Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-09-25
ANCIENT TRICKSTERS.
Queer coniuring Feats of the
Seventeenth Century.
SOME QUAINT OLD RECIPES.

Little Experiments In Which Boiiino
Heads of Living Animals Was an
lneidens-How They Killed a Horse
and Cured Hin, Again.
Conjurers I'm ancient times We're not
very respectable members of society
When successful they enjoyed the rem
utation OF having sold their souls to the
evil one, and when OF inferior ability
they sained notoriety by being either
drowned or burned. The medieval
maSicians as well as the Egyptian
magi and the Chaldean sages We're only
strange mixture OF chemist. conjurer
and charlatan, and as these gentlemen
We're in the habit OF using their sup
posed occult powers TO their own ad-
vantage they We're naturally unpoDu-
lar The feats OF jugglery performed
by these craftsmen were intended for
the justification and not the amuse-
ment OF the public, and for centuries
conjuring bad to IT only black side.
The amateur conjurer Of today IS not
always popular individual. save with
children anu the unsophisticated yokels.
To the general public he IS merely a
bore OF greater or less magnitude
whose performance IS so obvious as 10
deceive no one. II IS hard to realize
that this person is no mere mushroom
growth Of modern society, but in point
OF fact his role Is one of a respectable
antiquity. FOR he IS 10 be found tread
Ing close upon the heels OF the magi-
clans and lu the days when wltchcraft
was still rampant This is significant
Of his reputation even in those early
times. for had any one taken his tricks
seriously lee would doubtless have been
run 10 earth 0nrl done 20 death as 4
wizard
In the middle OF the seventeenth
century. I'm the earliest years OF the
restoration. a number of tricks were
published IN one Of those facetiOus
books which seem 20 have occupied
the press 20 great cxten. at this time.
but which owing 10 their popularity
have for the most part perished The
chief recommendation Of the greater
number Of these tricks IS that no ap-
paratus beyond the utensils OF every
day life Is necessary: also IL IS sue-
gcstel 10 the performer that he can
make some small profit out Of HIS en-
tertainment by prevailing ON his audi
encc 10 bet with him on the result OF
the trick
TO set a horses or an asses head
upon mans head and shoulders
seems impossible out u the land II
Iaery. but we ere informed that by
boiling the head cut OF living
animal 1.-THE flesh boyId may runnc
into oyle." and then 10y mingliug the
haiv beaten into powder with this
oil anl amounting the heads OF the
stauderS-hy ''thcy shall seem 90 have
= horses OK asses hcads"-a costly OK
pertinent AMI fcarsome 81 successful.
But, besides this. one can mako ueo.
pie seem hcadicssc." and this withou,
bloodshed and 10y the following simple
recipe: Break arsenicl1 very fine and
boyle Il with sulphur IN cover'd not
and kindle Il with Il new candle. and
the standers-ly VIII seem u be head
Jesse Doubtless a strong magma.
+ ton IS necessary FOR success.
Some OF the tricks are such as would
nowadays cause the performer 10 be
/ disliked. 10 put &c mildly. For instance
+ have a nut filled with ink and give
+ this unto another and bid him crack &
and see what lie can find in that
which being done "wiu cause much
laughter"
To keep Tapster from froth!ns hi,
pots must have been an amusement
s 10 the w0Es o. the period. and Tor this
+ provide Fl readinesse the skin OF Il re-
+ Herring. AID when the Tapster Is ali
F sent 10 but rub little on the inside
Of his pots. and he VIII not be able Il
froth them. do what he can. IN q
good while after"
ITO counterfeit q diamond with a
white sauhir' Is most useful accom-.
plisAmenC but the fraud Is likely IN
these days 10 be discovered and S
more 4 chemical experiment. than q
trick.
Several tricks are recommended
which have animals as their subject
and are Tor the most part brutal Il
our modern ideas. Perhaps the least
objectionable Is ito seem 10 XIII 4
Horse and cure him again." which
may De thus accomplished:
Take the seed OF henSauc and give
II the Horse In his Provender. and +;
VIII cast him into such q deep SIeeu
that he VIII seem dead. II YOU will
recover him again. rub his NostrlIs
with Vinegar. and be VIII seem To Re
revived" The seem % be revived
sounds rather ominouS. and il IS TO be
noted that the correct quantity Of hen.
hane Is not mentioned. 50 that il might
be best 10 make this experiment. on
some one Clsc's horse.
To mako shoal OF Gosi!ncs draw
a Timber loSce" sounds interesting.
but unfortunately the directions are
vague. To make Il Shoal OF Gosliugs
or a Gagg.c ot Geese To seem 10 draw
4 Timber logSc is done by the verie
means that is us'd when a Cat draws
a fool through a Pond. but handled
somewhat further OF from the Be
holders. London standard
What the Hydra Was.
There have been many strange
things in English history. One Of the
most curious was recently mentioned
by a little schoolgirl.
The hydra" said this much inform.
ell young person. was married u Hen
~ VIII When he cut her head or.
another one SpranC right IN '-.YOufh's