The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1859-09-21


not be distinguished one from the other.
On your discretion depends the benefit
you will draw from this transaction"
The owner of the watch was easily
found, in the gaming house, which he con-
stantly frequented. The watch was seen,
examined, closely compared with the Car
dlnal's, and purchased. 1t was duly en-
graved, duly sent home, duly paid for,
and as duly placed in Torrini's pocket,
ready for the trick of tricks which was to
/ close his Night at the Vatican.
Pope Plus VII was an enlightened man,
turned deaf ear to all hints that Tori
| ms wonderful effects were produced bv
sorcery. lie occupied large armchair,
on dais, placed on the foreground
Near him were placed the Cardinals, and
behind them were the different prelates
and dignitaries of the Church. As far as
that nights feats went the Pope sat sim
ply like wondering layman, astonished
at the skill of the conjurer. The evening
passed off agreeably, for Torrini never
performed hotter, and he never had u
more wonder-strickefPaudi
Then" las Torrini himself told the
story Ito end it, and by way of bog1et,
went on to the famous trick which had
contrived for the occasion. Here. howev-
er, had to encounter many difficulties.
| The greatest of these, without question.
was to lure the Cardinal de to give
me his watch, and that without directly
asking for it. To gain my point, had
recourse to stratagem. On nv asking for
a watch, many had been handed to me
but had given them back on the pre-
text, more or less, that, offering as they
did no popularity in shape it would be-
I 0lt1cnIt afterwards fn ha
chosen by me. If, NsSsie,,rs, anv one
among you,' said |, has a rather large
watch (the Cardinals had precisely tits
peculiarity,) and would entrust it to me, |
should accept it willingly as the one fttest
for our experiment
The Cardinal piqued himself on the size
of his watch, having an idea that the
works acted more freely in large case
| He hesitated to lend it TO Torrini, but did
so, at the special request of the Pope,
adding many cautions to handle it with
| the utmost care. Torrini examined and
admired the watch, and asked numerous
| questions about it, by way of boniment-A
| word used by conjurers to denote the pre-
| hminary talk which is to pass the time
and put an audience off its guard, by pre-
| occupying its attention. Torrini praised
| the Cardinals watch up to the skies, ex-
! patlatlng on its numerous good qualities
See said he, "a first proof of them"
| And with this, he lifted up the watch as
| high as his face, and let it fall on the par
| 7,tet. There was cry of fright on every
side. The Cardinal. pale and trembling,
got up. Sir said he, with ill-restrain-
ID anger, what you have done is an ex-
| ,remely bad joke!" Torrini assured him
hat this was only done to prove the per-
ection of the watch, which would come
oack to him uninjured by the trials to
which it would be subjected.
! The beautiful Breguet, which the Car
| dinal believed to be unique, was destined
for severer i'll usage. Torrini, not content
with dashing it down, stamped upon the
case, crushed it into a shapeless mass of
wheels, springs, and broken hands. This
ne handed around, that all might be sure
it was the Cardinals watch of watches.
| All this time the Cardinals rage was at
| tever-heat. His watch, about the identi-
| ty of which there could be no doubt for
| he recognized his arms engraved inside
the case, was utterly ruined, and, almost
in tears, he declared that it had been
unique, and never could be replaced.
Torrini's next move was to get the
| watch-the real Simon Pure, for it was his
i
| Pope's pocket. As long as his Holiness
| remained seated, this could not be done.
| An expedient had to be found for getting
| him out of his chair. Torrini was so lucky
as to find one. He asked for brass pes
tie and mortar and one was brought up
from the kitchen, where it was an imple-
ment of the cttiSinier. Placing it upon the
table, he cast into it the wrecks of the ia
nous Breguet and began to pound them
| violently with the enormous pestle A
slight detonation was suddenly heard, and
a reddish flame arose from the bottom of
the vessel which gave the scene the ap-
pearance of real magic. Torrini, still
pounding in the mortar, with great fury,
leant over it, and pretending to look in,
made eXClamations of wonder to himself
at the surprising things he pretended
there to see. The spectators, consisting
of Cardinals and their attendants, were
dying to know what he was wondering at,
but, out of respect to the Pope, no one
ventured to rise. At last, excited bv Gu
riosity, the Pope approached the table,
followed by some others of the audience
Horrini was still pounding away, and still
exclaiming, ! do not know to what am
to attribute the bewilderment | feel"
said his Holiness, "but really | can
not see anything" Neither could that
arch-impostor, Torrini. He. however, was
100 prudent to own it, and begged the
Pope to come round the table, next to
himself, as the best point for seeing. This
was done. and the Cardinals watch was
quietly slipped into the pontitical pocket,
unknown to every person.
This quietly done, Torrini declared that
it was time to melt the fragments of the
broken watch, and cast them into the
shape of a small ingot. A crucible and
FIRE speedily effected this The ingot was
handed round among and examined by
all the company. Now" said Torrini,
Il am going to restore this ingot to its
primitive form: that is, to reproduce it in
the shape of the Cardinals chronometer.
This transformation shall take place while
the ingot is in the act of passing from this
into the pocket of the person in this COM
pany the least to be suspected of confede-
racy." Every eye turned upon the Pope.
All! ah!" said his Holiness, in a joculsr
tone, this gets stronger and stronger.
What would you do, Mr.. Sorcerer, if
were to demand that it should be my pock-
et?" Torrini bowed and answered, ''your
Holiness has only to order, to have your
wish obeyed" The Pope, still smiling,
aid. "let it be So"
The ingot was again shown and handed
round. Returning to Torrini, he quietly
concealed it-so small an article was
speedily made to disappear. All were ca
ger for the next move. Pass! exclaim-
ed, Torrini He had finished his work.
The Pope put his hand into his pocket,
thence drew out the Cardinals famous
Breguet, safe, sound, and unscratched.
OF course, Torrini was greatly eulogized.
He retired, covered with laurels, and on
the following day, had the honor of re-
ceiving a diamond snuff-box, with a COM
plimentary message from his Holiness.
Thus endeth the relation of what took
place in the Eternal City, between Con-
Iurer, Cardinal, and Pope. As we have
already mentioned, it is narrated in the
, Autobiography of Robert Houdin, who
! describeth himself as Ambassador, Au
: thor, and Conjurer.-PreSs, Philadelphia.