CONJURING  , the See also:

• ART

art, sometimes called See also:

• WHITE
• WHITE, ANDREW DICKSON (1832– )
• WHITE, GILBERT (1720–1793)
• WHITE, HENRY KIRKE (1785-1806)
• WHITE, HUGH LAWSON (1773-1840)
• WHITE, JOSEPH BLANCO (1775-1841)
• WHITE, RICHARD GRANT (1822-1885)
• WHITE, ROBERT (1645-1704)
• WHITE, SIR GEORGE STUART (1835– )
• WHITE, SIR THOMAS (1492-1567)
• WHITE, SIR WILLIAM ARTHUR (1824--1891)
• WHITE, SIR WILLIAM HENRY (1845– )
• WHITE, THOMAS (1628-1698)
• WHITE, THOMAS (c. 1550-1624)

White or Natural Magic, and See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long associated with the profession of " magician," consisting of the performance of tricks and illusions, with or without apparatus . Historically this art has taken many forms, and has been mixed up with the use of what now are regarded as natural though obscure See also:

• PHYSICAL

physical phenomena . The employment of purely See also:

• MANUAL

manual dexterity without See also:

• MECHANICAL

mechanical apparatus may be distinguished as See also:

• LEGERDEMAIN (Fr. leger-de-main, i.e. light or sleight of hand)

legerdemain, See also:

• PRESTIDIGITATION (from Lat. praesto, ready, and digitus, finger)

prestidigitation or sleight of See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand . Whether or not the See also:

• BOOK

book of See also:

• EXODUS, BOOK OF
• EXODUS, THE

Exodus makes the earliest See also:

• HISTORICAL

historical reference to this See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of natural " magic " when it records how the magicians of See also:

• EGYPT

Egypt imitated certain miracles of See also:

• MOSES (Gr. Mwvo c, Mcoo-i3s)
• MOSES, ASSUMPTION OF

Moses "by their enchantments," it is known that the See also:

• EGYPTIAN

Egyptian hierophants, as well as the magicians of See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient See also:

• GREECE

Greece and See also:

• ROME
• ROME (Roma)

Rome, were accustomed to astonish their dupes with See also:

• OPTICAL

optical illusions, visible representations of the divinities and subdivinities passing before the spectators in dark subterranean See also:

• CHAMBERS (the Fr. chambre, from Lat. camera, a room)
• CHAMBERS, EPHRAIM (d. 1740)
• CHAMBERS, GEORGE (1803-1840)
• CHAMBERS, ROBERT (18oz-1871)
• CHAMBERS, SIR WILLIAM (1726-1796)

chambers . The See also:

• PRINCIPAL

principal optical illusion employed in these effects was the throwing of spectral images upon the See also:

• SMOKE (from O. Eng. smeocan, to smoke, reek, cf. Dutch meek, Ger. Schmauch, probably allied to Gr. vol9caiv)

smoke of burning See also:

• INCENSE

incense by means of See also:

• CONCAVE

concave See also:

• METAL
• METAL (through Fr. from Lat. metallum, mine, quarry, adapted from Gr. µATaXAov, in the same sense, probably connected with ,ueraAAdv, to search after, explore, µeTa, after, aAAos, other)

metal mirrors . But according to See also:

• HIPPOLYTUS
• HIPPOLYTUS, THE CANONS OF

Hippolytus (Ref . Om . Haer. iv . 35), the desired effect was often produced in a simpler way, by causing the dupe to look into a cellar through a See also:

• BASIN, or BASON (the older form bacin is found in many of the Romanic languages, from the Late Lat. baccinus or bacchinus, probably derived from bacca, a bowl)
• BASIN, THOMAS (1412—1491)

basin of See also:

• WATER

water with a See also:

• GLASS
• GLASS (O.E. glees, cf. Ger. Glas, perhaps derived from an old Teutonic root gla-, a variant of glo-, having the general sense of shining, cf. " glare," " glow ")
• GLASS, STAINED

glass bottom See also:

• STANDING

standing under a See also:

• SKY (M. Eng. skie, cloud; O. Eng. skua, shade; connected with an Indo-European root sku, cover, whence " scum," Lat. obscurus, dark, &c.)

sky-See also:

• BLUE (common in different forms to most European languages)

blue See also:

• CEILING (from a verb " to ceil," i.e. to line or cover; of disputed etymology, but apparently connected with Fr. ciel, Lat. caelum, sky)

ceiling, or by figures on a dark See also:

• WALL (O. Eng. weal, weall, Mid. Eng. wal, wane, adapted from Lat. vallum, rampart; the original O. Eng. word for a wall was wag or tenth)
• WALL, RICHARD (1694-1778)

wall See also:

• DRAWN

drawn in inflammable material and suddenly ignited . The flashes of See also:

• LIGHTNING

lightning and the See also:

• ROLLING

rolling thunders which sometimes accompanied these manifestations were easy tricks, now See also:

• FAMILIAR (through the Fr. familier, from Lat. familiaris, of or belonging to the familia, family)

familiar to everybody as the ignition of See also:

• LYCOPODIUM

lycopodium and the shaking of a See also:

• SHEET

sheet of metal . The ancient methods described by Hippolytus (iv . 32) were very similar .

Judging from the accounts which See also:

• HISTORY

history has handed down to us, the marvels performed by the thaumaturgists of antiquity were very skilfully produced, and must have required a considerable See also:

• PRACTICAL

practical knowledge of the art . The See also:

• ROMANS
• ROMANS, EPISTLE TO THE

Romans were in the See also:

• HABIT (through the French from Lat. habitus, from habere, to have, hold, or, in a reflective sense, to be in a certain condition; in many of the English senses the French use habitude, not habit)

habit of giving conjuring exhibitions, the most favourite feat being that of, the " cups and balls," the performers of which were called acetabularii, and the cups themselves acetabula . The balls used, however, instead of being the convenient See also:

• LIGHT

light See also:

• CORK
• CORK (perhaps through Sp. corcha from Lat. cortex, bark, but possibly connected with quercus, oak)
• CORK, RICHARD BOYLE

cork ones employed by See also:

• MODERN

modern conjurors, were simply See also:

• ROUND (O. Fr. rond, Lat. rotundus, the Fr. is the source also of Du. rond; Ger., Swed., Dan. and Nor. rond)

round white pebbles which must have added greatly to the difficulty of performing the See also:

• TRICK

trick . The art survived the barbarism and See also:

• IGNORANCE (Lat. ignorantia, from ignorare, not to know); want of knowledge, a state of mind which in law has important consequences. A well-known legal maxim runs: ignorantia juris non excusat ("ignorance of the law does not excuse")

ignorance of the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle ages; and the earliest professors of the modern school were Italians such as See also:

• JONAS, JUSTUS (1493–1555)

Jonas, Androletti and See also:

• ANTONIO
• ANTONIO (1429—1498)
• ANTONIO, NICOLAS (1617-1684)

Antonio Carlotti . But towards the See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close of See also:

• ELIZABETH
• ELIZABETH (1533-1603)
• ELIZABETH (1596-1662)
• ELIZABETH (1635–1650)
• ELIZABETH [ AMELIE EUGENIE ] (1837—1898)
• ELIZABETH [1lisabeth Philippine Marie Helene of France] (1764—1794)
• ELIZABETH [PAULINE ELIZABETH OTTILIE LOUISE] (1843– )
• ELIZABETH [PETROVNA] (1709-1762), EMPRESS
• ELIZABETH, SAINT (1207-1231)

Elizabeth's reign conjurors were classed with "ruffians, blasphemers, thieves, vagabonds, See also:

• JEWS
• JEWS (Heb. Y8hudi, man of Judah; Gr. 'Iovbaiot; Lat. Judaei)

Jews, See also:

• TURKS

Turks, heretics, pagans and sorcerers." The history of conjuring by mechanical effects and inventions is full of curious detail . Spectral pictures or reflections of moving See also:

• OBJECTS

objects, similar to those of the See also:

• CAMERA (a Latin adaptation of Gr. Kagapa, an arched chamber)

camera or magic See also:

• LANTERN (an adaptation of the Fr. lanterne from Lat. lanterna or laterna, supposed to be from Gr. Aa urritp, a torch or lamp, Aaµaew, to shine, cf. " lamp "; the 16th- and 17th-century form " lanthorn " is due to a mistaken derivation from " horn," as a m

lantern, were described in the 14th and 16th centuries . Thus, in the See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

House of Fame, bk. iii., See also:

• CHAUCER, GEOFFREY (? 1340-1400)

Chaucer speaks of " appearances such as the subtil tregetours perform at feasts "—pictorial representations of See also:

• HUNTING (the verbal substantive from " hunt "; O. Eng. huntian, hunta; apparently connected with O. Eng. hentan, Gothic hinpan, to capture, O.H.G. hunda,booty)

hunting, See also:

• FALCONRY (Fr. fauconnerie, from Late Lat. falco, falcon)

falconry and knights jousting, with the persons and objects instantaneously disappearing; exhibitions of the same See also:

• KIND (O. E. ge-cynde, from the same root as is seen in " kin," supra)

kind are mentioned by See also:

• SIR

Sir See also:

• JOHN
• JOHN (1167–1216)
• JOHN (1290-c. 1320)
• JOHN (1296-1346)
• JOHN (1371–1419)
• JOHN (1468-1532)
• JOHN (1801-1873)
• JOHN (Heb. llni')
• JOHN (ZAPOLYA) (1487-1540)
• JOHN, 4TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (c. 1695-1762)
• JOHN, DON (1545-1578)
• JOHN, DON (1629–1679)
• JOHN, GOSPEL OF ST
• JOHN, or HAYS (1513–1571)
• JOHN, THE APOSTLE
• JOHN, THE EPISTLES OF

John See also:

• MANDEVILLE, BERNARD DE (1670-1733)
• MANDEVILLE, GEOFFREY DE (d. 1144)

Mandeville, as seen by him at the See also:

• COURT
• COURT (from the O. Fr. court, Late Lat. cortis, curtis, a popular form of class. Lat. cohors, gen. cohortis; the mod. Fr. form tour is due to the influence of the Lat. curia, the word used in medieval documents to translate " court " in the feudal sense)
• COURT, ANTOINE (1696-176o)

court of " the See also:

• GREAT

Great Chan " in See also:

• ASIA

Asia; and in the middle of the 16th See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century Benvenuto See also:

• CELLINI, BENVENUTO (1500-1571)

Cellini saw phantasmagoric spectres projected upon smoke at a nocturnal See also:

• EXHIBITION

exhibition in the Colosseum at Rome . The existence of a camera obscura at this latter date is a fact; for the See also:

• INSTRUMENT (Lat. instrumentum, from insincere, to build up, furnish, arrange, prepare)

instrument is described by Baptista Porta, the Neapolitan philosopher, in his Magia Naturalis (1558) . And the doubt how magic lantern effects could have been produced in the 14th century, when the lantern itself is alleged to have been invented by See also:

• ATHANASIUS (293-373)

Athanasius See also:

• KIRCHER, ATHANASIUS (r6oi-168o)

Kircher in the middle of the 17th century, is set at See also:

• REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest by the fact that glass lenses were constructed at the earlier of these See also:

• DATES

dates,—See also:

• ROGER (d. 1139)
• ROGER (d. 1181)

Roger See also:

• BACON
• BACON (through the O. Fr. bacon, Low Lat. baco, from a Teutonic word cognate with " back," e.g. O. H. Ger. pacho, M. H. Ger. backe, buttock, flitch of bacon)
• BACON, FRANCIS (BARON VERULAM, VISCOUNT ST ALBANS) (1561-1626)
• BACON, JOHN (1740–1799)
• BACON, LEONARD (1802–1881)
• BACON, ROGER (c. 1214-c. 1294)
• BACON, SIR NICHOLAS (1509-1579)

Bacon, in his See also:

• DISCOVERY

Discovery of the Miracles of Art, Nature and Magic (about 126o), See also:

• WRITING
• WRITING (the verbal noun of " to write," O. Eng. writan, to inscribe)

writing of glass lenses and perspectives so well made as to give See also:

• GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good telescopic and microscopic effects, and to be useful to old men .and those who have weak eyes . Towards the end of the 18th century See also:

• COMUS (from sd p.os, revel, or a company of revellers)

Comus, a See also:

• FRENCH
• FRENCH, DANIEL CHESTER (1850– )
• FRENCH, NICHOLAS (1604-1678)

French conjuror, included in his entertainment a figure which suddenly appeared and disappeared about three ft. above a table,—a trick explained by the circumstance that a concave See also:

• MIRROR (through O. Fr. mirour, mod. miroir, from a sup-posed Late Lat. miratorium, from mirari, to admire)

mirror was among his properties; and a contemporary performer, See also:

• ROBERT
• ROBERT (1275—1343)
• ROBERT, HUBERT (1753-1808)
• ROBERT, LOUIS LEOPOLD (1794-1835)

Robert, exhibited the raising of the dead by the same agency . See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

Early in the 19th century Philipstal gave a sensation to his magic lantern entertainment by lowering unperceived between the See also:

• AUDIENCE (from Lat. audire, to hear)

audience and the See also:

• STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage a sheet of See also:

• GAUZE

gauze upon which See also:

• FELL
• FELL, JOHN (1625-1686)

fell the vivid moving shadows of See also:

• PHANTASMAGORIA

phantasmagoria . A new era in optical tricks began in 1863 when John Nevil See also:

• MASKELYNE, NEVIL (1732-1811)

Maskelyne (b .

1839), of See also:

• CHELTENHAM

Cheltenham, invented a See also:

• WOOD, ANTHONY A2 (1632-1695)
• WOOD, JOHN GEORGE (1827—1889)
• WOOD, MRS HENRY [ELLEN] (1814—1887)
• WOOD, SEARLES VALENTINE (1798—188o)

wood See also:

• CABINET

cabinet in which persons vanished and were made to reappear, although it was placed upon high feet, with no passage through which a See also:

• PERSON, OFFENCES AGAINST THE

person could pass from the cabinet to the stage See also:

• FLOOR (from O. Eng. flor, a word common to many Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch vloer, and Ger. Flur, a field, in the feminine, and a floor, masculine)

floor, the scenes, or the ceiling; and this cabinet was examined and measured for concealed space, and watched round by persons from the audience during the whole of the transformations . The See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general principle was this: if a looking-glass be set upright in the corner of a See also:

• ROOM

room, bisecting the right See also:

• ANGLE (from the Lat. angulus, a corner, a diminutive, of which the primitive form, angus, does not occur in Latin; cognate are the Lat. angere, to compress into a bend or to strangle, and the Gr. ayKOS, a bend; both connected with the Aryan root ank-, to

angle formed by the walls, the See also:

• SIDE
• SIDE (mod. Eski Adalia)

side wall reflected will appear as if it were the back, and hence an See also:

• OBJECT

object may be hidden behind the glass, yet the space seem to remain unoccupied . This principle, however, was so carried out that no sign of the existence of any mirror was discernible under the closest inspection . Two years later the same See also:

• SIMPLE

simple principle appeared in " The Cabinet of See also:

• PROTEUS
• PROTEUS (Proteus anguinus)

Proteus," patented by See also:

• TOBIN, JOHN (1770-18o4)

Tobin and See also:

• PEPPER
• PEPPER, WILLIAM (1843–1898)

Pepper of the See also:

• POLYTECHNIC (Gr. aroWus, many, and rEXvn, an art)

Polytechnic Institution, in which two mirrors were employed, See also:

• MEETING (from " to meet," to come together, assemble, 0. Eng. metals ; cf. Du. moeten, Swed. mota, Goth. gamotjan, &c., derivatives of the Teut. word for a meeting, seen in O. Eng. Wit, moot, an assembly of the people; cf. witanagemot)

meeting in the middle, where an upright See also:

• PILLAR (0. Fr. piler, Mod. pilier, Late Lat. pilare, from pila, column)

pillar concealed their edges . In the same See also:

• YEAR

year Stodare exhibited the illusion in an extended form, by placing the pair of mirrors in the centre of the stage, supported between the legs of a three-legged table having the See also:

• APEX

apex towards the audience; and as the side walls of his stage were draped exactly like the back, reflection showed an apparently clear space below the table See also:

• TOP (cf. Dan. top, Ger. Topf, also meaning pot)

top, where in reality a See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man in a sitting position was hidden behind the glasses and exhibited his See also:

• HEAD (in 0. Eng. heafad; the word is common to Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch hoofd, Ger. Haupt, generally taken to be in origin connected with Lat. caput, Gr. KerbOvi7)
• HEAD, SIR EDMUND WALKER, BART
• HEAD, SIR FRANCIS BOND, BART

head (" The See also:

• SPHINX (Gr. Q¢lyyea', to draw tight, squeeze)

Sphinx ") above the table . The See also:

• PLANE

plane mirror illusion is so effective that it has been reproduced with modifications by various performers . In one See also:

• CASE
• CASE, JOHN (d. 1600)

case a living bust was shown through an See also:

• APERTURE (from Lat. aperire, to open)

aperture in a looking-glass sloping upward from the front towards the back of a curtained cabinet; in another a person stood See also:

• HALF

half-hidden by a See also:

• VERTICAL (from Lat. vertex, highest point)

vertical mirror, and See also:

• IMITATION (Lat. imitatio, from intitari, to imitate)

imitation limbs placed in front of it were sundered and removed; and in another case a large vertical mirror was pushed forward from a back corner of the stage at an angle of 45 degrees, to See also:

• COVER (from the Fr. convert, from couvrir, to cover, Lat. cooperire)

cover the entrance of a living " phantom," and then withdrawn . Maskelyne improved upon his See also:

• ORIGINAL

original cabinet by taking out a shelf which, in See also:

• CONJUNCTION (from Lat. conjungere, to join together)

conjunction with a mirror, could enclose a space, and thus See also:

• LEFT

left no apparent See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place in which a person could possibly be hidden . He introduced a further mystification by secretly conveying a person behind a See also:

• CURTAIN

curtain See also:

• SCREEN (usually, but very doubtfully, connected with Lat. scrinium, a box for holding books, from scribere, to write; a connexion with Ger. Schranke, barrier, has been suggested)

screen, notwithstanding that, during the whole See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time, the existence of a clear space under the See also:

• STOOL

stool upon which the screen is placed is proved by performers continually walking round . The principle of reflecting by means of transparent See also:

• PLATE

plate-glass the images of highly-illuminated objects placed in front, so that they appear as if among less brilliantly lighted objects behind the glass, was employed in the " See also:

• GHOST (a word common to the W. Teutonic languages; O.E. vest, Dutch, 'geest, Ger. Geist)

ghost " illusions of See also:

• SYLVESTER, JAMES
• SYLVESTER, JOSHUA (1563–1618)

Sylvester, of Dircks and Pepper, of See also:

• ROBIN

Robin, and of some other inventors,—the transparent plate-glass being, in some cases, inclined forwards so as to reflect a See also:

• LIME
• LIME (O. Eng. lim, Lat. limes, mud, from linere, to smear)

lime-lighted object placed below the front of the stage, and in other arrangements set vertically at an angle so as to reflect the object, from a lateral position . Among the acoustic wonders of antiquity were the speaking head of See also:

• ORPHEUS

Orpheus, the See also:

• GOLDEN

golden virgins, whose voices resounded through the See also:

• TEMPLE
• TEMPLE, FREDERICK (1821-1902)
• TEMPLE, RICHARD
• TEMPLE, SIR RICHARD, BART
• TEMPLE, SIR WILLIAM, BART

temple of See also:

• DELPHI (the Pytho of Homer and Herodotus; in Boeotian inscriptions BeA4oi, on coins Aa)tg5oi)

Delphi, and the like . Hippolytus (iv .

4) explains the trick of the speaking head as practised in his See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day, the See also:

• VOICE (Fr. voix, from Lat. vox)

voice being really that of a concealed assistant who spoke through the flexible gullet of a See also:

• CRANE (in Dutch, Kraan; O. Ger. Kraen; cognate, as also the Lat. grus, and consequently the Fr. grue and Span. grulla, with the Gr. dpavos)
• CRANE, STEPHEN (1870-1900)
• CRANE, WALTER (1845– )
• CRANE, WILLIAM HENRY (1845– )

crane . Towards the close of the loth century See also:

• GERBERT, MARTIN (172o-1793)

Gerbert (See also:

• POPE (Gr. irarraas, post-classical Lat. papa, father)
• POPE, ALEXANDER (1688–1744)
• POPE, ALEXANDER (1763-1835)
• POPE, JANE (1742-1818)
• POPE, JOHN (1822-1892)
• POPE, SIR THOMAS (c. 1507-1559)

Pope See also:

• SILVESTER

Silvester II.) constructed (says See also:

• WILLIAM
• WILLIAM (1143-1214)
• WILLIAM (1227-1256)
• WILLIAM (1J33-1584)
• WILLIAM (A.S. Wilhelm, O. Norse Vilhidlmr; O. H. Ger. Willahelm, Willahalm, M. H. Ger. Willehelm, Willehalm, Mod.Ger. Wilhelm; Du. Willem; O. Fr. Villalme, Mod. Fr. Guillaume; from " will," Goth. vilja, and " helm," Goth. hilms, Old Norse hidlmr, meaning
• WILLIAM (c. 1130-C. 1190)
• WILLIAM, 13TH

William of See also:

• MALMESBURY
• MALMESBURY, JAMES HARRIS, IST EARL OF (1746-1820)
• MALMESBURY, JAMES HOWARD HARRIS, 3RD EARL OF (1807-1889)

Malmesbury) a brazen head which answered questions; and similar inventions are ascribed to Roger Bacon, Albertus See also:

• MAGNUS, HEINRICH GUSTAV (1802-1870)

Magnus, and others . In the first half of the 17th century the philosopher See also:

• DESCARTES, RENE (1596-1650)

Descartes made a speaking figure which he called his daughter Franchina; but the superstitious See also:

• CAPTAIN (derived from Lat. ca put, head, through the Low Lat. capitanus)

captain of a See also:

• VESSEL (O. Fr. vaissel, from a rare Lat. vascellum, dim. of vas, vase, urn)

vessel had it thrown overboard . In the latter See also:

• PART

part of the same century See also:

• THOMAS
• THOMAS (c. 1654-1720)
• THOMAS (d. 110o)
• THOMAS, ARTHUR GORING (1850-1892)
• THOMAS, CHARLES LOUIS AMBROISE (1811-1896)
• THOMAS, GEORGE (c. 1756-1802)
• THOMAS, GEORGE HENRY (1816-187o)
• THOMAS, ISAIAH (1749-1831)
• THOMAS, PIERRE (1634-1698)
• THOMAS, SIDNEY GILCHRIST (1850-1885)
• THOMAS, ST
• THOMAS, THEODORE (1835-1905)
• THOMAS, WILLIAM (d. 1554)

Thomas Irson, an Englishman, exhibited at the court of See also:

• CHARLES
• CHARLES (1270-1325)
• CHARLES (1421-1461)
• CHARLES (1525-1574)
• CHARLES (c. 1319-1364)
• CHARLES (Fr. Charles; Span. Carlos; Ital. Carlo; Ger. Karl; derived from O.H.G. Charal,latinized as Carolus, meaning originally " man ": cf. Mod.Ger., Kerl," fellow," A.S. ceorl, Mod. Eng. " churl ")
• CHARLES (KARL EITEL ZEPHYRIN LUDWIG; in Rum. CAROL)
• CHARLES [KARL ALEXANDER] (1712-1780)
• CHARLES, ELIZABETH (1828-1896)
• CHARLES, JACQUES ALEXANDRE CESAR (1746-1823)
• CHARLES, THOMAS (1755-1814)

Charles II. a wooden figure with a speaking-See also:

• TRUMPET (Fr. trompette, clairon; Ger. ,Trompete, Klarino, Trummet; Ital. tromba, trombetta, clarino)
• TRUMPET, SPEAKING AND HEARING

trumpet in its mouth; and questions whispered in its See also:

• EAR (common Teut.; O.E. are, Ger. Ohr, Du. oor, akin to Lat. auris, Gr. ovs)

ear were answered through a See also:

• PIPE

pipe secretly communicating with an apartment wherein was a learned See also:

• PRIEST (Ger. Priester, Fr. pretre)

priest able to converse in various See also:

• LANGUAGES

languages . Johann See also:

• BECKMANN, JOHANN (1739–1811)

Beckmann, in his History of Inventions (about 1770, Eng. transi. by W . See also:

• JOHNSTON, ALBERT SIDNEY (1803–1862)
• JOHNSTON, ALEXANDER (1849-1888)
• JOHNSTON, ALEXANDER KEITH (1804-1871)
• JOHNSTON, ARTHUR (1587-1641)
• JOHNSTON, J
• JOHNSTON, JOSEPH EGGLESTON (1807-1891)
• JOHNSTON, SIR HENRY HAMILTON (1858- )

Johnston, 4th ed.,1846), relates his inspection of a speaking figure, in which the words really came through a See also:

• TUBE (Lat. tuba)

tube from a confederate who held a card of signs by which he received intelligence from the exhibitor . Somewhat later was shown in See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England the figure of an See also:

• INFANT (in early forms enfaunt, enfant, through the Fr. enfant, from Lat. infans, in, not, and fans, the present participle of fari, to speak)

infant suspended by a ribbon, having a speaking-trumpet in its mouth,—an illusion in which two concave mirrors were employed, one of them concentrating the rays of See also:

• SOUND
• SOUND, THE (Danish Oresund)

sound into a See also:

• FOCUS (Latin for " hearth " or " fireplace ")

focus within the head of the figure; and the mirror nearest the figure was hidden by a portion of the wall-See also:

• PAPER
• PAPER (Fr. papier, from Lat. papyrus)

paper which was perforated with See also:

• PIN (a doublet with " pen " from Lat. pinna, feather, pinnacle, which is said to contain the same root as irirvs, pine tree, and properly to mean a sharp point or end)

pin-holes . In 1783 Giuseppe Pinetti de Wildalle, an See also:

• ITALIAN

Italian conjuror of great originality, exhibited among his many wonders a See also:

• TOY
• TOY, CRAWFORD HOWELL (1836– )

toy See also:

• BIRD

bird perched upon a See also:

• BOTTLE (Fr. bouteille, from a diminutive of the Lat. butta, a flask; cf. Eng. " butt ")

bottle, which fluttered, blew out a See also:

• CANDLE (Lat. candela, from candere, to glow)

candle, and warbled any See also:

• MELODY (Gr. ,ueXw3ia, a choral song, from name, tune, and gi6i, song)

melody proposed or improvised by the audience,—doing this also when removed from the bottle to a table, or when held in the performer's hand upon any part of the stage . The sounds were produced by a confederate who imitated See also:

• SONG

song-birds after Rossignol's method by aid of the inner skin of an See also:

• ONION (Fr. oignon, Lat. unio, liberally unity, oneness, applied to a large pearl and to a species of onion)

onion in the mouth; and speaking-trumpets directed the sounds to whatever position was occupied by the bird . About the year 1825 Charles, a Frenchman, exhibited a See also:

• COPPER (symbol Cu, atomic weight 63.1, H=1, or 63.6, O = 16)

copper globe, carrying four speaking-trumpets, which was suspended in a light See also:

• FRAME

frame in the centre of a room . Whispers uttered near to this apparatus were heard by a confederate in an adjoining room by means of a tube passing through the frame and the floor, and answers issued from the trumpets in a loud See also:

• TONE, THEOBALD WOLFE (1763-1798)

tone . Subsequently appeared more than one illusion of a similar See also:

• ORDER
• ORDER (through Fr. ordre, for earlier ordene, from Lat. ordo, ordinis, rank, service, arrangement; the ultimate source is generally taken to be the root seen in Lat. oriri, rise, arise, begin; cf. " origin ")
• ORDER, HOLY

order, in which the talking and singing of a distant person issued from an isolated head or figure by aid of ear-trumpets secretly contained within parts in which, from their outside form, the presence of such See also:

• INSTRUMENTS

instruments would not be suspected .

It is probable that the See also:

• AUTOMATON (from aurOs,self, and uiw, to seize)

automaton trumpeters of See also:

• FRIEDRICH, JOHANN (1836— )

Friedrich See also:

• KAUFMANN, CONSTANTINE PETROVICH (1818-1882)

Kaufmann and of Johann See also:

• NEPOMUK (or Pollux), JOHN OF

Nepomuk Malzel were See also:

• CLEVER

clever deceptions of the same kind . As described in the See also:

• JOURNAL
• JOURNAL (through Fr. from late Lat. diurnalis, daily)

Journal de Mode, 1809, Malzel's See also:

• LIFE

life-See also:

• SIZE

size figure had the musical instrument fixed in its mouth; the mechanism was See also:

• WOUND (O. Eng. wund,connected with a Teutonic verb, meaning to strive, fight, suffer, seen in O. Eng. winnan, whence Eng. " win ")

wound up, and a set See also:

• SERIES (a Latin word from serere, to join)

series of See also:

• MARCHES, THE (It. Le Marche)

marches, See also:

• ARMY
• ARMY (from Fr. armee, Lat. armata)

army calls, and other compositions was performed, accompaniments being played by a real See also:

• BAND

band . Mechanical counterparts of the human lips, See also:

• TONGUE (O. Eng. lunge)

tongue and breath, both in speech and in playing certain musical instruments, have, however, been constructed, as in Jacques de Vaucanson's celebrated automaton See also:

• FLUTE

flute-player, which was completed in 1736; the same mechanician's See also:

• TAMBOURINE (Fr. tambour de Basque; Ger. baskische Trommel, Tambourin, or Schellen-trommel)

tambourine and See also:

• FLAGEOLET

flageolet player, which was still more ingenious, as, the flageolet having only three holes, some of the notes were produced by half-stopping; See also:

• ABBE (Serbo-Croatian Rai))

Abbe Mical's heads which articulated syllables, and his automata playing upon instruments; Kempelen's and Kratzenstein's speaking-See also:

• MACHINES

machines, in the latter part of the 18th century; the speaking-See also:

• MACHINE
• MACHINE (through Fr. from Lat. form machina of Gr. µnxavil)

machine made by Fabermann of See also:

• VIENNA (Ger. Wien; Lat. Vindobona)
• VIENNA, CONGRESS OF (1814-1815)

Vienna, closely imitating the human voice, with a fairly good See also:

• PRONUNCIATION (Lat. pronuntiatio, from pronuntiare, proclaim, announce, pronounce)

pronunciation of various words; the automaton clarionet-player constructed by See also:

• VAN

Van Oeckelen, a Dutchman, and exhibited in New See also:

• YORK
• YORK (HOUSE OF)
• YORK, EDMUND OF LANGLEY, DUKE OF (1341-1402)
• YORK, EDWARD
• YORK, FREDERICK AUGUSTUS, DUKE OF (1763-1827)
• YORK, RICHARD, DUKE

York in 186o, which played airs from a See also:

• BARREL (a word of uncertain origin common to Romance languages; the Celtic forms, as in the Gaelic baraill, are derived from the English)

barrel like that of a See also:

• CRANK

crank-See also:

• ORGAN

organ, and could take the clarion( from its mouth and replace it, and Maskelyne's two automata, " Fanfare " (1878) playing a See also:

• CORNET,

cornet, and " Labial " (1879) playing a See also:

• EUPHONIUM (Fr. baryton; Ger. Tenor Tube)

euphonium, both operated by mechanism inside the figures and supplied with See also:

• WIND
• WIND (a common Teut. word, cognate with Skt. vats, Lat. ventus, cf. " weather," to be of course distinguished from to " wind," to coil or twist, O.Eng. windan, cf. "wander," "wend," &c.)

wind from a See also:

• BELLOWS
• BELLOWS, ALBERT F
• BELLOWS, HENRY WHITNEY (1814-1882)

bellows placed separately upon the stage . See also:

• LUCIAN (d. 312)
• LUCIAN [Aowaavos] (c. A.D. 120-180)

Lucian tells of the magician See also:

• ALEXANDER
• ALEXANDER (1461-1506)
• ALEXANDER (ALEXANDER OF BATTENBERG) (1857-1893)
• ALEXANDER (ALEXANDER OsxENOVici) (1876-1903)
• ALEXANDER, ARCHIBALD (1772—1851)
• ALEXANDER, FRANCIS (1800—1881)
• ALEXANDER, GEORGE (1858— )
• ALEXANDER, JOHN WHITE (1856- )
• ALEXANDER, JOSEPH ADDISON (18o9—186o)
• ALEXANDER, SIR JAMES EDWARD (1803—1885)
• ALEXANDER, WILLIAM (1824— )
• ALEXANDER, WILLIAM LINDSAY (1808—1884)

Alexander in the 2nd century that he received written questions enclosed in sealed envelopes, and a few days afterwards delivered written responses in the same envelopes, with the See also:

• SEALS

seals apparently unbroken; and both he and Hippolytus explain several methods by which this could be effected . In this deception we have the germ of " spirit-See also:

• READING

reading " and " spirit-writing," which, introduced in 1840 by John See also:

• HENRY
• HENRY (1129-1195)
• HENRY (c. 1108-1139)
• HENRY (c. 1174–1216)
• HENRY (Fr. Henri; Span. Enrique; Ger. Heinrich; Mid. H. Ger. Heinrich and Heimrich; O.H.G. Haimi- or Heimirih, i.e. " prince, or chief of the house," from O.H.G. heim, the Eng. home, and rih, Goth. reiks; compare Lat. rex " king "—" rich," therefore " mig
• HENRY, EDWARD LAMSON (1841– )
• HENRY, JAMES (1798-1876)
• HENRY, JOSEPH (1797-1878)
• HENRY, MATTHEW (1662-1714)
• HENRY, PATRICK (1736–1799)
• HENRY, PRINCE OF BATTENBERG (1858-1896)
• HENRY, ROBERT (1718-1790)
• HENRY, VICTOR (1850– )
• HENRY, WILLIAM (1795-1836)

Henry See also:

• ANDERSON
• ANDERSON, ADAM (1692—1765)
• ANDERSON, ALEXANDER (c. 1582-1620?)
• ANDERSON, ELIZABETH GARRETT (1836— )
• ANDERSON, JAMES (1662—1728)
• ANDERSON, JAMES (1739-1808)
• ANDERSON, JOHN (1726-1796)
• ANDERSON, MARY (1859– )
• ANDERSON, RICHARD HENRY (1821–1879)
• ANDERSON, ROBERT (1750–1830)
• ANDERSON, SIR EDMUND (1530-1605)

Anderson, " The Wizard of the See also:

• NORTH
• NORTH, BARONS
• NORTH, MARIANNE (1830—1890)
• NORTH, ROGER (1653-1734)
• NORTH, SIR THOMAS (1535?-16o1?)

North," became See also:

• COMMON

common in the repertoire of modern conjurors,—embracing a variety of effects from an instantaneous substitution which allows the performer or his confederate to see what has been secretly written by the audience . The so-called "second-sight" trick depends upon a See also:

• SYSTEM

system of signalling between the exhibitor, who moves among the audience See also:

• COLLECTING

collecting questions to be answered and articles to be described, and the performer, who is See also:

• BLIND, MATHILDE (1841—1896)

blind-folded on the stage . As already stated, the speaking figure which Stock showed to See also:

• PROFESSOR (the Latin noun formed from the verb profiteri, to declare publicly, to acknowledge, profess)

Professor Beckmann, at See also:

• GOTTINGEN

Gottingen, about 1770, was instructed by a See also:

• CODE (Lat. codex)

code of signals . In 1783 Pinetti had an automaton figure about 18 in. in height, named the See also:

• GRAND

Grand See also:

• SULTAN (an Arabic word meaning " victorious " or " a ruler," sultat, dominion)

Sultan or See also:

• WISE, HENRY ALEXANDER (1806-1876)
• WISE, ISAAC MAYER (1819-1900)

Wise Little Turk, which answered questions as to chosen See also:

• CARDS, PLAYING

cards and many other things by striking upon a See also:

• BELL
• BELL, ALEXANDER MELVILLE (1819—1905)
• BELL, ANDREW (1753—1832)
• BELL, GEORGE JOSEPH (1770-1843)
• BELL, HENRY (1767-1830)
• BELL, HENRY GLASSFORD (1803-1874)
• BELL, JACOB (1810-1859)
• BELL, JOHN (1691-178o)
• BELL, JOHN (1763-1820)
• BELL, JOHN (1797-1869)
• BELL, ROBERT (1800-1867)
• BELL, SIR CHARLES (1774—1842)

bell, intelligence being communicated to a confederate by an ingenious ordering of the words, syllables or vowels in the questions put . The teaching of See also:

• MESMER, FRIEDRICH (or FRANZ) ANTON (1733–1815)

Mesmer and the feats of See also:

• CLAIRVOYANCE (Fr. for " clear-seeing ")

clairvoyance suggested to Pinetti a more remarkable performance in 1785, when Signora Pinetti, sitting blindfold in a front See also:

• BOX
• BOX (Gr. irl or, Lat. buxus, box-wood; cf. 2r6Eir, a pyx)

box of a See also:

• THEATRE (BEarpov, " a place for seeing," from OeacOae)

theatre, replied to questions and displayed her knowledge of'articles in the See also:

• POSSESSION
• POSSESSION (Lat. possessio, possidere, to possess)

possession of the audience . Half a century later this was See also:

• DEVELOPED

developed with greater elaboration, and the system of telegraphing cloaked by intermixing signals on other methods, first by Robert-Houdin in 1846, then by See also:

• HERMANN, JOHANN GOTTFRIED JAKOB (1772–1848)
• HERMANN, KARL FRIEDRICH (1804–1855)

Hermann in 1848, and by Anderson at a later See also:

• PERIOD
• PERIOD (Gr. irepioSos, a going or way round, circuit, aepi, round, and &Sis, way, road)

period . Details of the system of indicating a very large number of answers by slight and unperceived See also:

• VARIATIONS
• VARIATIONS, CALCULUS
• VARIATIONS, CALCULUS OF

variations in the form of question are given by F . A .

Gandon, La seconde vue devoilee (See also:

• PARIS
• PARIS (also called ALEXANDROS)
• PARIS, ALEXIS PAULIN (1800-x881)
• PARIS, BRUNO PAULIN GASTON (1839-1903)
• PARIS, FRANCOIS DE (169o-1727)
• PARIS, LOUIS PHILIPPE ALBERT
• PARIS, TREATIES OF (1814-1815)

Paris, 1849) . See also:

• FIRE (in O. Eng. f j'r; the word is common to West German languages, cf. Dutch vuur, Ger. Feuer; the pre-Teutonic form is seen in Sanskrit pu, pavaka, and Gr. irup; the ultimate origin is usually taken to be a root meaning to purify, cf. Lat. purus)

Fire tricks, such as walking on burning coals, breathing See also:

• FLAME (Lat. flamma; the root flag- appears in flagrare, to burn, blaze, and Gr. d, XEryew)

flame and smoke from a See also:

• GALL (a word common to many Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch gal, and Ger. Galle; the Indo-European root appears in Gr. xoXi,, and Lat. fel; possibly connected with " yellow," with reference to the colour of bile)
• GALL, FRANZ JOSEPH (1758-1828)

gall-See also:

• NUT
• NUT (0. Eng. knutu, cf. Dutch noot, Ger. Nuss; allied with Gael. cno; it is not of the same form as Lat. nux)

nut filled with an inflammable See also:

• COMPOSITION
• COMPOSITION (Lat. compositio, from componere, to put together)

composition and wrapped in See also:

• TOW

tow, or dipping the hands in boiling See also:

• PITCH
• PITCH, MUSICAL

pitch, were known in early times, and are explained by Hippolytus (iv . 33) . At the close of the 17th century See also:

• RICHARD
• RICHARD (d. 1184)
• RICHARD, FRANCOIS MARIE BENJAMIN (18,9-1908)
• RICHARD, HENRY (1812-1888)
• RICHARD, ST

Richard-son astonished the See also:

• ENGLISH

English public by chewing ignited coals, pouring melted See also:

• LEAD
• LEAD (pronounced iced)

lead (really quicksilver) upon his tongue and swallowing melted glass . See also:

• STRUTT, JEDEDIAH (1726-1797)

Strutt, in See also:

• SPORTS
• SPORTS, THE BOOK OF

Sports and Pastimes of the See also:

• PEOPLE

People of England, relates how he saw Powel the fireeater, in 1762, broil a piece of beefsteak laid upon his tongue,—a piece of lighted See also:

• CHARCOAL

charcoal being placed under his tongue which a spectator blew upon with a bellows till the See also:

• MEAT

meat was sufficiently done . This man also drank a melted mixture of pitch, See also:

• BRIMSTONE

brimstone and lead out of an See also:

• IRON [symbol Fe, atomic weight 55.85 (0=16)]

iron See also:

• SPOON (O. Eng. span, a chip or splinter of wood, cf. Du. spoon, Ger. Spahn, in same sense, probably related to Gr. r4 v, wedge)

spoon, the stuff blazing furiously . These performers anointed their mouths and See also:

• TONGUES, GIFT OF, or GLOSSOLALIA (yXwova, tongue, aXeiv, speak)

tongues with a protective composition . See also:

• GALEN (or GALENUS), CLAUDIUS
• GALEN, CHRISTOPH BERNHARD, FREIHERR VON (16o6-1678)

Galen speaks of a person in the 2nd century who relighted a blown-out candle by holding it against a wall or a See also:

• STONE
• STONE (0. Eng. shin; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Stein, Du. steen, Dan. and Swed. sten; the root is also seen in Gr. aria, pebble)
• STONE, CHARLES POMEROY (1824-1887)
• STONE, EDWARD JAMES (1831-1897)
• STONE, FRANK (1800-1859)
• STONE, GEORGE (1708—1764)
• STONE, LUCY [BLACKWELL] (1818-1893)
• STONE, MARCUS (184o— )
• STONE, NICHOLAS (1586-1647)

stone which had been rubbed with See also:

• SULPHUR

sulphur and See also:

• NAPHTHA

naphtha; and the instantaneous See also:

• LIGHTING

lighting of candles became a famous feat of later times . Baptista Porta gave directions for performing a trick entitled " many candles shall be lighted presently." See also:

• THREAD (0. Eng. praed, literally, that which is twisted, prawan, to twist, to throw, cf. " throwster," a silk-winder, Ger. drehen, to twist, turn, Du. draad, Ger. Draht, thread, wire)

Thread is boiled in oil with brimstone and See also:

• ORPIMENT (auripigmentum)

orpiment, and when dry See also:

• BOUND, or BOUNDARY (from O. Fr. bonde, Med. Lat. bodena or butina, a frontier line)

bound to the wicks of candles; and, one being lighted, the flame runs to them all . He says that on festival days they are wont to do this among the Turks . " Some See also:

• CALL (from Anglo-Saxon ceallian, a common Teutonic word, cf. Dutch kallen, to talk or chatter)

call it See also:

• HERMES
• HERMES, GEORG (1775-1831)

Hermes his ointment." In 1783 Pinetti showed two figures sketched upon a wall, one of which put out a candle, and the other relighted the hot See also:

• WICK

wick, when the candle was held to their mouths . By wafers he had applied a few grains of See also:

• GUNPOWDER

gunpowder to the mouth of the first, and a See also:

• BIT (from the verb " to bite," either in the sense of a piece bitten off, or an act of biting, or a thing that bites or is bitten)

bit of See also:

• PHOSPHORUS (Gr. 4ws, light, sPEpety, to bear)

phosphorus to that of the other .

A striking trick of this conjuror was to extinguish two See also:

• WAX

wax candles and simultaneously light two others at a distance of 3 ft., by firing a See also:

• PISTOL

pistol . The candles were placed in a See also:

• ROW, JOHN (c. 1525—1580)

row, and the pistol fired from the end where the lighted candles were placed; the sudden blast of hot See also:

• GAS

gas from the pistol blew out the flames and lighted the more distant candles, because in the wick of each was placed a See also:

• MILLET (Fr. millet; Ital. miglietto, diminutive of miglio= Lat. mille, a thousand, in allusion to its fertility)
• MILLET (or MILE), JEAN FRANCOIS (c. 1642–1679)
• MILLET, FRANCIS DAVIS (1846- )
• MILLET, JEAN FRANCOIS (1814–1875)

millet-See also:

• GRAIN (derived through the French from Lat. granum, seed, from an Aryan root meaning " to wear down," which also appears in the common Teutonic word " corn ")

grain of phosphorus . A more See also:

• RECENT

recent conjuror showed a See also:

• PRETTY

pretty illusion by appearing to carry a flame invisibly between his hands from a lighted to an unlighted candle . What he did was to hold a piece of See also:

• WIRE (A.S. wir, a wire; cf. Swed. vire, to twist, M.H.G. wiere, a gold ornament, Lat. viriae, armlets, ultimately from the root wi, to twist, bind)

wire for a second or two in the flame of the first candle, and then See also:

• TOUCH (derived through Fr. toucher from a common Teutonic and Indo-Germanic root, cf. " tug," " tuck," O. H. Ger. zucchen, to twitch or draw)

touch with the heated wire a bit of phosphorus which had been inserted in the See also:

• TURPENTINE (in M. Eng. turbentine, adapted through the O. Fr. turbentine or terebentine from Lat. terebinthina, sc. resina, resin of the terebinth, Gr. eepiOtvOos or eippavOos)

turpentine-wetted wick of the other . But in 1842 See also:

• LUDWIG, KARL FRIEDRICH WILHELM (1816—1895)
• LUDWIG, OTTO (1813-1865)

Ludwig Dobler, a See also:

• GERMAN
• GERMAN, DUTCH AND SCANDINAVIAN

German conjuror of much originality, surprised his audience by lighting two See also:

• HUNDRED

hundred candles instantaneously upon the firing of a pistol . This was the earliest application of See also:

• ELECTRICITY

electricity to stage illusions . The candles were so arranged that each wick, See also:

• BLACK
• BLACK, ADAM (1784-1874)
• BLACK, JEREMIAH SULLIVAN (1810–1883)
• BLACK, WILLIAM (1841-1898)

black from previous burning, stood a few inches in front of a See also:

• FINE

fine nozzle gas-burner projecting horizontally from a pipe of See also:

• HYDROGEN [symbol H, atomic weight x-oo8 (0=16)]

hydrogen gas, and the two hundred jets of gas passed through the same number of gaps in a conducting-wire . An electric current leaping in a spark through each See also:

• JET (Fr. jais, Ger. Gagat)

jet of gas ignited all simultaneously, and the gas flames fired the candle wicks . J . E . Robert-Houdin (1805-1871), who opened his " Temple of Magic " at Paris in 1845, originated the application of See also:

• ELECTROMAGNETISM

electromagnetism for secretly working or controlling mechanical apparatus in stage illusions . His Soirees fantastiques at Paris gave him such a reputation that the French See also:

• GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT (0. Fr. governement, mod. gouvernement, O. Fr. governer, mod. gouverner, from Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, guide, rule; cf. Gr. xv(3epvav)

government actually sent him to See also:

• ALGIERS (Fr. Alger, Arab. Jezair, i.e. The Islands)

Algiers in order to show his superiority to the See also:

• LOCAL

local marabouts; and he ranks as the founder of modern conjuring .

He first exhibited in 1845 his light and heavy See also:

• CHEST (Gr. Kiarl, Lat. cista, O. Eng. cist, test, &c.)

chest, which, when placed upon the broad See also:

• PLANK

plank or " See also:

• RAKE (O.E. rata, cognate with Du. raak, Ger. Rechen, from a root meaning to scrape together, heap up)

rake " among the spectators, and exactly over a powerful electromagnet hidden under the See also:

• CLOTH

cloth covering of the plank, was held fast at See also:

• PLEASURE (through Fr. plaisir from Lat. placere, to please; Gr. rlbovii)

pleasure . In order to divert suspicion, Houdin showed a second experiment with the same box, suspending it by a rope which passed over a single small See also:

• PULLEY

pulley attached to the ceiling; but any person in the audience who took hold of the rope to feel the sudden increase in the See also:

• WEIGHT

weight of the box was unaware that the rope, while appearing to pass simply over the pulley, really passed upward over a winding-barrel worked as required by an assistant . Remarkable ingenuity was displayed in concealing a small electromagnet in the handle of his glass bell, as well as in his See also:

• DRUM (early forms drome or dromme, a word common to many Teut. languages, cf. Dan. tromme, Ger. Trommel: the word is ultimately the same as " trumpet," and is probably onomatopoeic in origin; it appears late in Eng. about the middle of the 16th century)

drum, the electric current passing through wires hidden within the See also:

• CORD (derived through the Fr. corde, from the Lat. chorda, Gr. xop(5rt, the string of a musical instrument)