The discovery of witchcraft proving that the compacts and contracts of witches with devils and all infernal spirits or familiars are but erroneous novelties and imaginary conceptions : also discovering, how far their power extendeth in killing, tormenting, consuming, or curing the bodies of men, women, children, or animals by charms, philtres, periapts, pentacles, curses, and conjurations : wherein likewise the unchristian practices and inhumane dealings of searchers and witch-tryers upon aged, melancholly, and superstitious people, in extorting confessions by terrors and tortures, and in devising false marks and symptoms, are notably detected ... : in sixteen books / by Reginald Scot ... ; whereunto is added an excellent Discourse of the nature and substance of devils and spirits, in two books : the first by the aforesaid author, the second now added in this third edition ... conducing to the compleating of the whole work, with nine chapters at the beginning of the fifteenth [sic] book of The discovery.

CHAP. XXIII.

Of the Ball, and the manner of Legierdemain therewith, also notable feats with one or divers Bals.

* 1.1COncerning the Ball, the plays and devices thereof are infinite, in so much as if you can by use handle them well, you may shew therewith a hun∣dreth feats. But whether you seem to throw the Ball into your left hand, or into your mouth, or into a Pot, or up into the air, &c. it is to be kept still in your right hand. If you practice first with a leaden bullet, you shall the sooner and better do it with Balls of Cork. The first place at your first learning, where you are to bestow a great Ball, is in the palm of your hand, with your Ring-finger; but a small Ball is to be placed with your thumb, betwixt your Ring-finger, and middle-finger, then are you to practice to do it betwixt the other fingers, then betwixt the fore-finger and the thumb, with the fore-finger and middle-finger jointly, and therein is the greatest and strangest cunning shewed. Lastly,* 1.2 the same Ball is to be practised in the palm of the hand, and by use you shall not only seem to put any one Ball from you, and yet retain it in your hand; but you shall keep four or five as cleanly as one. This being attained unto, you shall work wonderful feats; as for example.

Lay three or four Balls before you, and as many small Candlesticks, Bols, Salt∣seller covers, which is the best. Then first seem to put one Ball into your left hand, and therewithal seem to hold same fast: then take one of the Candle∣sticks, or any other thing (having a hollow foot, and not being too great) and seem to put the Ball which is thought to be in your left hand, underneath the same, and so under the other Candlesticks seem to bestow the other Balls: and all this while the beholders will suppose each Ball to be under each Candlestick: this done, some charm or form of words is commonly used. Then take up one Candlestick with one hand, and blow, saying, Lo, you see that is gone: and so likewise look under each Candlestick with like grace and words, and the be∣holders will wonder where they are become.* 1.3 But if you in lifting up the Candle∣sticks with your right hand, leave all those three or four Balls under one of them (as by use you may easily do, having turned them all down with your hand, and holding them fast with your little and Ring-finger) & take the Candlestick with your other fingers, and cast the Balls up into the hollowness thereof (for so they will not roll so soon away) the stander by will be much astonied. But it will seem wonderful strange, if also in shewing how there remaineth nothing under another of those Candlesticks, taken up with your left hand, you leave behind you a great Ball, or any other thing, the miracle will be the greater. For first they think you have pulled away all the Bals by miracle; then, that you have brought them all to∣gether again by like means, and they neither think nor look that any other thing remaineth behind under any of them. And therefore, after many other feats done, return to your Candlesticks, remembring where you left the great Ball, and in no wise touch the same; but having another like Ball about you, seem to bestow the same in manner and form aforesaid, under a Candlestick which standeth furthest off from that where the Ball lieth. And when you shall with words or Charms seem to convey the same Ball from under the same Candlestick, and afterward bring it under the Candlestick which you touched not, it will (I say) seem won∣derful strange.

To make a little Ball swell in your hand till it he very great.

TAke a very great Ball in your left hand, or three indifferent big Balls, and shewing one or three little Balls, seem to put them into your said left hand, concealing (as you may well do) the other Balls which were therein before: then use words, and make them seem to swell, and open your hand, &c. This play is to

be varied a hundreth wayes: for as you find them all under one Candlestick, so may you go to a stander by, and take off his Hat or Cap, and shew the Balls to be there, conveying them thereinto, as you turn the bottom upward.

To consume (or rather to convey) one or many Bals into nothing.

IF you take one Ball, or more, and seem to put it into your other hand, and whilest you use charming words, you convey them out of your right hand into your lap, it will seem strange: For when you open your left hand, immedi∣ately, the shatpest lookers on will say it is in your other hand, which also then you may open; and when they see nothing there, they are greatly overtaken.

How to rap a wag on the Knuckles.

BUt I will leave to speak any more of the Ball, for herein I might hold you all day, and yet shall I not be able to teach you to use it, nor scarcely to understand what I mean or write concerning it: but certainly many are per∣swaded that it is a Spirit or a Fly, &c. Memorandum, that alwayes the right-hand be kept open and straight, only keep the palm from view, and therefore you may end with this miracle. Lay one Ball upon your shoulder, another on your arm, and the third on the Table: which because it is round,* 1.4 and will not easily lye upon the point of your Knife, you must bid a stander by lay it thereon, that you mean to throw all those three Balls into your mouth at once: and holding a Knife as a Pen in your hand, when he is laying it upon the point of your Knife, you may easily with hast rap him on the fingers, for the other mat∣ter will be hard to do.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Great variety of play with the Balls, &c.
• * 1.2

  These feats are nimbly, cleanly and swiftly to be conveyed; so as the eyes of the beholders may not dis∣cern or per∣ceive the drift.
• * 1.3

  Memorandum that the Jug∣gler must set a good grace on the matter: for that is very re∣quisite.
• * 1.4

  This feat ten∣deth chiefly to the moving of laughter and mirth.