“ He who performs the trick, then touches the box, under pretence of showing how to shake it, and although it is locked, he easily gets out the piece by means of a secret opening, availing himself of that minute to put in a false piece, and to leave the box with the same person, whom he causes to believe that the piece is or is not within, according to the manner the box is shaken ”

“ The egg is fastened to a thread by a pin, which is put in lengthways, and the hole, which has been made to introduce the pin, is stopped with white wax. The other end of the thread is fastened to the breast of person who performs the trick, with a pin bent like a hook—the cane passing under the thread near to the egg serves for it to rest on—when the music begins, the performer pushes the cane from left to right, or from right to left ”

“ A person with a hard hand and stiff joints should never think of playing deception with the cards, as clumsy fingers will not do. In showing tricks with cards, the principal point consists in shuffling them nimbly, and yet keeping one certain card either at the bottom or in some known place of the pack, four or five cards from the bottom ”

“ Put four ounces of bismuth into a crucible, and when in a state of complete fusion, throw in two ounces and a half of lead, and one ounce and a half of tin; these metals will combine, and form an alloy fusible in boiling water. Mould the alloy into bars, and take them to a silversmith to be made into teaspoons. Place one of them in a saucer, at a tea-table, and the person who uses it will not be a little astonished to find it melt away as soon as he puts it into the hot tea. ”

“ This it would be impossible to do while the egg was in its natural state.
How to blow a Sixpence out of another Man's hand.
Take a sixpence, blow on it, and clap it presently into one of your spectator’s hands, bidding him to hold it fast: then ask of him if he be sure he have it; then to be certain he will open his hand and look. Then say to him, “Nay, but if you let my breath go off, I cannot do it.” Then take it out of his hand again, and blow on it, and, staring him in the face, clap a piece of horn in his hand, and retain the sixpence, shutting his hand yourself. ”

“ Some amusement may be obtained among young people, by writing with common ink, a variety of questions, on different bits of paper, and adding a pertinent reply to each, written with nitro-muriat of gold. ”

“ In the other end of the table, where the like hole is made, another boy of the bigness of the known boy must be placed, having on his usual apparel: he must lean or lie upon the board, and must put his head under the board, through the side hole, so as the body shall seem to lie on the end of the board, and his head lie in a plate on the other end. ”