Giuseppe Pinetti

“ But generally whenever you do a trick before a company, you must never begin it again before the same.
[34]
CHAP. XVI. A curious and agreeable Wager, which you are sure of winning.
Address some person in the company, and say, Madam, or Sir, have you a watch, a ring, an etwee, or any other trinket? Begin by examining what has been given you, in order to form an idea of its value, since you are to lay your bet considerably under the intrinsic value of the trinket, to avoid being duped.
Suppose what has been offered to you is a watch, you are to propose a guinea as a wager against it ”

“ CHAP. XIV. A mathematical Combination for guessing, in a whole pack composed of fifty-two Cards, how many Points will make the Cards under each Parcel, which Parcels are to be made by one of the Company, observing to him that each Parcel he makes is to compose the Number of Thirteen, to begin from the Point of the first Card which he takes to form each Parcel.
EXAMPLE.
The pack having been shuffled by one or more persons, make it be cut by as many persons as you think proper. ”

“ If the person names the object you present, he has lost; if, on the contrary, he is on his guard, and answers, my watch, you must then say, Sir, I see very well I have lost; for if you say once more, my watch, you must certainly win; but if I lose, what will you give me? the person, being always on his guard, will answer again, my watch: then, appealing to his own words, you will take the watch and leave him the stake.
CHAP. XVII. A trick with cards; uniting the double Advantage of being very easy and infallible, it being on a little numerical Combination. ”

“ Then take out of your pocket a little potash, keep it in the interior part of the hand that holds the tube at the top, as if you wanted to keep it shut, and as soon as the person you wish to make pass for the most amorous in the company takes the lowest part of the tube in his hand, you are to let fall dexterously a little of the potash in it, and you will see the liquor boil and rise to the top of the tube, to the great astonishment of the spectators. ”

“ If you wish to conceal your operation, nothing is easier: make a little roll or stick of wax, in which you will introduce a pinch of salt of tartar; put these ingredients on the fire, and when they begin to heat, be attentive to stir them with a little stick, and you will see the union take place as soon as the wax melts; you will then have it at your option to render the pomatum, by the result of this operation, more or less liquid, by leaving it on the fire more or less time. ”

“ CHAP. XXIII. To extinguish a wax Candle at eighty or a hundred Paces distance, by firing a Gun loaded with Ball, and to be certain of not missing, however unskilful may be the Marksman.
This experiment may be easily tried in the country, and even in town, in a garden [48] that is rather large: the best marksman may be challenged, and undoubtedly worsted.
Load a gun with a common charge of powder, and a leaden ball. Your opponent will do the same on his side; then let him fire first, that you may see him miss his aim, as it is very difficult at such a distance to put out a candle. ”

“ Propose to a person of the company to multiply, by whatever number he pleases, one of the three sums which you will give him on a piece of paper; desire him to strike out whatever figure he pleases of the product of his multiplication, let him change and invert the order of the remaining figures after the defalcation he has chosen. ”

“ Put afterwards your three pen-knives in the goblet, taking care to lay the end of the handle of the chosen pen-knife in a little round hole that is in the upper end of the spring, confined by the bit of sugar; and before you [64] withdraw your hand from the goblet, which must contain in the bottom some drops of water, take a little of it with the tip of your finger, and put it dexterously on the sugar, which by melting will leave the spring at liberty to extend and make the pen-knife jump out. ”

“ Take some cards, divide them into two parcels, taking care that in one there are only two or three sevens, and in the other seven court cards; call for a pen and ink, and write on a bit of paper the sevens; then turn the bit of paper down, that what you have written may not be seen; then tell the person to [33] make his choice. Let him chuse whatever he pleases, your number will be good, since if he should chuse the greatest parcel, you may shew him your paper on which is written the sevens ”

“ You may likewise light a wax candle, on the wick of which phosphorus has been applied, according to the foregoing method, by means of a sword well heated in a near room. You need only present the point of the sword to the wick of the candle, commanding it to light. ”

“ I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, it is not the case; this liquor differs entirely from that put in thermometers; and you may easily be convinced of it before I make the experiment I promised you. You may put it near the heat of a candle, and even that of a fire, without any degree of heat making it rise in the least; but by a peculiar and sympathetic virtue you will see it boil, [47] when the tube is touched by a person of an amorous disposition. ”

“ You may make the same question on whatever sum you please, only observing, as above, that the amount of the numbers you set may not exceed the sum you desire to belong to each person that is to have a share.
CHAP. X. How to dispose two little Figures, so that one shall light a Candle, and the other put it out.
Take two little figures of wood or clay, or any other materials you please, only taking care that there is a little hole at the mouth of each. Put in the mouth of one a few grains of bruised gunpowder, and a little bit of phosphorus in the mouth of the other ”

“ CHAP. VIII. To make a Calve’s Head bellow as if alive, when dressed and served up.
This is effected by a simple and innocent stratagem; it consists in what follows: take a frog that is alive, and put it at the farther end of the calve’s head, under the tongue, which you will let fall [17] over it; taking care not to put the frog there till the calve’s head is going to be served up. ”

“ Desire some person in the company to chuse, at his will, three cards out of a piquet pack, observing to him, that the ace is to be counted for 11 points, the court cards 10, and the other cards according to the points they mark. ”

“ CHAP. XXXIII. To pull off any Person’s Shirt, without undressing him, or having Occasion for a Confederate.
This trick requires only dexterity; and nevertheless, when I performed it at the Theatre-Royal in the Hay-Market, every body imagined that the person whom I had tricked out of his shirt was in a confederacy with me.
The means of performing this trick are the following; only observing that the cloaths of [65] the person whose shirt is to be pulled off be wide and easy. ”

“ There is another manner of proceeding to guess the figure left out, by letting the person chuse the sum he pleases to be multiplied, but then you must ask him to shew you the sum he means to have multiplied, and to let you add one figure at your option. ”

“ At this light, those who are of a fair complexion will appear green, and the red of the lips and cheeks turn to a deep olive colour.
CHAP. VI. Method of Engraving in Relief on the Shell of a new-laid Egg.
Chuse an egg that has a thick shell; wash it well in fresh water; then dry it very carefully with a linen cloth; this being done, put some tallow or fat in a silver spoon; then hold it on the fire; when the fat is melted and very hot, it will serve instead of ink for drawing with a new pen whatever [15] you like. ”