Skeptical Inquirer, 1584--Magic and Superstition Revealed, Displayed, Explained and Killed

JF Ptak Science Books LLC  Post 1011

Reginald Scot, a wealthy and landed Brit from a good family of the 16th century,
wrote a lovely proto-skeptical book revealing the so-called mysteries of people 
practicing witchcraft. Actually, there were all sorts of performance tricks and 
sleight-of-hand revealed in the book—cards, coins, spiritualism, juggling balls 
and such, as well as magic—and as such, in addition to the witchcraft part,
 was the first book in English to exhibit practical conjuring tricks, with all of their
intricacies displayed. 

In short, Scot explained all sorts and manners of miracles, a 16th century 
James Randi.

 
Scot was an enlightened humanist and a judicious man. His interest in 
witchcraft ran contrary to the general contemporary belief that witches and 
diabolical possession and so on, was real—he chose to explain the end results 
of witchcraft via rational means, exposing the tricks of the trade. He also 
believed and tried to show that those accused of witchcraft were either engaged
 in legerdemain or were mentally ill—but they were certainly not witches, as 
witches did not exist. 

I’ve reproduced seven of Scot’s explanations for miraculous tricks in part 
(A) below; part (B) contains just a couple of his card trick revelations. The 
whole book can be seen here 

(A) Demonstrations of Physical impossibilities all of which fake 
a great hurt.

How to: (1) cut off your head and make yourself able to speak; (2) eat a knife
and “fetch it out of any other place”; (3) stab yourself in the head with a knife
 without hurt; (4) put a piece of lead in your eye and take it out; (5) to cut your 
nose in half; (6) to put a ring through your eye; (7) stab and strangulate your
 bowels with a knife.

(1) To cut off ones head, and to laie it in a platter,which the jugglers call the
decollation of Johii Baptist, 

TO shew a most notable execution by this art, you must cause a boord, a cloth, 
and a platter to be purposelie made, and in each of them holes fit for a boies 
necke. The boord must be made of two planks, the longer and broader the
 better : there must be left within halfe a yard of the end of each planke halfe a
 hole ; so as both planks being thrust togither, there may remaine two holes, 
like to the holes in a paire of stocks : there must be made likewise a hole in 
the table- cloth or carpet. A platter also must be set directlie over or upon
 one of them, having a hole in the midle thereof, of the like quantitie, and also 
a peece cut out of the same, so big as his necke, through which his head may 
be conveied into the middest of the platter : and then sitting or kneeling under 
the boord, let the head onlie remaine upon the boord in the same. 

Then (to make the sight more dredfull) put

a little brimstone into a chafing dish of coles, setting it before the head of the
boie, who must gaspe two or three times, so as the smoke enter a little into 
his nostrils and mouth (which is not unholsome) and the head presentlie will 
appeare starke dead ; if the boie set his countenance accordinglie : and if a 
little bloud be sprinkled on his face, the sight will be the stranger. 

This is commonlie practised with a boie instructed for that purpose, who 
being familiar and conversant with the companie, may be knowne as well 
by his face, as by his apparell. In the other end of the table, where the like 
hole is made, an other boie of the bignesse of the knowne boie must be placed,
 having upon him his usuall apparell : he must leane or lie upon the boord, and 
must put his head under the boord through the said hole, so as his bodie shall 
seeme to lie on the one end of the boord, and his head shall lie in a platter on 
the other end. There are other things which might be performed in this action,
 the more to astonish the beholders, which because they offer long descriptions,
I omit : as to put about his necke a little dough holders. kneded with bul/Iocks 
bloud, which being coldwill appeare like dead flesh ; & being pricked with a 
sharpe round hollow quill, will bleed,and seeme verie strange, &c. Manie rules 
are to be observed herein, as to/ have the table cloth so long and wide as it
may almost touch the ground. ^ Not to suffer the companie to staie too long
 in the place, &c. 

(2) --To eate a knife, and to fetch it out of anie other place. 

Take a knife, and conteine the same within your two hands, so as no part be 
seene thereof but a little of the point, which you must so bite at the first, as
 noise may be made therewith. Then seeme to put a great part thereof into 
your mouth, and letting your hand slip downe, there will appeare to have 
beene more in your mouth than is possible to be conteined therein. Then send 
for drinke, or use some other delaie, untill you have let the said knife slip into
 your lap, holding both your fists close together as before, and then raise them 
so from the edge of the table where you sit (for from thence the knife may
 most privilie slip downe into your lap) and in steed of biting the knife, knable
 a little upon your naile, and then seeme to thrust the knife into your mouth, 
opening the hand next unto it, and thrust up the other, so as it may appeare 
to the standers by, that you have delivered your/ 24y. hands therof, and
thrust it into your mouth : then call for drinke, after countenance made of
 pricking and danger, &c. Lastlie, put your hand into your lap, and taking 
that knife in your hand, you may seeme to bring it out from behind you, or
 from whence you of Witchcraft. But if you have another like knife and a 
confederate, you may doo twentie notable woonders hereby : as to send a 
stander by into some garden or orchard, describing to him some tree or herbe,
under which it sticketh ; or else some strangers sheath or pocket, &c. 

(3)--To thrust a bodkin into your head without hurt. 

To thrust a bodkin through your toong, and a knife through your arme: a 
piltiful sight, without hurt or danger MAke a bodkin, the blade therof being
sundred in the middle, so as the one part be not neere to the other almost by
 three quarters of an inch, each part being kept a sunder with one small bought
 or crooked piece of iron, of the fashion described hereafter in place 
convenient. Then thrust your toong betwi.xt the foresaid space ; to wit, into
the bought left it the bodkin blade, thrusting the said bought behind your teeth, 
and biting the same : and then shall it seeme to sticke so fast in and through 
your toong, as that one can hardlie pull it out. 1 Also the verie like may be
doone with a knife so made, and put upon your arme : and the wound will 
appeare the more terrible, if a little bloud be powred/ thereupon. 

(4) --To thrust a peece of lead into one eie, and to drive it about (with a sticke)
 betweene the skin and flesh of the forehead, untill it be brought to the other 
eie, and there thrust out.

To thrust a peece of lead into one eie, and to drive it about {with a sticke ) 
betweefte the skin and flesh of the forehead, untill it be brought to the other eie, 
and there thrust out. Put a peece of lead into one of the nether lids of your eie, 
as big as a tag of a point, but not so long (which you may doo without danger) 
and with a little juggling sticke (one end therof being hollow) seeme to thrust 
the like peece of lead under the other eie lid ; but conveie the same in deed 
into the hollownes of the sticke, the stopple or peg whereof may be privilie 
kept in your hand untill this feate be 

A forme or prtterne of this bodkin and knife you shal see described if you
 turne over a few leaves forward. This is easilie doone, howbeit being clenlie
handled it will deceive the sight of the beholders. This was doone by one 
Kingsfield of London, at Bartholoniewtide, An. 1582. in the sight of diverse 
that came to view this spectacle. 

Then seeme to drive the said peece of lead, with the hollow end of the said
 sticke, from the same eie: and so with the end of the said sticke, being
 brought along upon your forhead to the other eie, you male thrust out the 
peece of lead, which before you had put thereinto ; to the admiration of the
 beholders. ^ Some eat the lead, and then shoove it out at the eie : and some
 put it into both, but the first is best. 

(5) --To cut halfe your nose asunder, and to heale it ngaine presentlie 
without ante salve.

Take a knife having a round hollow gap in the middle, and laie it upon your
 nose, and so shall you seeme to have cut your nose halfe asunder. Provided
 alwaies, that in all these you have an other like knife without a gap, to be 
shewed upon the pulling out of the same, and words of inchantment to 
speake, bloud also to beeraie the wound, and nimble conveiance.

--(6) To put a ring through your eye. 

There is an other old knacke, which seemeth dangerous to the cheeke. For 
the accomplishing whereof you must have two rings, of like colour and 
quantitie ; the one filed asunder, so as you may thrust it upon your cheeke;
 the other must be whole, and conveied upon a sticke, holding your hand 
thereupon in the middle of the sticke, delivering each end of the same sticke
 to be holden fast by a stander by. Then conveieng the same cleanlie into
your hand, or (for lacke of good conveiance) into your lap or/ pocket, pull
awaie your hand from the sticke : and in pulling it awaie, whirle about the 
ring, and so will it be thought that you have put thereon the ring which
was in your cheeke. 

(7)--To thrust a dagger or bodkin into youir guts verie strangelie, and to 
recover imniediatlie. 

An other miracle may be shewed touching counterfet executions; 
namelie, that with a bodkin or a dagger you shall seeme to kill 
your selfe, or at the least make an unrecoverable wound in your bellie :
as (in truth) not long since a juggler caused himself to be killed at a 
taverne in cheapside, from whence he presentlie went into Powles 
Of a jug-churchyard and died. Which misfortune fell upon him 
through his owne foUie, as being then drunken, and having forgotten
 his plate, the which he should have had for his defense. The devise
is this. You his life. must prepare a paste boord, to be made according 
to the fashion of your bellie and brest : the same must by a painter be 
coloured cun-ninglie, not onelie like to your flesh, but with pappes, 
navill, haire, so as the same (being handsomelie trussed unto you) may s
hew to be your naturall bellie. Then next to your true bellie you may 
put a linnen cloth, and thereupon a double plate (which the juggler that 
killed himselfe forgot, or wilfuUie omitted) over and upon the which 
you may place the false bellie. Provided alwaies, that betwixt the plate 
& the false bellie you place a gut or bladder of bloud, which bloud 
must be of a calfe or of a sheepe ; but in no wise of an oxe or a cow, 
for that will be too thicke. Then thrust, or cause to be thrust into your 
brest a round bodkin, or the point of a dagger, so far as it may pearse
through your gut or bladder : which being pulled out againe, the said
bloud will spin or spirt out a good distance from you, especiallie if you
straine your bodie to swell, and thrust therewith against the plate. You 
must ever remember to use (with words, countenance, and gesture) 
such a grace, as may give a grace to the action, and moove admiration 
in the beholders./ 

 And two of the card tricks, just for good measure

--How to deliver outfoure aces, and to convert them into foure knaves. 

 Make a packe of these eight cards ; to wit, foure knaves and foure 
aces : and although all the eight cards must lie immedi- atlie together, 
yet must ech knave and ace be evenlie severed, and the same eight 
cards must lie also in the lowest place of the bunch. Then shuffle them 
so, as alwaies at the second shuffling, or at least wise at the end of 
your shuffling the said packe, and of the packe one ace may lie 
nethermost, or so as you may know where he goeth and lieth : and 
alwaies (I saie) let your foresaid packe with three or foure 
cardsmorelie unseparablie together immediatlie upon and with that 
ace. Then using some speech or other devise, and putting your hands 
with the cards to the edge of the table to hide the action, let out 
privilie a peece of the second card, which is one of the knaves, 
holding/ foorth the stocke in both your hands, and shewing to the 
standers by the nether card (which is the ace or kept card) covering 
also the head or peece of the knave (which is the next card) with 
your foure fingers, draw out the same knave, laieng it downe on the 
table : then shuffle againe, keeping your packe whole, and so have 
you two aces lieng together in the bottome. And therfore, to reforme 
that disordered card, as also for a grace and countenance to that 
action, take off the uppermost card of the bunch, and thrust it into 
the middest of the cards ; and then take awaie the nethermost card, 
which is one of your said aces, and bestow him likewise. Then may 
you begin as before, shewing an other ace, and in steed thereof, laie 
downe an other knave: and so foorth, untill in steed of foure aces you
/ have laied downe foure knaves. The beholders all this while thinking 
that there lie foure aces on the table, are greatlie abused, and will 
marvell at the transformation. 

--How to tell one what card he seeth in the bottome, when the same
 card is shiifflcd into the stocke. 

WHen you have seene a card privilie, or as though you marked it not,
laie the same undermost, and shuffle the cards as before you are taught,
 till your card lie againe below in the bottome. Then shew the same to 
the beholders, willing them to remember it : then shuffle the cards, or
let anie other shuffle them ; for you know the card alreadie, and therefore
 may at anie time tell them what card they saw : which* neverthelesse 
would be done with great circumstance and will drawe shew of difficultie.
IF you can see no card, or be suspected to have seene that which you 
meane to shew, then let a stander by first shuffle, and afterwards take 
you the cards into your hands, and (having shewed and not seene the 
bottome card) shuffle againe, and keepe the same card, as before you
 are taught ; and either make shift then to see it when their suspicion is 
past, which male be done by letting some cards fall, or else laie downe 
all the cards in heaps, remembring where you laid your bottome card. 
Then spie how manie cards lie in some one heape, and laie the heape 
where your bottome card is upon that heape, and all the other heapes 
upon the same : and so, if there were five cards in the heape wheron 
you laied your card, then the same must be the sixt card, which now 
you may throw out, or looke upon without suspicion : and tell them 
the card they saw.