Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-06-13
ANCIENT TRICKSTERS
QUEER coNJURiNG FEATS OF THE
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

Heads on Living Animals Was Neces-
sary AdjuAct-How They Killed Horss
and Cured Him Again.
Conjurers in ancient times were not
very respectable members Of society
when successful, they enjoyed the repu-
tation Of having sold their souls to the
evil one, and when of inferior ability
they gained notoriety by being either
drowned or burned. The medieval ma
gicians as well as the Egyptian magi
and the Chaldean sages were only q
strange mixture of chemist, conjurer
and charlatan, and as these gentlemen
were in the habit Of using their sup
posed occult powers to their own advan-
tage they were naturally unpopular.
The feats Of jugglery performed by
these craftsmen were intended for the
mystifcation and not the amusement Of
the public, and for centuries conjuring
had to it only black side.
The amateur conjurer Of today is not
always popular individual, save with
children and the unsophistocated yokel.
To the general public he is merely a
bore Of greater or less magnitude, whose
performance is so obvious as to deceive
no one. 1t is hard to realize that this
person is no mereJnushroom growth Of
modern society, but in point of fact his
role is one OF respectable antiquity,
for he is to be found treading close upon
the heels Of the magicians and in the
days when witchcraft was still rampant.
This is significant of his reputation
even In those early times, for had any
one taken his tricks seriously he would
doubtless have been run to earth and
done to death as wizard.
In the middle Of the seventeenth cen.
fury, in the earliest years Of the res
toration, number Of tricks were pub
lished in one Of those facetious books
which seem to have occupied the press
to great extent at this time, but
which, owing to their popularity, have
for the most part persisted. The chief
recommendation to the greater number
Of these tricks Is that 10 apparatus be-
yond the utensils Of everyday life is
necessary. Also it is suggested to the
performer that he can make some
small profit out Of his entertainment by
prevailing OIL his audience to bet>with
him On, ttp ,,s,.,1t IS tl,a,t ~
ITO set a horses or an asses head
upon mans head and shoulders"
seems impossible out of the land of
Faery, but we are informed tina. by
boiling the head cut off from living
animal, "the flesh boyl'd may rune
into oylc," and then by riingling the
hair beaten into powder with this oil
and amounting the heads OF the ISLANDERS
by, they shall seem to have horses or
asses hcads''-a costly experiment and
fearsomc if successful.
But, besides this, one can "make peo-
pie seem headlesse, and this without
bloodshed and by the following simple
receipt: Break arscnick very fine, and
boyle it with sulphur in cover'd pot,
and kinalo it with new candle, and
the standers-by will seem to be head
Jesse" Doubtless strong imagination
is necessary for success.
Some of the tricks are such as would
nowadays cause the performer to be
dislilied, to put it mildly. For instance,
...have nut filed with ink, and give
this unto another and bid him crack it
and sec what he can find in that, -
which being done will cause much
laughter"
ITO keep Tapster from frothing his
Pots" must have been an amusement tc
the wags of the period. and for this
provide in readinesse the skin of red
Herring, and when the Tapstcr is absent
do but rub little on the inside Of his
pots, and he will not be able to frotll
them. do what he can, in good while
after"
ITO counterfeit diamond with a
white saphir" is most useful accom-
plishment. but the fraud is likely in
these days to be discovered and is more
y chemical experiment than trick.
Several tricks are recommended which
have animals as their subject and are
for the most part brutal to our modern
ideas Perhaps the least Objectionable
is "to seem TO kill Horse and cure him
again." which may be thus accom-.
plished:
Take the seed of henbane and give
it the Horse in his Provendcr, and il
will cast him into such deep sleeI
that he will seem dead. II you will re-
cover him again, rub his Nostrils with
Vinegar. and he will seem to be re.
vived." The "seem to be revived
sounds rather ominous, and it is to b,
noted that the correct quantity of hen
bane is not mentioned, so that it might
be best to try this experiment on som,
one else's horse.
ITO make shoal of Goslings draw q
Timber logge" sounds interesting, bu,
unfortunately the directions are vague
ITO make shoal of Goslings or Gag
gle Of Geese to seem TO draw a Timber
logge is done by the verie means that
is us'd when Cat draws fool through
Pond, but handled somewhat further
of from the Beholders" - London
Standard.