



Produced by RichardW and the Online Distributed Proofreading
Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
images generously made available by the Library of Congress)







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


[Illustration:

 Strange feats are herein taught by slight of hand,
 With which you may amuse yourself and friend,
 The like in print was never seen before,
 And so you’ll say when once you’ve read it o’er.
]




 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._

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

 BY HENRY DEAN.

 _The ELEVENTH EDITION, with large_
 _Additions and Amendments._

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

 1795.




THE PREFACE TO THE READER.


KIND READER,

Having _in my former_ book _of_ LEGERDEMAIN, _promiſed you farther
improvements, accordingly I have diſcovered herein to you the greateſt
and moſt wonderful ſecrets of this_ ART, _never written or publiſhed
by any man before: therefore I do not doubt but herein you will find
pleaſure to your full ſatisfaction; which is all my deſire_.

 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.


_A Description of the Operation._

1. He must be one of a bold and undaunted resolution, so as to set a
good face upon the matter.

2. He must have strange terms, and emphatical words, to grace and adorn
his actions; and the more to amaze and astonish the beholders.

3. And lastly, He must use such gestures of body, as may take off the
spectators eyes from a strict and diligent beholding his manner of
performance.


_How to pass the Balls through the Cups._

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.

 _Gentlemen, three cups—’tis true_
     _They are but tin, the reason why,_
 _Silver is something dear._
     _I’ll turn them in gold, if I live, &c._
 _No equivocation at all:_
     _But if your eyes are not as quick as my hands_
 _I shall deceive you all._
     _View them within,_
 _View them all round about,_
     _Where there is nothing in,_
 _There’s nothing can come out._

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

 _The first trick that e’er learn’d to do,_
 _Was, out of one ball to make it into two:_
 _Ah! since it cannot better be,_
 _One of these two, I’ll divide them into three,_
 _Which is call’d the first trick of dexterity._

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


_The Operation of the Cups is thus._

[Illustration]

Lay your three balls on the table, then say, Gentlemen, you see here
are three balls, and here are three cups, that is, a cup for each ball,
and a ball for each cup. Then, taking that ball that you had in your
right hand, (which you are always to keep private) and clapping it
under the first cup, then taking up one of the three balls, with your
right hand, seeming to put it into your left hand, but retain it still
in your right, shutting your left hand in due time, then say, _Presto,
be gone_.

[Illustration]

Then taking the second cup up, say, Gentlemen, you see there is nothing
under my cup; so clap the ball that you have in your right hand under
it, and then take the second ball up with your right hand, and seem to
put it into your left, but retain it in your right hand, shutting your
left in due time, as before, saying, _Verda, be gone_.

[Illustration]

Then take the third cup, saying, Gentlemen, you see there is nothing
under my last cup; then clapping the ball you have in your right hand
under it, then take the third ball up with your right hand, and seeming
to put it into your left hand, but retain it in your right; shutting
your left hand in due time, as before, saying, _Presto, make haste_; so
you have your three balls come under your three cups, as thus: and so
lay your three cups down on the table.

[Illustration]

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.

[Illustration]

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.

[Illustration]

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,

[Illustration]

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

Then take up the first cup, and clap the ball you have in your right
hand under it, then taking the first ball up with your right hand, seem
to put the same into your left hand, but retain it still in your right,
then say, _Vade, quick be gone when I bid you, and run under the cup_.

[Illustration]

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.

[Illustration]

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.

[Illustration]

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.


_How to shew the wonderful_ Magic Lanthorn.

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.

By this Lanthorn you may shew what man, or woman, or birds, or beasts,
and all sorts of fish that are in the sea: so if any gentleman has a
desire to furnish themselves with one of these lanthorns, I have the
best that can be made.

_The figure is as follows._

[Illustration]


_To seem to swallow a long pudding made of tin._

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
(for so it is called) 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.’

[Illustration]


_To seem to eat knives and forks._

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.


_To put a lock upon a man’s mouth._

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.

[Illustration]


_How to shew the magic bell and bushel._

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 (which they
cannot, if you hold it by the handle) 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.

[Illustration]


_How to put a ring through one’s cheek._

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