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TO THE INGENIOVS GENTLEMAN, and my louing father, Mr. WILLIAM BVBB.
TO THE INGENIOVS GENTLEMAN, and my louing father, Mr. WILLIAM BVBB.
This short conceipt, that I haue writ of late, To you kinde Father BVBB , I dedicate, Not that I meane heereby (good sir) to teach, For I confesse, your skills beyond my reach: But since before with me much time you spent, Good reason then, first fruits I should present: That thankefull The nature of this Bird is: that building her nest vnder the couer of houses (as the Swallow doth with vs) leaue euer behinde her for the owner of the house, one young one, in token of her thankfulnesse: and as I
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TO HIS LOVING FRIEND AND adopted Sonne Mr. Sa: Rid.
TO HIS LOVING FRIEND AND adopted Sonne Mr. Sa: Rid.
Most worthy sonne, Your labour and obseruance heerein, with the gift of your first fruits, is both worthy commendations and acceptance: and to cherrish you further in this your discouery, I will giue an addition to your second treatise. So I leaue you to God: and belieue you, not a more louing friend then, William Bubb....
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To the curteous Reader.
To the curteous Reader.
There goeth a prety Fable of the Moone: On a time she earnestly besought her mother to prouide her a garment, comely and fit for her body: how can that bee sweete daughter (quoth the mother) sith that your body neuer keepes it selfe at one staye, nor at one certaine estate, but changeth euery day in the month, nay euery houre? The application heereof needes no interpretation: Fantasie and foolery who can please? and desire who can humour? no Camelion changeth his coulour as affection, nor any th
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Notes and obseruations to be marked of such as desire to practise Legerdemaine.
Notes and obseruations to be marked of such as desire to practise Legerdemaine.
Remember that a Iugler must set a good face vppon that matter he goeth about, for a good grace and carriage is very requisite to make the art more authenticall. Your feates and trickes then must be nimbly, cleanly, and swiftly done, and conueyed so as the eyes of the beholders may not discerne or perceaue the tricke, for if you be a bungler, you both shame your selfe, and make the Art you goe about to be perceaued and knowne, and so bring it into discredit. Wherefore vse and exercise makes a man
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Feates of Legerdemaine vsed with the Balls, with one or more.
Feates of Legerdemaine vsed with the Balls, with one or more.
Concerning the Ball, the playes and deuises thereof are infinite: insomuch, as if you can vse them wel, you may shew an hundred feats, but whether you seeme to throw the Ball into the ayre, or into your mouth, or into your left hand, or as you list, it must be kept still in your right hand: if you practise first with the leaden bullet, you shall the sooner, and better do it with balls of Corke: the first place at your first learning, where you are to bestow a great ball, is in the palme of your
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To make a little Ball swell in your hand till it be very great.
To make a little Ball swell in your hand till it be very great.
Take a very great ball in your left hand, or three indifferent big balls, and shewing one or three little balls, seeme to put them into your said left hand, concealing (as you may well do) the other balls which were there before: Then vse charmes, and words, and make them seem to swell, and open your hand &c. This play is to be varied an hundred waies for as you finde them all vnder the boxe or candlesticke, so may you goe to a stander by, and take off his hat or cap and shew the balls t
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To consume, (or rather conuay) one or many Balls into nothing.
To consume, (or rather conuay) one or many Balls into nothing.
If you take a ball or more, and seeme to put it into your other hand, and whilst you vse charming words, you conuey them out of your right hand into your lap, it will seeme strange, for when you open your left hand, immediately the sharpest lookers on will say, it is in your other hand, which also then you may open, and when they see nothing there, they are greatly ouertaken....
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An other pretty feat with Balls.
An other pretty feat with Balls.
Take foure Balls, one of the which keep betweene your fore-finger and your middle, laying the other three vpon the table, then take vp one and put it into your left hand, and afterward take vp another, and conuaying it and the other betweene your fingers into your left hand, taking vp the third and seeming to cast it from you into the ayre, or into your mouth, or else where you please, vsing some words or charmes as before: the standers by when you aske them how many you haue in your hand, will
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A feat, tending chiefly to laughter and mirth.
A feat, tending chiefly to laughter and mirth.
Lay one ball vpon your shoulder, an other on your arme, and the third on the table: which because it is round and will not easily lye vpon the point of your knife, you must bid a stander by, lay it theron, saying, that you meane to cast all those three Balls into your mouth at once: and holding a knife as a penne in your hand, when he is laying vpon the poynt of your knife, you may easily with the haft rap him on the fingers, for the other matter will be hard to doe. And thus much of the Balls.
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Of conueyance of mony.
Of conueyance of mony.
The conueying of mony is not much inferiour to the Ball, but much easier to doe: The principall place to keepe a peece of mony in, is the palme of your hand: The best peece to keepe, is a testor, but with exercise all will be alike, except the mony be very small, and then it must bee kept betweene the fingers, and almost at the fingers end, where as the ball is to be kept, and below neere to the palme....
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To conuey mony out of one hand into the other, by Legerdemaine.
To conuey mony out of one hand into the other, by Legerdemaine.
First you must hold open your right hand and lay therin a testor or counter, and then lay thereupon the top of your long left finger, and vse words &c. and vpon the sudden slip your right hand from your finger, wherewith you held downe the testor, and bending your hand a very little, you shall retaine the testor therein, and sodainely (I say) drawing your right hand thorough your left, you shal seeme to haue left the testor there, especially when you shut in due time your left hand, whic
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To conuert or transubstantiat money into Counters, or Counters into money.
To conuert or transubstantiat money into Counters, or Counters into money.
An other way to deceaue the lookers on, is to doe as before with a testor, and keeping a Counter in the palme of your left hand, secretly to seeme to put the testor thereinto, which being retained still in the right hand, when the left hand is opened, the testor will seeme to be transubstantiated into a counter....
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To put one Testor into one hand, and another into an other hand, and with words to bring them together.
To put one Testor into one hand, and another into an other hand, and with words to bring them together.
He that hath once attayned to the facillity of reteyning one peece of money in his right hand, may shew an hundred pleasant conceits by that meanes, and may reserue two or three as well as one: and loe, then may you seeme to put one peece into your left hand, and retaining it still in your right hand, you may together therewith take vp another like peece, and so with words seeme to bring both peeces together....
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To put one testor into a strangers hand and an other in your owne hand, and to conuay both into the strangers hand with words.
To put one testor into a strangers hand and an other in your owne hand, and to conuay both into the strangers hand with words.
Take two testors eeuenly set together, and put the same in stead of one testor into a strangers hand: and then making as though you put one testor into your left hand, with words you shall make it seeme that you conuey the testor in your hand into the strangers hand: for when you open your said left hand, there shall be nothing seene: and he opening his hand, shall finde two where he thought was but one. By this deuise I say an hundred conceits may be shewed....
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To throwe a peece of money away and to finde it againe where you please.
To throwe a peece of money away and to finde it againe where you please.
You may with the middle and ring-finger of the right hand, conuey a testor into the palme of the same hand, and seeming to cast it away, keepe it still, which with confederacy will seeme strange: to wit, when you finde it againe, where another hath bestowed the very like peece. But these things without exercise cannot be done, and therefore I will proceede to shew things to be brought to passe by many, with lesse difficulty, and yet as strange as the rest, which being vnknowne, are maruelously c
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To make a testor or a groat, leap out of a potte, or run along vpon a table with words.
To make a testor or a groat, leap out of a potte, or run along vpon a table with words.
You shall see a Iugler take a testor or groate & throw it into a pot, or lay it on the middest of the table, and with inchanting words cause the same to leape out of the pot, or run towards him or from him wards alongest the table, which will seeme miraculous, vntill that you know that it is done with a long black haire of a womans head, fastned to the brim of a groat by meanes of a little hole driuen through the same with a spanish needle: in like sort you may vse a knife or any other s
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A very pretty trick to make a groate or a testor to sinck thorow a table, and to vanish out of a hand kercheife very strangely.
A very pretty trick to make a groate or a testor to sinck thorow a table, and to vanish out of a hand kercheife very strangely.
A Iugler sometimes will borrow a groate or a testor, and marke it before you, and seeme to put the same into a hand kercheife, and winde it so that you may the better see and feele it: then will he take you the handkercheif and bid you feele whether the groate be there or no: And he will also require you to put the same vnder a candlestick or some such thing: then will he send for a Bason and holding the same vnder the boord right against the candlestick will vse certen words of inchantments, an
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To conuey one shilling being in one hand into an other, holding your armes abroad like to a roode.
To conuey one shilling being in one hand into an other, holding your armes abroad like to a roode.
Euermore it is necessary to mingle some merry toyes among your graue miracles, as in this case of money: Take a shilling in each hand, and holding your armes abroad, to lay a wager that you will put them both into one hand without bringing them any whit nerer together: the wager being layde, hold your armes abroad like a roode, and turning about with your body, lay the shilling out of one of your hands vppon the table, and turning to the other side take it vp with the other hand, and so you shal
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Of Cardes and Dice, with good cautions how to auoyde cosenage therein: speciall rules to conuey and handle the cardes, and the manner and order how to accomplish all difficult, & strange things wrought with cardes.
Of Cardes and Dice, with good cautions how to auoyde cosenage therein: speciall rules to conuey and handle the cardes, and the manner and order how to accomplish all difficult, & strange things wrought with cardes.
Hauing bestowed some wast money amonge you, I will set you to Cardes, and Dice: A cupple of honest friends that drawe both in a yoke together, which haue bin the ouerthrow, of many a hundred in this Realme, and these are not the slightest matters whereuppon Iuglers worke vpon, and shew their feates. By which kinde of Iugling, a great number haue Iugled away, not only their money, but also their landes, their health, their time, and their honestie: I dare not (as I could) shew the lewde Iugling t
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A tricke by confederacy at Cardes.
A tricke by confederacy at Cardes.
A Gamester, after he had bene often times bitten by Cheators, and after much losse, grew very suspitious in his play, so that he would not suffer any of the sitters by to be priuy to his game, for this the Cheators deuised a new shift, that a woman should sit close by him, and by the swift and slowe drawing of her needle, giue a token to the Cheator what was the Cosens game. Other helpes there be, as to set y e Cosen vpon the bench, with a great Looking glasse behinde him on the wall, wherein th
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How to deliuer out foure Aces, and to conuert them into foure Knaues.
How to deliuer out foure Aces, and to conuert them into foure Knaues.
Make a pack of eight cardes, to wit foure Knaues and foure Aces, and although all the eight cardes must lie imediately together, yet must ech Knaue and Ace be openly seauered, and the same eight cardes must lie also in the lowest place of the bunch, then shuffle them so, as alwaies at the second shuffling, or at least wise at the end of your shuffling the said pack, and of the pack one ace may lye nethermost or so as you may knowe where he goeth and lyeth, and alwaies I say let your foresaid pac
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How to tell one what Card he seeth in the bottome, when the same Carde is shuffled into the stock.
How to tell one what Card he seeth in the bottome, when the same Carde is shuffled into the stock.
When you haue seene a Card priuily, or as though you marked it not, lay the same vndermost, and shuffle the Cards as before you were taught, till your Card ly againe belowe in y e bottom: then shew the same to the beholders, willing them to remember it, then shuffle the Cards or let any shuffle them, for you know the Cardes already, and therefore may at any time tell them what Carde they saw, which neuerthelesse would be done with great circumstance and shew of difficultie....
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A strange & excellent tricke to hold foure Kings in the hand, and by words to transform them into foure Aces, and after to make them all blancke Cardes, one after another.
A strange & excellent tricke to hold foure Kings in the hand, and by words to transform them into foure Aces, and after to make them all blancke Cardes, one after another.
You shall see a Iugler take foure Kings and no more in his hand, and apparantly shew you them, then after some words and charmes, he will throwe them downe before you vpon the table, taking one of the Kings away and adding but one other Card: then taking them vp againe and blowing vpon them, will shew you them transformed into blancke Cardes, white on both sides: after vsing charmes againe, throwing them downe as before, (with the faces downeward) will take them vp againe and shew you foure Aces
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Of publike confederacie and whereof it consisteth.
Of publike confederacie and whereof it consisteth.
Publike confederacy is, when there is before hand a compacte made betwixt diuers persons: the one to be principall, the other to be assistant in working of miracles, or rather in cosoning and abusing the beholders, as when I tell you in the presence of a multitude, what you haue thought or done, or shall doe or thinke, when you and I were thereupon agreed before: and if this be cunningly and closely handled, it will induce great admiration to the beholders, especially when they are before amased
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To tell you how to know whether one caste Crosse or Pile; by the ringing
To tell you how to know whether one caste Crosse or Pile; by the ringing
Lay a wager with your confederate (who must seeme simple or obstinate opposed against you) that standing behinde a dore, you will (by the sounding or ringing of the mony) tell him whether he cast crosse or pile, so as when you are gone, and he hath phillepped the money before the witnesses who are to be cosoned, he must say What is it if it be crosse, or What i'st if it be pile, or some other such signe, as you are agreed vpon; and so you neede not faile to gesse rightly. By this meanes if you h
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How to tell where a stolne horse is become.
How to tell where a stolne horse is become.
By meanes of confederacy Cuthbert Conycatcher , and one Swart Rutter , two that haue taken degrees in Whittington Colledge, abused notably the country people: for Cuthbert would hide away his neighbours horses, kine, colts, &c: and send them to Swart Rutter , (whom he before had told where they were) promising to send the parties vnto him, whome he described, and made knowne by diuers signes: so as this Swart would tell them at their first entrance vnto the dore, wherefore they came, and
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To make one daunce naked.
To make one daunce naked.
It hath bene reported of such fellowes, and such, that they can doe rare feates, as to make one daunce naked. To the effecting of this, make a poore boy confederate with you: so as after charmes and words spoken by you, he vnclothe himselfe and stand naked: seeming (whilst he vndresseth him) to shake, stampe, and crie, still hastening to be vnclothed, till he be starke naked: or if you can procure none to goe so farre, let him only begin to stamp and shake &c. and to vnclothe him, and th
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To make a pot of any such thing standing fast on a cupbord, to fall downe thence by vertue of words.
To make a pot of any such thing standing fast on a cupbord, to fall downe thence by vertue of words.
Lett your cupbord be so placed, as your confederate may hould a black Threed without in the courete, behinde some windowe of that roome, and at a certen lowe word spoken by you, he may pull the same threed, being wound about the pot. And this was the feate of Eleazer the Iewe , which Iosephus reporteth to be such a miracle. Now that we haue spoken of the three principle actes of Legerdemayne and of confederacy, I will go forward, and touch some fewe ordinary feates, which are pretty, yet not alt
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Of Boxes to alter one graine into another, or to consume the graine or corne to nothing.
Of Boxes to alter one graine into another, or to consume the graine or corne to nothing.
There be diuers iugling boxes with false bottomes, wherein many false feates are wrought. First they haue a boxe couered or rather footed alike at each end, the bottome of the one end being no deeper then as it may containe one lane of corne or pepper, glewed there vpon. Then vse they to put into y e hollow end thereof some other kind of graine, ground or vnground: then doe they couer it, and put it vnder a hat or candlesticke, and either in putting it thereinto, or pulling it thence, they turne
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How to conuey (with words and charmes) the corne conteyned in one Box, into another.
How to conuey (with words and charmes) the corne conteyned in one Box, into another.
There is another boxe fashioned like a bell, whereinto they put so much and such corne as the foresaid hollowe boxe can conteine: then they stop and couer the same with a peece of lether as broad as a tester, which being thrust vp hard to the middle part or waste of the said bell, will sticke fast and beare vp the corne, and if the edge of the same lether be wet, it will hold the better: then take they the other boxe, dipped (as is aforesaid) in corne, and set downe the same vpon the Table, the
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How to pull laces innumerable out of your mouth; of what colour or length you list, and neuer any thing seene to be therein.
How to pull laces innumerable out of your mouth; of what colour or length you list, and neuer any thing seene to be therein.
As for pulling of laces forth of the mouth it is now somewhat stale, whereby Iuglers get much mony among maydes, selling lace by the yarde, putting into their mouthes one round bottome, as fast as they pull out another, & at the iust ende of euery yarde they tie a knott, so as the same resteth vppon their teeth, then cut they off the same, and so the beholders are double and treble deceaued, seeing so much lace as will be conteined in a hat, and the same of what collour you list to name,
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To kill a Hen, chicken or Capon and giue it life againe.
To kill a Hen, chicken or Capon and giue it life againe.
Take a hen &c. and trust a naule, or a fine sharpe pointed knife through the middle of the head thereof, the edge toward the bill, so as it may seeme impossible for her to escape death. Then vse words or incantations, and pulling out the knife, lay otes before her and she wil eate and liue, being nothing at all greeued or hurt with the wound, because the braine lyeth so farre behinde in the head as it is not touched, though you thrust your knife betweene the combe and it: The naturall ca
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To eate a Knife, and to fetch it forth of another place.
To eate a Knife, and to fetch it forth of another place.
Take a knife, and conuey the same betweene your two hands, so as no parte be seene thereof, but a little of the poynt, which you must so bite at the first as noyse may be made therwith: then seeme to put a great parte therof into your mouth, and letting your hand slip downe, there will appeare to haue bin more in your mouth, then is possible to be conteyned therein: then send for drinke, or vse some other delaye vntill you haue let the said knife slip into your lap, holding both your fists close
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To thrust a bodkin through your head, without any hurt.
To thrust a bodkin through your head, without any hurt.
Take a Bodkin so made, as the haft being hollow, the blade thereof may slip thereinto: as soone as you holde the poynt downeward, and set the same to your forehead, and seeme to thrust it into your head: and so (with a little sponge in your hand) you may wringe out blood or wine, making the beholders thinke the blood or wine (whereof you may say you haue drunke very much) runneth out of your forehead: Then after countenance of paine and greefe, pull away your hand suddenly, holding the poynt dow
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To cut halfe your nose in sunder, and to heale it againe presently without any salue.
To cut halfe your nose in sunder, and to heale it againe presently without any salue.
Take a knife, hauing a round hollow gappe in the middle, and lay it vppon your nose, and so shall you seeme to haue cut your nose in sunder: This is easily don, howbeit being nimbly done it will deceaue the sight of the beholders. prouided alwaies that in all these, you haue another like knife without a gap to be shewed vppon pulling out of the same and words of inchauntments to speake: Blood also to bewraye the wounde, and nimble conueyance....
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To put a Ring through your cheeke.
To put a Ring through your cheeke.
There is pretty Knack, which seemeth dangerous to the cheeke: for the accomplishment whereof, you must haue two rings of like coullour and quantity, the one filed asunder, so as you may thrust it vpon your cheeke: the other must be whole and conueyed vpon a sticke, holding your hand therevpon in the middle of the sticke, deliuering each end of the same sticke to be holden fast by a stander by, then pulling the ring out of your cheeke, cleanely strike it against same part of the sticke, keeping i
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How an Alcumister cousoned a priest.
How an Alcumister cousoned a priest.
Chaucer in one of his Canterbury tales, rehearseth this test of a cousoning Alcumist: espying on a day a coueteous priest, whose purse he knew to be well lyned: assaulted him with flattery and kinde speech, two principall points belonging to this art: at length he borrowed mony of this priest, which is the third part of this art, without the which the professors can doe no good, nor endure in good estate: then he at his day repayed the mony, which is the most difficult poynt in this art, and a r
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A merry tale how a cosoning Alcumist deceaued a country Gentleman.
A merry tale how a cosoning Alcumist deceaued a country Gentleman.
A Gentleman in Kent of good worth, not long sithence was ouertaken by a cosoning knaue, who professed Alcumistry, Iugling, Witch craft, and coniuration, and by meanes of his companions and confederates, found the simplicitie and abilitie of the said Gentleman, & learnt his estate and humors to be conuenient for his purpose, and at last came a wooing to his daughter, to whome hee made loue cunningly in words, though his purpose tended to another end: and among other illusions and tales, c
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A Charme to be said each morning by a Witch fasting, or at least before she goe abroade.
A Charme to be said each morning by a Witch fasting, or at least before she goe abroade.
The fire bites, the fire bites, the fire bites: hogs turde ouer it, hogges turde ouer it, hoggs turde ouer it. The Father with thee, the Sonne with me, the holy Ghost betweene vs both to be, thrise, then spitt ouer one shoulder, and then ouer the other, and then three times right forward....
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An olde womans Charme wherewith she did much good in the cuntrie and grew famous thereby.
An olde womans Charme wherewith she did much good in the cuntrie and grew famous thereby.
An olde woman that healed all deseases of cattell (for the which she neuer tooke any reward but a penny and a loafe) being seriously examined, by what words she brought these things to passe, confessed that after she had touched the sick creature, she alwaies departed immediately saying. My loafe in my lap, My penie in my purse: Thou art neuer the better, And I am neuer the worse....
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A slouenly Charme for sore eies.
A slouenly Charme for sore eies.
The Deuill pull out both thine eies, And etish spel this word backward and you shall see what a slouenly charme this is etish . in the holes likewise. A Miller that had his eeles stolne by night, made mone to the priest of the parish, who indeede was the principall of the theeues that stole the eeles, Sir Iohn willed him to be quiet, for said he I will to curse the theeues, and their adherents with bell, booke, and candle, that they shall haue small ioy of their fish, and therefore the next sond
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