Take any number of cards, as 10, 12, and then holding them with their backs toward you, open four or five of the uppermost, and as you hold them out to their view, let any one note a card, and tell you, whether it be the first, second, or third from the top, but you must privately know the whole number of those cards you took; then shut up your cards in your hands, and take the rest of the pack and place upon them; then knock their ends and sides upon the table; so it will seem impossible to find the noted card, yet it may easily be done thus: subtract the number of the cards you held in your hand from 52, the whole number of the cards in the pack, and to the remainder add the number of the noted card; so the same shall be the number of the noted card from the top: therefore take off the cards one by one, smelling to them, till you come to the noted card.
_How to let a gentleman hold ten pieces of money in his hand, and to command them unto what number he can think on._
You must fling your money on a table, and desire any body to tell ten pieces out on the table, when they have done they will say, there is ten. Note, you must have in readiness, privately concealed in your right-hand, five pieces, then you must tell the company that you always tell your money after every person, so telling down the money with your left-hand, and taking it up with your right, convey the five pieces to the ten, then ask if any body is desirous to hold them, and there will be enough to hold them, and be sure to hold them fast; that done, bid them to call for what number they please to think on between 10 and 15, and so let them call for what number they will, you know they have it in their hand, and when they open their hand, they are struck to admiration. But be sure not to forget your terms of art to amaze the beholders.
_To thrust a dagger into your guts, very strangely, and to recover immediately._
Another miracle may be shewed, touching counterfeit executions, namely, that with a dagger you shall seem to kill yourself, or at the least make an irrevokable wound in your belly, as in truth not long since a juggler caused himself to be killed at a tavern in Cheapside, from thence he went presently into St. Paul’s church-yard, and there died; which misfortune fell upon him thro’ his own folly, as being drunk, and forgetting his breast-plate, which he should have had for his defence. The device is this, you must prepare a pasteboard to be made according to the fashion of your belly and breast, the same must be by a painter, well coloured cunningly, not only like to your flesh, but with paps, navel, hair, &c. so as the same being handsomely trussed unto you, may shew to be your natural belly; then next to your true belly you may put a linen cloth, and thereupon a double plate, which the juggler that killed himself forgot; over and upon the which, you may place the false belly; provided always, that betwixt the plate and the false belly, you place a gut of blood, which blood must be of a calf, or of a sheep, but in no wise of an ox, or cow, for that will be too thick, then thrust, or cause to be thrust into your breast a dagger, so far as it may pierce thro’ you, which being pulled out a good distance from you, especially if you strain your body to swell, and thrust therewith against the plate. You must ever remember to use words, countenance, and posture, such a grace as may give a grace to the action, and move admiration to the beholders. Prize this as a valuable secret.