Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-10-29


(ifty years ago) for jugglers in the mar
ket places of the English towns to max,
the scales Of a balance move al com
mand, alternately ascending and descen
ding.
Much stress has been laid by the ad.
vocates of Sriritualism upon the abili.
ty of the medium Home to handle i've
Goals without injury or showing scar
He has been seen to put red-hot Goals
on his head, and the hair was not sinped,
The fire ordeal isA very old and famiI.
iar one to necromanlezs One of the
mos. aIe.enI Leafs o ARlS ma ne thf hIsiaff iaf.
rection of the slaves in Sicily in the Sc
cond century before Christ, Syrian
named Eunus acquired by his knowl.
edge the rank Of their leader. In or
der to establish his influence over their
minds, he pretended to possess miracu-
lous power. When he wished to inspire
his followers with courage he breathed
flames or sparks among them from his
mouth. At the same time he was rous-
ing them by-his eloquence. st. Jerome
informs us that the rabbi Burchechebas,
who headed the Jews in their last revolt
against the Emperor Adrian, made them
believe that he was the Messiah by vom-
iting flames from his mouth. And at a
later period the Emperor Constantius
was thrown into a state of alarm when
Valentinian informed him that he had
seen one of the body-guards breathing
out fire and fame. Sir David Brew
ster, who quotes these instances in his
interesting Letters on Natural Magic,
was not able to explain the exact meth
DDS by which these effects were pro-
duced; but he said that Florus informs
us that Eunus filled perforated nut
shell with sulphur and fire, and having
concealed it in his mouth he breathed
gently through it while he was speak
ing. This act is performed simply BY
the modern juggler. Having rolled to-
gether some flax or hemp so as to form
! ball the size of walnut, he sets it on
fire and allows it to burn until it is near
ly consumed. He then rolls round it
while burning some additional fax, and
by these means the fire NAV be retained
for considerable time. At the COM
mencement of the exhibition he intro
duces the ball into his mouth, and while
he breathes through it the fire is reviv-
ed and number of burning sparks are
projected from his mouth. The sparks
are too feeble to do any harm, provided
he inhales the air through his nostrils.
The kindred art of walking on burning
'---1-, ---->l LII e. i-I~L-,--a44A
same antiquity. The priestesses of Di-
ana at Castabula, in Cappadocia, We're
accustomed, according to Strabo, to
walk over burning Goals, and at the an
nual festival which was held in the tenn
pie of Apollo at Mount Soracte, in Etru-
ria the Hirpi marched over burning
Goals, and on this account they were
exempted from military service, and re-
ceived other privileges from the Roman
Senate. This power of resisting fire
was ascribed even by Varro to the use
of some hniment with which they anoin-
ted the soles of their feet. OF the same
character was the art OF holding red-hot
iron in the hands or between the teeth.
and plunging the hands into boiling
water or melted lead. About the close
of the seventeenth century IN English
man named Richardson rendered him
self famous by chewing burning Goals,
pouring melted lead upon his tongue,
and swallowing melted glass. Brewster
says that these effects are produced by
deception and partly by a previous pre-
paration of the parts subjected to the
heat. The fusible metal composed of
mercury, tin, and bismuth. which melts
at low temperature. might have been
substituted in place of lead, and fluids
of easy ebullution may have been used
in place of boiling water. But though
the conjurors with fire may have avuil-
ed themselves of these singular proper
ties of individal bodies, vet the general
secret of their art consisted in render
ing the skin of exposed parts callous
and insensible to heat-an effect which
may be produced by continually COM
pressing or singing them till the skin ac-
quires Z horny consistence.
One of the most adroit iugglers Of
the present age, was Robert Houdin, n
Frecnhman, who for many years gave
fashionable entertainments in Paris
Hou lin wrote his autobiography, and
related many curious feats performed
by him in the course of '.:s professional
career. On one OCCASION he was invited
to display his art before King Louis
Philippe and his court at the chateau
of ST. Cloud. Houdin invented trick
especially for this royal and noble as
semblage. and received unbounded ap-
plause for his success He borrowed from
the King and his courties six handker-
chiefs. which he made into parcel and
laid on the table. Then at his request
different persons wrote on cards the
names of places whittier they desired
their handkerchief to be invisibly trans
ported. When this was done he beg
sed the Hing TO take three of the cards
at hazard. and choose from them the
place he might consider the most suit
able. Let me see" said Louis Phil.
hppe. what this one saws, desire the
kdndksrchic's to Be found beReash ome of
The eaHdeldbrc on hs mantelpitce. All {,
that is too easy for sorcerer, so we
will pass on to the next card: TIE aasd-
kercAs.'s are TO be transported 20 the uonse 81
tke Inrdiides. That would suit us. but
it is much too far-not for the handker-
chiefs. but for US. Ah. ali 7" the King
added. as he looked at the last card,
e ~