Read Ebook: Hocus Pocus; or The Whole Art of Legerdemain in Perfection. By which the meanest capacity may perform the whole without the help of a teacher. Together with the Use of all the Instruments belonging thereto. by Dean Henry

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HOCUS POCUS; OR THE WHOLE ART OF LEGERDEMAIN, IN PERFECTION. BY HENRY DEAN.

TO WHICH IS NOW ADDED, Abundance of New and Rare Inventions.

BY HENRY DEAN.

PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED FOR MATHEW CAREY, NO. 118, MARKET-STREET.

THE PREFACE TO THE READER.

KIND READER,

HENRY DEAN.

The Whole ART of LEGERDEMAIN; OR, HOCUS POCUS IN PERFECTION, &c.

Legerdemain is an operation whereby one may seem to work wonderful, impossible, and incredible things, by agility, nimbleness, and slight of hand. The parts of this ingenious art, are principally four.

First, In conveyance of balls. Secondly, In conveyance of money. Thirdly, In cards, Fourthly, In confederacy.

You must place yourself at the farther end of the table, and then you must provide yourself three cups, made of tin, and then you must have your black sticks of magic to shew your wonders withal; then you must provide four small cork balls to play with; but do not let more than three of them be seen upon the table.

Note. Always conceal one ball in the right hand, between your middle finger and ring finger: and be sure make yourself perfect to hold it there, for, by this means, all the tricks of the cups are done.

Then say as followeth.

Then take your four balls privately between your fingers, and so sling one of them upon the table, and say thus,

So then you have three balls on the table to play with, and one left between the fingers of your right hand.

Then with your right hand take up the first cup, and there clap that ball under, that you have in your right hand; then saying, Gentlemen, this being the first ball, I will put it into my pocket; but that you must still keep in your hand to play withal.

So take up the second cup with your right hand, and clap that ball you have concealed under it, and then take up the second ball with your right hand, and say, this likewise, I take and put into my pocket.

Likewise, take up the third cup, and clapping the cup down again, convey that ball you have in your right hand under the cup, then taking the third ball, say, Gentlemen, this being the last ball, I take and put this into my pocket. Afterwards say to the company, Gentlemen, by a little of my fine powder of experience, I will command these balls under the cups again. As thus,

So lay them all along upon the table to the admiration of all the beholders.

Then taking that cup up again, and flinging that you have in your right hand under it, you must take up the second ball, and seem to put it into your left hand, but retain it in your right hand, saying, Gentlemen, see how the ball runs on the table.

So seemingly fling it away, and it will appear as thus.

So taking the same cup again, then clapping the ball under again, as before, then taking the third ball in your right hand, and seem to put it under your left, but still retain it in your right, then with your left hand seem to fling it in the cup, and it will appear thus; all the three balls to be under one cup.

And if you can perform these actions with the cups, you may change the balls into apples pears, or plumbs, or to living birds, to what your fancy leads you to. I would have given you more examples, but I think these are sufficient for the ingenious, so that, by these means, you may perform all manner of actions with the cups.

Note. The artificial cups cannot well be described by words, but you may have them of me, for they are accounted the greatest secrets in this art: therefore, I advise you to keep them as such, for this was never known to the world before.

This is the magic lanthorn that has made so much wonder in the world, and that which Friar Bacon used to shew all his magical wonders withal.

This lanthorn is called magic, with respect to the formidable apparitions that by virtue of light it shews upon the white wall of a dark room. The body of it is generally made of tin, and of a shape of the lamp; towards the back part, is a concave looking glass of metal, which may either be spherical or parabolical, and which, by a grove made in the bottom of the lanthorn, may either be advanced nearer or put farther back from the lamp, in which is oil or spirit of wine, and the match ought to be a little thick, that when it is lighted, it may cast a good light that may easily reflect from the glass to the fore part of the lanthorn, where there is an aperture with the perspective in it, composed of two glasses that make the rays converge and magnify the object.

When you mean to make use of this admirable machine, light the lamp, the light of which will be much augmented by the looking glass at a reasonable distance. Between the fore-part of the lanthorn, and the perspective glass, you have a trough, made on purpose, in which you are to run a long, flat thin frame with different figures, painted with transparent colours upon glass; then all these little figures passing successively before the perspective glass, thro' which passes the light of the lamp, will be painted, and represented with the same colours upon the wall of a darkroom, in a gigantic and monstrous manner.

This pudding must be made of tin, consisting of twelve or thirteen little hoops made as in the figure following, so as they may almost seem to fall one through another, having little holes made at the biggest end thereof, that it may not hurt your mouth, hold this pudding privately in your left hand, with the hole end uppermost, and with your right hand take a ball out of your pocket, and say, 'If here is ever a maid, that has lost her maidenhead or an old woman that is out of conceit with herself, because her neighbours deem her not so young as she would be, let them come to me, for this ball is a present remedy:' then seem to put the ball into your left hand, but let it slip into your lap, and clap your pudding into your mouth, which will be thought to be the ball that you shewed them; then decline your head, and open your mouth, and the pudding will slip down at its full length, which with your right hand you may strike it into your mouth again, doing this three or four times, then you may discharge it into your hand, and clap it into your pocket without any suspicion, by making three or four wry faces after it, as tho' it stuck in your throat, and if you practise smiting easily upon your throat with your fist on each side, the pudding will seem to chink; as if it were flying there; then say, 'Thus they eat puddings in High Germany, they fling it down their throats before their teeth can take possession of it.'

Desire any one of the spectators to lend you a knife, which when you get hold of, so that you may cover the whole with both hands, the end of the haft excepted, and setting the point to your eye, saying, "Some body strike it with your fist," but nobody will, because it is so dangerous a thing; then setting your hand on the side of the table and looking about you, ask, "What will nobody strike it in?" in which time let the knife slip into your lap, then make as if you chop it hastily into your mouth, or to hold it with one hand, and to strike it in with the other nimbly, making three or four wry faces, saying, "Some drink, some drink," or else, "Now let somebody put his finger into my mouth, and pull it out again," some will cry, "You will bite me," say, "I will assure you I will not:" then when he hath put his finger in, he will pull it out and cry, There is nothing; this is time sufficient to convey the knife into your pocket; then say, Why, you have your finger again: so, by this means, you may swallow knives and forks.

You must have a lock made for this purpose, according to the figure; one side of its bow must be immovable, as that marked with A, the other side is noted with B, and must be pinned to the body of the lock, as appears at E, I say it must be pinned that it may play to and fro with ease; this side of the bow must have a leg as at C, and then turn it into the lock; this leg must have two notches filled in the inner side, which must be so ordered, that one may lock or hold the two sides of the bow as close together as may be, and the other notch to hold the said part of the bow a proportionable distance asunder, that, being locked upon the cheek, it may neither pinch too hard, nor yet hold it so slight that it may be drawn off; let there be a key fixed to it, to unlock it, as you see at D, and lastly, let the bow have divers notches filled in it, so that the place of the partition, when the lock is shut home, will the least of all be suspected in the use of the lock; you must get one to hold a tester edge long between his teeth, then take another tester, and with your left hand proffer to set it edge-ways between a second man's teeth, pretending that your intent is to turn both into which of their mouths they shall desire, by virtue of your words: which he shall no sooner consent to do, but you, by holding your lock privately in your right hand, with your fore-finger may flip it over his cheek, and lock it by pressing your fore-finger a little down, after some store of words, and the lock, having hung on a while, seem to pull the key out of his nose.

You may have those locks neatly made, at my house, near the watch-house, on little Tower-hill, Postern-row, a bookseller's shop.

This feat may well be called magical, for really it is very amazing, if it be well handled. This device was never known to the public before.

This bushel must be turned neatly like unto the egg-boxes, so that they cannot find out where it opens, and you must have a false lid to clap on and off; upon that false lid glue some bird-feed, and then you must have a true lid made to clap neatly upon the false one, now you must have your artificial bell to shew with your bushel.

You may make your bell with wood or brass, your bell must be made to unscrew at the top, that it may hold as much seed as your bushel will when it is filled, and you must have the handle of your bell made with a spring, so as to let the seed fall down at your word of command.

The manner how to use them is as followeth: Note, you must be sure to fill the top of your bell with seed before you begin to shew; then saying, Gentlemen, you see I have nothing in my bell nor have I any thing in my bushel, therefore I will fill my bushel with seed, and, in filling it, clap on the false lid, and no man can tell the contrary.

Then ask any body in the company to hold that seed in their hands and you will command it all under the magical bell; so clap the true lid on, and then ring your bell, and the seed will be gone out of your bushel into your bell, to the admiration of all the beholders.

If you cannot rightly conceive this by words, you may have them of the newest fashions, ready made, at my house.

You must have two rings made of silver, or brass, or what you please, of one bigness, colour, and likeness, saving that one must have a notch through, and the other must be whole, without a notch; shew the whole ring, and conceal that which hath the notch, and say, Now I will put this ring through my check, and privately slip the notch over one side of your mouth; then take a small stick which you must have in readiness, and slip the whole ring upon it, holding your hand over it about the middle of the stick; then bid somebody hold fast the stick at both ends; and say, see this ring in my cheek, it turns round; then, while you perceive them fasten their eyes upon that ring, on a sudden whip it out, and smite upon the stick therewith, instantly concealing it, and whirling the other ring, you hold your hand over round about the stick, and it will be thought that you have brought that ring upon the stick which was upon your cheek.

You must go and buy two or three yards of calico, or printed linen, and make a double bag, and on the mouth of the bag, on that side next to you, you must make four or five little purses, in which you must put two or three eggs in a purse; and do so till you have filled that side next to you; and have a hole made at one end of your bag, that no more than two or three eggs come out at once; then you must have another bag, like unto that exactly, that one must not be known from the other; and then put a living hen into that bag, and hang it on a hook on that side you stand. The manner of performing it is thus: take the egg-bag, and put both your hands in it, and turn it inside out, and say, Gentlemen, you see there is nothing in my bag; and, in turning it again, you must slip some of the eggs out of the purses, as many as you think fit, and then turn your bag again and shew the company that it is empty; and, in turning it again, you command more eggs to come out, and when all is come out but one, you must take that egg and shew it to the company; and then drop your egg-bag, and take up your hen-bag, and so shake your hen, pidgeon, or any other fowl. This is a noble fancy, if well handled.

Take a book seven inches long, and about five inches broad, and let there be forty-nine leaves, that is, seven times seven, contained therein, so as you may cut upon the edges of each leaf six notches, each notch in depth of a quarter of an inch, with a gouge made for that purpose, and let them be one inch distant; paint every thirteenth and fourteenth page, which is the end of every sixth leaf and beginning of every seventh, with like colours, or pictures; cut off with a pair of sheers, every notch of the first leaf, leaving only one inch of paper, which will remain half a quarter of an inch above that leaf; leave another like inch in the second part of the second leaf, clipping away an inch of paper in the highest place above it, and all notches below the same, and orderly to the third and fourth, and so as there shall rest upon each leaf only one nick of paper above the rest, one high uncut, an inch of paper must answer to the first directly, so as when you have cut the first seven leaves in such a manner as I have described, you are to begin the self same order at the eighth leaf, descending the same manner to the cutting the other seven leaves to twenty-one, until you are past through every leaf all the thickness of your book, &c.

This feat is sooner learn'd by demonstrative means, than taught by words of instruction; so, if any person wants to be furnished with these blowing books, they may have them at my shop on Little-towerhill, aforesaid.

You must get a double funnel, that is, two funnels soddered one within the other, so that you may, at the little end, pour in a quantity of wine or water; this funnel you may have ready filled before-hand, with whatsoever liquor you please, and call for some of the same kind, then draw your funnel, and setting your middle finger into the bottom of it, bid some body, or else do it yourself, pour it full, and drink it up before them, and turn the broad end of the funnel downwards, saying, "Gentlemen, all is gone;" and in a trice turn yourself about, and in turning pronounce some terms of art, withdraw your finger from the narrow end, and let the liquor cut between the funnels, and it will be thought to be that which you drank out of the funnel, and so you may persuade them it is the same.

Take little figures of glass that are made hollow, of an inch and a half high, representing little boys, which may be had at the glass-blowers; these little images have a small hole in one of their legs, and are lighter than water; immerge them into the water contained in the glass A. B. this glass is about a foot or 15 inches high, and covered with a bladder which is tied fast over the top; a small quantity of air is to be left between the bladder and surface of the water; so, when you command them to walk down, press your hand hard upon the top, and they will immediately come down, and so you may make them dance in the middle of the glass, at your pleasure; and when you would have them to go up to the top, take your hand away, and they will walk up.

I hope this is sufficient for your understanding; if not, you may have the glass and figures of me.

You must have the figure of a man made of wood, about the bigness of your little finger, the head whereof must be made to take off and put on at pleasure, by means of a wire that is in the neck: also, you must have a cloth cap with a little bag within to convey the head into; the bag must be neatly made that it may not easily be perceived: shew your man to the company, 'Gentlemen, this I call my Bonus Genius;' then shew the cap, saying, 'This is his coat:' say moreover, 'Look now as stedfast as you can, nevertheless I will cozen you, for therefore am I come;' then hold your cap above your face, and take your man in your right-hand, and put his head through the hole of the cap, saying, 'Now he is ready to go on any message I have to send him, to Spain, or to Italy, or whether I will, but he must have somewhat to bear his charges,' with that, pull out your right-hand from under the cap, and therewith, the body, but privately putting your right-hand into your pocket, as if you felt for money, where you may hide the body, and take out your hand and say, 'There is three crowns for you, now be gone,' then turn the head, and say, 'But he will look about him before he goes;' then say, setting your fore-finger upon his crown, 'Just as I thrust my finger down so he shall vanish;' and therewith by the assistance of your left-hand that is under the cap, convey his head into the little bag within the cap, then turn your cap about, and say, 'See here he is gone;' then take up your cap and hold it up again, throwing the head out of the little bag and say, 'Hic mecus Genius,' and in the mean time thrust the head through the hole of the cap, and holding the head by the wire, turn it about presently, and put the head into your pocket.

H. Dean.

The conveyance of money is not much inferior to the balls, but much easier to do; the principal place to hold a piece of money is the palm of your hand, the best piece to keep is a tester, but with exercise all will be alike; except the money be very small, and then it is to be between the fingers, almost at the finger's ends, whereas the ball is to be kept below, near to the palm; the money must not be of too large a circumference.

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.

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.

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 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.

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