CHAPTER XXXIV

DESPERATE OR DANGEROUS JUGGLING KNACKS, WHEREIN THE SIMPLE ARE MADE TO THINKE, THAT A SEELIE JUGGLER WITH WORDS CAN HURT AND HELPE, KILL AND REVIVE ANIE CREATURE AT HIS PLEASURE: AND FIRST TOO KILL ANIE KIND OF PULLEN, AND TO GIVE IT LIFE AGAINE.

    [Editor's Note: DO NOT ATTEMPT THE FOLLOWING TRICK. It is included only in the interest of remaining faithful to the content of the original document. In the opinion of this writer, who has years of experience working with birds in his stage show, this is a recklessly cruel and stupid effect: Even if it works, which I strongly doubt. Please Do Not try this, or any trick involving the purposeful endangerment of birds or animals.]

    Take a hen, chicken, or capon and drive a knife or nail through the middle of the head, the edge towards the bill, in such a way that it seems certain to kill the bird. Then use magic words and, after withdrawing the blade, the fowl can be seen to still live, and even to eat grain put in front of it, without being at all in pain. This can be accomplished because the brain is so far back in the head that it is not touched by the blade, although you thrust the blade between it and the comb. This can be an opening effect, after which you can turn your attentions to apparently mutilating and then restoring your own self.

TO EATE A KNIFE, AND TO FETCH IT OUT OF ANIE OTHER PLACE.

    Hold a knife between your hands so that only the point shows, and bite down on that with your teeth in such a way that it makes noise. Act as though putting the knife into the mouth, sliding your hand down the knife in such a way as to increase the illusion of your mouth containing almost the whole knife. Bring your hands with the knife in them to the edge of the table while calling for a drink, during which time you can easily let the knife slide into your lap. After lapping the knife bring your hands to your mouth again and nibble on your nail instead of the blade tip, then appear to thrust the blade into your mouth, using one hand to push the other, and finishing with your hands open. You can recover the knife from your lap and seem to bring it out from behind you, or from wherever you want. If you have a duplicate knife and a confederate you can do twenty notable wonders that way, such as to send a real audience member into some garden or orchard, describing to him some tree or herb, under which the knife can be found sticking in, or it can be planted on the person of an innocent audience member.

TO THRUST A BODKIN INTO YOUR HEAD WITHOUT HURT.

    Have a knife made so that the handle is hollow and allows the blade to slip into it when held upside down. Hold it to your forehead and appear to thrust it in. With a little sponge concealed in your hand you can wring out blood or wine. If wine is running out of your forehead you can excuse it by explaining you have had a lot of wine to drink. Then, after an appropriate show of pain and grief, appear to pull the knife out of your head suddenly, so quickly that the blade falls back into place without being noticed. Immediately place the trick knife in your lap or pocket and switch it for an unprepared one.

TO THRUST A BODKIN THROUGH YOUR TOONG, AND A KNIFE THROUGH YOUR ARME: A PITTIFULL SIGHT, WITHOUT HURT OR DANGER.

    Make a dagger with the blade separated in the middle, the gap three quarters of an inch wide, and the pieces supported by a bow or crooked piece of iron holding the two blade parts in place, and fashioned to fit over your tongue. Then thrust your tongue between the space, that is, into the bow in the middle of the dagger's blade, so it seems to be sticking through your tongue.

    The same may also be done with a dagger made to fit on your arm, and the wound will seem all the more terrible if dressed up with a little blood.

TO THRUST A PEECE OF LEAD INTO ONE EIE, AND TO DRIVE IT ABOUT [WITH A STICKE] BETWEENE THE SKIN AND FLESH OF THE FOREHEAD, UNTILL IT BE BROUGHT TO THE OTHER EIE, AND THERE THRUST OUT.

    Conceal a small piece of lead under one of your eyelids and, with a stick that is hollow at one end, appear to place an identical piece of lead into the other eye, using the stick to push it in but really receiving it in the hollow at the end of the stick. Appear to use the stick to push the piece of lead across the eye, along your forehead to the other eye, and then produce the lead previously concealed under the eyelid. Some eat the lead, and then pull it out of the eye, and some put it into both, but the first method is the best.

TO CUT HALFE YOUR NOSE ASUNDER, AND TO HEALE IT AGAINE PRESENTLIE WITHOUT ANIE SALVE.

    Take a knife having a round hollow gap in the middle, and place it on your nose in a way that makes it appear your nose has been half-severed from your face. You should always have a duplicate ungimmicked knife to switch for the trick blade, words of enchantment to speak, blood to make the wound more realistic, and quick hands.

    This is easily done, and if cleanly handled will deceive all spectators.

TO PUT A RING THROUGH YOUR CHEEKE.

    There is another old trick which seems dangerous to the cheeks. To accomplish this you must have two identical rings, one must be filed so that there is a gap in the ring enabling it to be thrust over the cheek, the other ring is whole and on the middle of a stick which is left out of sight. After appearing to thrust the gimmicked ring through your cheek, pick up the stick by its middle with your hand concealing the unfiled ring. Keeping your hand over the ring on the stick have one spectator grasp each of the stick's ends. Pluck the ring from your cheek and palm it or, if necessary, lap it or drop it into a pocket. Pull away your hand from the stick, and in pulling it away spin the ring, so it will be thought this is the ring which was in your cheek.

TO CUT OFF ONES HEAD, AND TO LAIE IT IN A PLATTER, &C: WHICH THE JUGGLERS CALL THE DECOLLATION OF JOHN BAPTIST.

    In order to present this effect you need a board, a cloth, and a serving platter made with a hole in the center of each large enough to fit a boy's neck. The board is actually made of two planks, as long and broad as feasible, and wthin a half yard of one end of each plank must be half a hole so that when the two planks are fit together you have a complete hole, as in a pair of stocks. There must also be a hole in the tablecloth. The platter is set directly over the hole in the tablecloth, which is over the hole in the planks. Your assistant takes position with his body concealed under the board, and his head on the platter.

    To make the sight a little more dreadful, put some brimstone into a dish of burning coals and set it before the boy's head. After he has inhaled the smoke a few times (which is not unhealthy) the head will appear as if dead, especially if the boy sets his face accordingly; and if a little blood is sprinkled on the face it will enhance the effect.

    This is usually done with a boy who is in on the trick and was chosen for that particular occasion, being known and easily recognizable to the audience both by his face and his style of dress.

    On the other side of the table a similar arrangement of holes is made, without the platter. A boy of similar size and wearing the same clothing as the other boy is known to wear is lying on the table in such a way that his body is visible but his head is placed througn the hole in the tablecloth and board.

    In this way it is made to seem that the boy has his headless body outstretched at one end of the table and his head laying on a platter at the other end.

    Necessary observations to astonish the beholders: There are other ways of adding to the overall effect which are too complicated to fully explain; such as placing around his neck some dough kneaded with a young bull's blood, which when cold will look like dead flesh, and when pricked with a sharp hollow feather's quill will bleed and seem very strange, etc.

    Many rules should be observed, such as having a table cloth that almost touches the ground all the way round; and not leaving the audience in place for too long, etc.

    This was done by a magician named Kingsfield, from London, at Bartholowmew's Fair in 1582 before a diverse audience that came to view the spectacle.

TO THRUST A DAGGER OR BODKIN INTO YOUR GUTS VERIE STRANGELIE, AND TO RECOVER IMMEDIATLIE.

    Another miracle using false moves, namely that with a dagger you seem to kill yourself, or make a fatal wound in your belly.

    Not long ago a juggler died in the performance of this trick at a tavern in Cheapside, stumbling into Powles churchyard where he expired. It was his own fault, as he was drunk when he attempted the trick, and forgot the plate which he needed for his protection.

    The device is this: You must prepare a feke made of paste board, the shape and color of your belly and chest, painted by an expert to include not only color but also hair, navel, blemishes, etc; so it may be worn in such a way that it can be shown to be your natural belly. Then, between the feke and your real belly you place a linen cloth and a double plate (which the juggler that killed himself forgot or willfully omitted), over which you place the false belly.

    Be certain that you always place between the plate and false belly a bladder of blood, which must be of a calf or a sheep, but not of an oxe or a cow, as that will be too thick.

    Thrust or have thrust into your breast a dagger, so far that it pierces the bladder, so that when pulled out blood will spurt a good distance from you, especially if you expand your body against the plate.

    You must always remember to use (with words, expression, and gesture) a gracefulness of action that will inspire admiration in your audience.

TO DRAWE A CORD THROUGH YOUR NOSE, MOUTH OR HAND SO SENSIBLE AS IS WOONDERFUL TO SEE.

    There is another trick, which is called "The Bridle". It is made of two elderwood sticks, which are hollow and through this hollowness is threaded a cord.

    The ends of the sticks must be joined together, and a half an inch from the other end of each stick is drilled a hole. The cord's ends are brought out through the holes with knots tied a few inches from the ends of the cords to prevent them from being drawn back through the holes.

    Place the sticks over your nose like a pair of scissors and when the cord is pulled back and forth it will appear to be running straight through your nose. You may take a knife, and after appearing to cut the cord you can pull the bridle from your nose.

THE CONCLUSION, WHEREIN THE READER IS REFERRED TO CERTEINE PATTERNS OF INSTRUMENTS WHEREWITH DIVERSE FEATS HERE SPECIFIED ARE TO BE EXECUTED.

    I could go on indefinitely, but hopefully I have described to you the principles and practices belonging to this art of juggling, so that anyone interested in studying these words may not only do all these things, but using these principles may invent other such effects to the best of his ability.

    And, so long as these are presented as amusements and not the result of supernatural actions, let other less generous and more melancholy men say what they like. Their actions have no value, but actually advance the power and glory of God by revealing the pride and falsehood which merely seems to create miracles through the power of God, as did Jannes and Jambres and also Simon Magus.

    If any man doubts these things, or agrees with Bodin that these are accomplished through familiars or devils, let him go to S. Martins and talk to John Cautares (a French man by birth, and an honest man in conversation), and he will show these tricks and many more. Although he does not make his living as a magician, but works as a labourer, still I think he has the best hands and sleight-of-hand skills of any man that lives today.

    Neither do I speak without knowledge. If I had space I could describe so much that Bodin, Spinaeus, and Vairus would swear I was a witch, with a familiar spirit at my command.But my studies are only meant to reveal that they are fools, and expose the fraud that makes them fools, so they may become wiser, and separate their delusions from that which belongs to God.

    And, because some juggling devices are not easily described in words, I have included illustrations for some of the instruments described, so that they may be used as patterns for those who wish to thoroughly understand their secrets, or make them for themselves, and use them. Each illustration contains a reference to the page where its working is described.

    Next I will describe another fraudulent point of witchcraft, necessary to be revealed, or at least exposed as one of the deceitful arts. And because many are victimized by it, and sometimes utterly destroyed, for it has been sanctioned under the pretense of being "learning", and has flourished uncontrolled among all ages, nations, and peoples.