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14

Ingenious Amufements.

EXPLANATION OF THE FOREGOING

TABLES.

IT is a received opinion among the admirers of Aftrology, and with the adepts in that fcience, that herbs or plants of any kind poffefs a double portion of virtue when gathered in the planetary hour, two thirds of which they obferve is loft to thofe who are unacquainted with the mystery of difcovering their horary regency,

However it may be in the opinion of fuch as do not place any confidence in this art, and rather confider it as a frivolous fuperftition, we will not venture to fay; but thus much may be obferved, that whatever virtue any plant is endued with, if it has not more in the planetary hour, it cannot at any rate have lefs; and as their phyfical ufes are always directed with the greatest caution and precifion poffible, all that can be expected from their application, under the bleffing of God, may be reafonably hoped by even the moft incredulous of Aftrological experience.

Now, to facilitate this knowledge, the foregoing tables are calculated, and placed here, that fuch as chufe to make the experiment may do it conveniently

without being obliged to recur to any farther affiftance.

DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE TABLES.

THE fpace on the left hand figni❤ fies the rifing of the fun, and the times even with it fignify the different commencement of the planetary hours, and the figures at top what hour it is at fuch and fuch times of infpection, according to Aftronomical account; and the better to illuftrate this, we fhall give an example.

Now the fun rifes at five o'clock in the morning-and I wish to know what planet prefides at 9 o'clock in the morning?

Equal with 5 the fun rifing, I find 9 hours, and over it at top I perceive 4. Now the day of the week, Monday, I find in a little table adapted for the purpofe; I find, even with and under 4, the planet to be lord of the hour till ten o'clock on that day; as this is fo exceedingly plain, it needs little or no explanation,

The table for finding the planetary hourly night, is equally as cafy, and the fame only in this difference-you refpect the fun fetting, inftead of the fun riding.

PHILOSOPHICAL AND INGENIOUS AMUSEMENTS.

PAPER 1.

*།

SURPRISING AND ENTERTAINING DECEPTIONS UPON CARDS.

To change a card which is in the hand of a perfon, recommending him to cover it well:

CUT out a three of fpades very neatly; then, the card being cut through, take an ace of diamonds, which you are to place under your three of spades that was caft out, taking care that your ace of diamonds is perfectly covered by the fpades, which is found in the middle of the three

that is cut out and then you must pour lightly on that card fome jet powder, which may be thus prepared-Pound in a copper mortar your jet, which must have been bruifed a little with a hammer; when it is well pounded, it must be fifted through a fieve, and alio through a piece of muflin. Keep that powder, which cannot be too fine, in a little box, to use it when occafion may require take a pinch of it either with your fingers, or with a piece of paper ;. then fcatter it on the card, and it will tick only on thofe places that have been touched by the roll of pomatum, and

may

Curious Experiments.

may be taken off very eafily by the rubbing against the carpet, when you will push the hand of the perfon who covers the card, without the card being foiled in the leaft by it.

This will eafily ftick on the places rubbed with pomatum, and by that means will form a three of fpades on the card that was before an ace of diamonds. Take in your hand an ace of diamonds, behind which you muft put a three of spades turned the contrary way. The perfon who has in his hand the three of spades that is prepared, will fhew the card to all the company; you will fhew, in your turn, the ace of diamonds that you have in yours, and then tell that perfon to lay his card downwards on the carpet that covers the table; make him lay his hand on the card, and ask him whether he is very certain that it is a three of spades he has under his hand? On his affirmative, you may rally him on it, and tell him, at the fame time that you pufh his hand which is over the card, that he is miftaken, and that it is an ace of diamonds he holds. The movement you will cause him to make, while you push his hand, under which the card is, will make the jet powder, that formed the three of fpades over the ace of diamonds, remain on the carpet, and he will be extremely aftonished to find really an ace of diamonds! whilst you, who make the trick, by turning your hand where the three of fpades and the ace of diamonds are, back to back, will fhew the three of fpades, and make the company believe, that you have conveyed, it from the person who held the fame, without his perceiving it.

This trick must be done dextroufly and quickly, in order that the little deception be not difcovered. Practice is the greatest maiter.

How to guefs a card that has been thought of by any body, writing before hand on a paper or card, a number, which will ertainly be that of the card that has been thought of.

ALL the preparation of this trick confifts in a mathematical combination;

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here follows the method of operating in order to fucceed.

Take a pack of picquet cards, prefent them to one of the company, deliring him to shuffle them well, and to get them fhuffled by whoever he pleafes: then make feveral perfons cut them. After which, you will propofe to one of the company to take the pack, and think of a card, and remember it, as likewife of the number of its order in the pack, by counting one, two, three, four, &c. till he comes, inclufively, to the card thought of by him. Then offer to go in another room while he is doing what you required, or to be bind-folded, affuring the company that you will declare before-hand, if required, the number of the order in which the card is, that has been thought of.

EXAMPLE.

In the fuppofition that the perfon who thinks of the card will stop at number 13, and that thirteenth card is the queen of hearts

Suppofing again, that the number you have marked or defigned beforehand, is number twenty-four; you will return in the room in cafe you had left it, or defire the handkerchief to be taken off, if you have been blindfolded; and, without alking any queftion of the perfon who has thought of the card, afk only for the pack, and apply it to your nofe, as if to fmell it; then paffing it behind your back, or under the table, you must take, beginning from the bottom of the pack, twenty-three cards, that is to fay, one lefs than the number you had defigned before-hand; then place thofe twenty-three cards on the top of the remainder; you must take particular care not to put one more or lefs, for that would prevent your fuccefs. This being done, you are to return the pack to the perfon who has thought of the card, recommending him to reckon the cards from the top of the pack, beginning by the number of the card he thought of. His card being the thirteenth, he will be obliged

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16

Mathematical Combination.

to count fourteen, and you are to ftop him when he comes to twenty-three, telling him that the number you have defigned is twenty-four, and that confequently the twenty-fourth card which he is going to take up will be the queen of hearts, and it will he exactly the cafe.

A mathematical combination for gueffing, in a whole pack compofed of fifty twe cards, how many points will make the cards under each parcel, which parcels are to be made by one of the company, obferving to him that each parcel he makes is to compofe the number of thirteen, to begin from the point of the firft card which he takes to form each par cel.

EXAMPLE.

THE pack having been fhuffled by one or more perfons, make it be cut by as many perfons as you think proper.

Then defire one of the company to form the parcels of cards, all which muft contain thirteen each, beginning by the fift card he takes up.

Suppose that this firft card is a nine, the next will be called ten, and fo on till thirteen; confequently this first par cel will be composed of five cards

ace,

If the next card fhould be an

the ace counting only one, the next parcel will therefore be compofed of thirteen cards

Suppofe the next card is a court card, or a ten, they being of the fame value, this parcel will contain, in order to make up thirteen, four cards

If the following fhould be a five, then the fourth parcel will

contain nine cards

Should the next parcel be a feven, the fifth parcel will be compofed of feven cards

A court card being the first of this parcel, it will be compofed of four cards

If the feventh begins by an

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In the fuppofition then that this eighth parcel begins by a ten, or court card, which is the fame, there would remain no cards, and you would have eight parcels.

If it began by any other card, not adapted to make out thirteen, there would remain four cards, which must be fpread on the table, without difcovering them.

In order to find out the number of points contained under cach of the parcels, whether they be to the amount of eight, or only feven, and four cards remaining, you must make ufe of the following method:

Without touching the cards, feparate in your mind four parcels; then multiply filently by 14 the remaining parcels, whether they are four or only three.

In the firft cafe you are to fay in your mind, 4 times 14 are 56; then add to this number one point for each of the parcels that you have feparated 13 in your mind, which will make 60. Then make the eight parcels be turned up, and count the number of points contained in each of the cards that are under, you will then find 60, obferving that the aces count only for one point, and the court cards for ten.

If there fhould be only 7 parcels, 9 you will have 4 cards remaining; you will however feparate 4 in your mind; then you are to multiply the three re7 maining parcels by 14, and fay to yourfelf 3 times 14 is 42, and 4 for the 4 parcels that you feparated, make 4 46; to which you must add 4 more for the 4 cards that will remain, which

will

Pleafing Amufements.

will make 50. On turning up the 7 parcels you will neceffarily find 50.

If by chance each parcel fhould begin by an ace, which is poffible, you could then make only four parcels, and as it must be the four aces that would be found under, you would only have 4 points.

If it happened alfo, that three parcels began each by an ace, it would then take up 39 cards; it is probable that in fuch a cafe there would be only four parcels in all, and a few cards remaining: you must then content yourfelf with counting as many points as parcels; to which you will add one point for each of the remaining cards, and this will amount infallibly to the just number of the points of the cards under the four parcels.

To guefs the thoughts of any perfon, affuring him that you will write before-hand on a piece of paper the amount of the parcel of cards he thall happen to chufe out of the two placed on the

of

table.

TAKE fome cards, divide them into two parcels, taking care that in one there are only two or three fevens, and in the other feven court cards; call for a pen and ink, and write on a bit paper the sevens; then turn the bit of paper down, that what you have written may not be feen; then tell the person to make his choice. Let him chufe whatever he pleases, your number will be good, fince if he fhould chufe the greatest parcel, you may fhew him your paper on which is written the fevens; then defire him to count the number of cards contained in the parcel he has chofen, and he will find it to be seven, as you had gueffed. This will appear aftonishing to him and to the company: but they will eafily recover from their surprise when, on raifing the other parcel, you will fhew that it contains only fevens, and confequently whatever parcel he had chofen, your number which you had fet down was good, fince one parcel VOL. I.

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The art of fortune-telling by cards.

TAKE a pack of cards, and making yourself which queen you pleafe, lay them out on a table, nine of a row, and wherever you find yourself placed, count nine cards every way, making yourself one, and then you will fee what card you tell to, and whatever that is will happen to you. If the two red tens are by you, it is a fign of marriage; the ace of diamonds is a ring: the ace of hearts is your house, the ace of clubs is a letter; the ace of fpades is death, fpite, or quarrelling= (for that is reckoned the worst card in the pack) the ten of diamonds is a journey; the three of hearts is a kifs= the three of fpades is tears; the ten of the fame fuit is fickness; the nine of i the fame is difappointment: the nine of hearts feafting; the ten of clubs going by water; the ten of hearts places of amufement; the five of hearts a prefent; the five of clubs a bundle, the fix of fpades a child; the seven of fpades a removal: the three of clubs fighting; the eight of clubs confufion; the eight of fpades a road-way: the four of clubs a strange bed; the nine of diamonds bufinefs; the five of diamonds a fettlement; the five of spades a furprife; the two red eights new clothes; the three of diamonds fpeaking with a friend; the four of spades a fick bed; the feven of clubs a prifon; the two of spades a falfe friend; the four of hearts a marriage-bed: when feveral diamonds come together, it is a fign of money; feveral hearts love: fe veral clubs drink; and feveral fpades vexation. If a married woman lays the cards, fhe muft make her husband

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