall seem to have a Groat, to the astonishment of the beholders, if it be well handled.

CHAP. XXV. An excellent feat, to make a Two-peny piece lie plain in the Palm of your Hand, and to be passed from thence when you list.

PUt a little red Wax (not too thin) upon the nail of your longest finger, then let a stranger put a Tow-peny piece into the palm of your hand, and shut your fist suddenly, and convey the Two-peny piece upon the Wax, which with use you may so accomplish, as no man shal perceive it. Then and in the mean time use words of course, and suddenly open your hand, holding the tips of your fingers rather lower than higher than the palm of your hand, and the beholders will wonder where it is become. Then shut your hand suddenly again, 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. This (if it be well handled) hath more admiration than any other feat of the hand. Memorandum this may be best handled, by putting the Wax upon the Two-peny piece, but then must you lay it in your hand your self.

To convey a Testor out of ones Hand that holdeth it fast.

STick a little Wax upon your thumb, and take a stander by by the finger, shewing him the Testor, and telling him you will put the same into his hand: then wring it down hard with you waxed thumb, and using many words, look him in the face, and as soon as you perceive him to look in your face, or from your hand, suddenly take away your thumb, and close his hand, and so will it seem to him that the Testor remaineth, even as if you wring a Testor upon ones fore-head, it will seem to stick, when it is taken away, especially if it be wet. Then cause him to hold his hand still, and with speed put it into another mans hand (or into your own) two Testors instead of one, and use words of course, whereby you shall make not only the beholders, but the holders believe, when they open their hands, that by Inchantment you have brought both together.

To throw a piece of Money into a deep Pond, and to fetch it again from whence you list.

THere be a marvellous number of feats to be done with Money; but if you will work by private confederacy, as to mark a shilling, or any other thing, and throw the same into a River or deep Pond, and having hid a shilling before with like marks in some other secret place; bid some go presently and fetch it, making them believe that it is the very same which you threw into the River: the beholders will marvail much at it. And of such feats there may be done a marvellous number; but many more by publick confederacy, whereby one may tell another how much Money he hath in his Purse, and a hundreth like toyes; and all with Money.

To convey one Shilling being in one hand into another, holding your hands abroad like a Rood.

EVermore it is necessary to mingle some merry toyes among your grave miracles, as in this case of Money, to take a Shilling in each hand, and holding your arms abroad, to lay a wager that you would put them both into one hand, without b[…]inging them any whit neerer together. The wager being made, hold your arms abroad like a Hood, and turning about with your body, lay the Shilling out of one of your hands upon the Table, and turning to the otherside take it up with the other hand: and so you shall win your wages.

How to Rap a Wag on the Knuckles.

DEliver one piece of Money with the left hand to one, and to a second person another, and offer him that you would rap on the fingers the third; for he (though he be ungratious and subtle) seeing the other receive Money, will not lightly refuse it, and when he offereth to take it, you may rap him on the fingers with a Knife, or somewhat else held in the right hand, saying that you knew by your familiar, that he meant to have kept it from you.

CHAP. XXVI. To Transform any one small thing into any other form by folding of Paper.

TAke a sheet of Paper, or a Handkercher, and fold or double the same, so as one side be a little longer then another: then put a counter between the two sides or leaves of the Paper or Handkercher, 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 down to the end of the longer side: and when you unfold it again, the Groat will be where the Counter was, and the Counter where the Groat was: so as some will suppose that you have transubstantiated the Money into a Counter, and with this many feats may be done.

The like or rather stranger than it may be done, with two Papers three inches square a piece, divided by two folds into three equal parts at either side, so as each folded Paper remain one inch square: then glew the backsides of the two Papers together as they are folded, and not as they are open, 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 hide handsomely the bottom, as you may well do with your middle finger, so as if you have a Groat in the one, and a Counter in the other, you (having shewed but one) may be turning the Paper seem to transubstantiate it. This may be best performed; by putting it under a Candlestick, or a Hat, &c. and with words, seem to do the feat.

CHAP. XXVII. Of Cards, with good Cautions how to avoid Cosenage therein: special Rules to convey and handle the Cards, and the manner and order how to accomplish all difficult and strange things wrought with Cards.

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 lewd juggling that Cheaters practice, lest it minister some offence to the well disposed, to the simple hurt and losses, and to the wicked occasion of evil doing. But I would wish all Gamesters to beware, not only with what Card and Dice they play, but especially with whom and where they exercise gaming. And to let Dice pass (as whereby a man may be inevitably cosened) one that is skilful to make and use Bumcards, may undo a hundred wealthy men that are given to gaming: but if he have 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 special coseners are presented, and while you think by their simplicity and imperfections to beguile them (and thereof perchance are perswaded by their confederates, your very friends as you think) you your self will be most of all overtaken. Beware also of the bettors by, and lookers on, and namely of them that bet on your side: for whilest they look on your game without suspition, 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 shuffling them nimbly, and alwayes keeping one certain Card either in 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 easie for you to see or spie 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 alwayes (whilest you shuffle) keep him a little before or a little 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 readyer, and the better way. In the beginning of your shuffling, shuffle as thick as you can, and in the end throw upon the stock the neather Card (with so many moe at the least as you would have preserved for any purpose) a little before or behind the rest. Provided always, that your fore-finger, if the pack be laid before, or the little finger, if the pack lye behinde, creep up to meet with the bottom Card, and not lye betwixt the Cards: and when you feel it, you may there 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 the Cards. By this means what pack soever you make, though it consist of eight, twelve, or twenty Cards, you may keep them still together unsevered next to the neather Card, and yet shuffle them often to satisfie the curious beholders. As for example, and for brevity sake, to shew you 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, all the eight Cards must lye immediately together, yet must each Knave and Ace be evenly severed, and the same eight Cards must lye also in the lowest place of the bunch. Then shuffle them so, as alwayes at the second shuffling, or at leastwise at the end of your shuffling the said pack, and of the pack one Ace may lie neathermost, or so as you may know where he goeth and lyeth: and alwayes (I say) let your foresaid pack with three or four Card more lye unseparable together immediately upon and with that Ace. Then using some speech or other device, and putting your hands with the Cards to the edge of the Table to hide the action, let out privily 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 neather Card (which is the Ace or kept Card) covering also the head or piece of the Knave (which is the next Card) with your four fingers, draw out the same Knave, laying it down on the Table: then shuffle again, keeping your pack whole, and so have you two Aces lying together in the bottom. And therefore, to reform that disordered Card, as also for a grace and countenance to that action, take of the uppermost Card of the bunch, and thrust it into the midst of the Cards; and then take away the neathermost Card, which is one of your said Aces, and bestow him likewise. Then may you begin as before, shewing another Ace, and instead thereof lay down another Knave: and so forth, until instead of four Aces you have laid down four Knaves. The beholders all this while thinking that there lye four Aces on the Table, are greatly abused, and will marvel at the transformation.

How to tell one what Card he seeth in the bottom, when the same Card is suffled into the stock.

WHen you have seen a Card privily, or as though you marked it not, lay the same undermost, and shuffle the Cards as before you are taught, till your Card lye again below in the bottom. Then shew the same to the beholders, willing 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 would be done with great circumstance and shew of difficulty.

Another way to do the same, having your self indeed never seen the Card.

IF you can see no Card, or be suspected to have seen that which you mean to shew, then let a stander by first shuffle, and afterwards take you the Cards into your hands, and (having shewed and not seen the bottom Card) shuffle again and keep the same Card 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, remembring where you laid your bottom Card. Then spie how many Cards lie in some one heap, and lay the heap 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 may throw out, or look upon without suspicion; and tell them the Card they saw.

To tell one without confederacy what Card he thinketh.

LAy three Cards on a Table, a little way distant, 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 both seeth and thinketh. And you shall do the like, if you cast down a whole pair of Cards with the faces upwards, whereof there will be few or none plainly perceived, and they also coat Cards. But as you cast them down sodainly, so must you take them up presently, marking both his eye and the Card whereon he looketh.

CHAP. XXVIII.

How to tell what Card any man thinketh, how to convey the same into a Kernel of a Nut or Cheristone, &c. and the same again into ones Pocket, how to make one draw the same, or any Card you list, and all under one device.

TAke a Nut, or a Cheristone, 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 the eie of an Needle pull out some of the Kernel, so as the same may be as wide as the hole of the shell. Then write the number or name of the Card in a piece of fine Paper one inch or half an inch in length, and half so much in breadth, and roll it up hard; then put it into a Nut, or Cheristone, and close the whole with a little red Wax, and rub the same with a little dust, and it will not be perceived, if the Nut or Cheristone be brown or old. Then let your confederate think that Card which you have in your Nut, &c. and either convey the same Nut or Cheristone into some bodies Pocket, or lay it in some strange place: then make one draw the same out of the stock held in your hand, which by use you may well do. But say not; I will make you perforce draw such a Card: but require some stander by to draw a Card, saying that it skils not what Card he draw. And if your hand serve you to use the Cards well, you shall preferr unto him, and he shall receive (even though he snatch at another) the very Card which you kept, and your confederate thought, and it is written in the Nut, and hidden in the pocket, &c. You must (while you hold the stock in your hands, toffing the Cards to and fro) remember alwayes to keep your Card in your eyes, and not to lose the sight thereof. Which feat, till you be perfect in, you may have the same privily marked; and when you perceive his hand ready to draw, put it a little out towards his hand, nimbly turning over the cards, as though you numbred them, holding the same more loose and open than the rest, in no wise suffering him to draw any other; which if he should do, you must let three or four fall, that you may begin again. This will seem most strange, if your said Paper be inclosed in a Button, and by confederacy sowed upon the doublet or coat of any body. This trick they commonly end with a Nut full of Ink, in which case some wag or unhappy Boy is to be required to think a Card, and having so done, let the Nut be delivered him to crack, which he will not refuse to do, if he have seen the other feat played before.