This is a wonderful and extremely rare book. If you could find this book at all somewhere to purchase, you would need to put down around $5000. But it is not just its rarity which is so fascinating, it is its contents. This is a great magic book. Many outstanding tricks are taught. I found new routines and new principles I haven't seen and read anywhere else - and I consider myself as fairly well read in magic. I love this book. It is highly recommended.
It describes how to change the color of a rose. How to shoot a bird and bring it back to life. How to drown a fly for 24 hours and bring it back to life. Card tricks based on skill and based on mathematical principles. Artificial spiders that move by electricity and much more.
Although the price tag is fairly high for a book a little bit over 60 pages. But the quality of magic and its rarity more than justify the price. Think about it. You can get it in electronic form for one percent of the price you would need to pay otherwise, if you would be so lucky to be offered a copy at all.
1st edition, 1784, London; 65 pages.
- Preface
- Chap. I. Curious Method of restoring to Life, in two Minutes, a Fly that has been drowned even twenty-four hours.
- Chap. II. To make a Colour that will appear or disappear by Means of the Air
- Chap. III. Method of drawing a deformed Figure, which will appear well proportioned from a certain Point of View
- Chap. IV. To change the Colour of a Rose
- Chap. V. To render hideous the Faces of all the Company
- Chap. VI. Method of Engraving in Relief on the Shell of a new-laid Egg
- Chap. VII. To shoot a Swallow flying, with a Gun loaded with Powder, as usual; and after, to find Means to bring it to life again
- Chap. VIII. To make a Calve's Head bellow as if alive, when dressed and served up
- Chap. IX. A puzzling Question to be proposed for Solution
- Chap. X. To dispose two little Figures, so that one shall light a Candle; and the other put it out
- Chap. XI. A curious Secret to make a Card pass from one Hand into the other
- Chap. XII. To change a Card which is in the Hand of a Person, recommending him to cover it well
- Chap. XIII. To guesss a Card that has been thought of by any body, by writing beforehand on a Paper or Card a Number, which will certainly be that of the Card that has been thought of
- Chap. XIV. A mathematical Combination for guessing, in a whole Pack composed of Fiftytwo Cards, how many Points will make the Cards under each Parcel, which Parcels are to be made by one of the Company, observing to him that each Parcel he makes is to compose the Number of Thirteen, to begin from the Point of the first Card which he takes to form each Parcel.
- Chap. XV. To guess the Thoughts of any Person, assuring him, that you will write beforehand on a Piece of Paper the Amount of the Parcel of Cards he shall happen to chuse out of the two placed on the Table.
- Chap. XVI. A curious and agreeable Wager, which you are sure of winning
- Chap. XVII. A trick with Cards; uniting the double Advantage of being very easy and infallible, it being on a little numerical Combination
- Chap. XVIII. Sympathetic Inks.
- Chap. XIX. To make an Addition before the Figures are set, by knowing only how many Figures are in each Row; as likewise how many Rows compose the whole; and then adding yourself some Figures equal to those that had been set
- Chap. XX. An artificial Spider, which moves by Electricity
- Chap. XXI. To extinguish two Wax Candles, and light two others, distant about three Feet, by the firing of a Pistol, loaded with Powder, as usual
- Chap. XXII. To compose a red Colour, imitating the Colour of Blood
- Chap. XXIII. To extinguish a Wax Candle, at eighty or a hundred Paces distance, by firing a Gun loaded with Ball, and to be certain of not missing, however unskilful may be the Marksman
- Chap. XXIV. To cut a Glass, a Looking-glass, or even a Piece of Crystal, let it be ever so thick, without the Help of a Diamond, in the same Shape as the Mark of the Drawing made on it with Ink
- Chap. XXV. To melt a Piece of Steel, as if it was lead, without requiring a very great Fire
- Chap. XXVI. To unite Wax and Water, (Things absolutely opposite to each other); this Union, made in the twentieth Part of a Minute, forms a good Pomatum to clean the Skin, and render it soft and white. It is fine Cosmetic
- Chap. XXVII. A curious Method or sealing a Letter, so as not to be opened, by variegating the Seal with different coloured Species of Wax
- Chap. XXVIII. To make fine blue Wax, which is very difficult to be had
- Chap. XXIX. A philosophical Mushroom
- Chap. XXX. To make a Ring shift from one Hand to another, and to make it go on whatever Finger is required on the other Hand, while somebody holds both your Arms, in order to prevent any communication between them.
- Chap. XXXI. To guess by smelling, which has been the Number struck out by a Person in the Company, in the Product of a Multiplication given him to do.
- Chap. XXXII. To make any Pen-knife out of three jump out of a Goblet, agreeable to the Option Company
- Chap. XXXIII. To pull off any Person's Shirt, without undressing him, or having Occasion for a Confederate
word count: 12965 which is equivalent to 51 standard pages of text
